The user Reddit Unchecked_arrogance turned an old Sony tape deck into a wireless receiver. One of the cassette compartments was converted into a touch display controlled by Raspberry Pi. The cassette playback functionality was preserved in the second compartment, allowing the cassette part to work independently from the digital part.
The enthusiast's idea inspired other masters who had done something similar with a smartphone. However, using Raspberry Pi along with two decks allows retaining the original functionality.
The Raspberry Pi gets power through a direct connection to the deck's transformer. This means the device can be used without turning on the deck itself. The receiver can use Wi-Fi, but a network cable will provide a more stable connection. Unchecked_arrogance also created several ports on the rear panel: Ethernet and USB, through which both analog and digital signals are output. The enthusiast considered adding a DAC to the Pi, but for now, he uses a DAC via USB.
The project uses a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ and a Sony TC-WR770 tape deck, which has two cassette slots. Instead of one, Unchecked_arrogance installed a 4.3″ touch panel with a custom plexiglass frame, as well as an SSD for media storage.
"I would like the physical buttons of the deck to work. I know it's entirely possible with GPIO from the Pi, but I lack skills in both programming and electronics, so for now the buttons are inactive. But who knows, maybe in the future I'll add this feature."
The project uses the MoOde Audio Player, which contains a range of useful features for streaming media and supports UPnP, Bluetooth, Spotify, and the like. It has a convenient interface that can be controlled through the touch panel. It can also be controlled over the network.
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