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Sonic Shells Explained!

If you’ve ever released an album on cassette you’ve undoubtedly spent some time on our cassette duplication calculator or our blank tapes page. While you’re probably comfortable with the basics of cassette tapes, you may be a little confused by the term “sonic shells” and “5-screw.” Let’s turn you into a cassette expert with a short primer on the differences in cassette welding!

“Sonic shells” or “sonic welded” means that the shells are physically glued shut. Unlike the 5-screw variants you won’t be able to open up the shell and replace the tape. Well, you may be able to, but it sure won’t be easy and you’ll like damage the cassette. If you’re unsure if a cassette has a sonic shell, check out the SKU name. If you see the suffix ‘sonic’, ‘SW’, or ‘SW2’, that means it definitely is a sonic shell!

In contrast, our 5-screw shells allow you to open up the cassette if desired. There are a number of reasons you may want to do this. If you have an old cassette that’s damaged, you can open up the shell and manually repair or splice the tape. You could even remove the tape entirely and transfer it over to a different 5-screw shell.

Moreover, you may find yourself feeling creative and want to Frankenstein two shells together to create a bi-color cassette. Just be careful, not all 5-screw shells are compatible with one another (some shell colours have different sized pieces so they aren’t perfect fits.)

Finally, you could find yourself diving into the world of tape loops. Maybe you’re looking for a backing lo-fi beat, or you have the perfect warbly field recording of bird calls to compliment your ambient performance. Tape loops can be done by opening the cassette and splicing a small length of tape together. Amulets has a great how-to video on YouTube for beginners!

Just keep in mind that we’re not responsible for any damage that may occur when opening up your cassette shell. It can take some practice and steady hand to keep all those tiny piece in place, so make sure you have extra shells for contingency.

All cassette duplication packages come with FREE SHIPPING to the United States and Canada!

If you don’t have the time, patience, or materials to create your own tape loops, you can always grab ready-made Endless Tapes from the online store. Available in lengths as short as 10 seconds and as long as 12 minutes, simply record your sample and playback for eternity.