Deal of the year!

For most of my home recording projects, I use a Tascam DA-38 8-track digital recorder. This machine has served me well since the 1990s, and has been very reliable. However, tapes were always a bit expensive (at least $5-7 a tape), and my preferred manufacturer - Quantegy - has ceased production.

Imagine my surprise when I peeked into the bargain bin at the local supermarket last weekend. In among the expired Similac, discontinued spray-on salad dressings and dented cans of beans, there were four two-packs of Sony Hi-8 digital tapes, the same type my recorder uses, for $1.50 per 2-pack! I bought all of them. These hold nearly two hours of 8-track musical recording at 44.1 khz/20 bits.

This is totally cool. I never get a deal on anything like this, and in fact I usually end up paying much more than most people do, simply because I am not a natural bargain hunter. I am in awe of folks who are good at getting bargains, because I simply don't know how to do it.