Dr ZEE
Anti-Pro Circles Insider
Hi, guys, I thought maybe this would be an interesting thing for some of you to check out .. heh . This was my somewhat 'succesful' attempt to convert couple cheapy and useless cassette decks into analog tape delay machine. (in my case, btw, these are (were) sony one single and one double cassette decks... which were about 10 or so years old, the ones which were about $99... plastic and pretty crappy but importantly for the project - they have very simple mechanical transport control and cassette-tray construction.)
The idea here was to use two identical cassette tape transports, place them one next to the other, build a 'special two-cassette-one-tape' "cartridge" and re-arrange the electronics... so at the end to get one cassette tray act as record... the second as play while the tape runs from second cassette into first and then back into second... okey yada yada ..LOL
I have to post couple of images here, it's easy to see than to write about it.
(sorry the images are a bit large, so I post here only three to present the most of the idea here, I have more photos, insides and some streaming mp3s quick sound-bites at this page, if you be interested: ZDL Cassette Tape Delay System )
So here is the main front image with all main controls and functions:
as you see the 'machine' is actually two-unit gear: top unit is tape transport with speed control and the bottom unit is where all electronics/rec-play amps, ins/outs and the rest of it. In short to describe: I moved all the electronics from one deck into the other, and tape-transport deck was also cut-in-half and re-craftwed around...
Now here's the 'heart of the idea'. This shows the two-cassettes converted into one cartridge. This was a pain-in-tha-neck to make ..heh heh , see the photo, you get the idea what the deal here:
Note, that only one deck is actually active-transport - the 'right'-deck (play head). The left deck (record head) is passive-through.
The two cassettes are actually joint-together by top plastic clear plate, and there are cut-holes on the sides for the tape to go through from one cassette into the other. You also see here a specially crafted cover-door, which also acts as cassette-cartridge holder (keeps it in place with plastic pins).
Here's a general view of the machine:
********
Now, hah ... the question is, of course: is it worthy? Is it useful? Depends. This thing turns out to be a one of a kind effect unit ... creates very wicked delays, and, of course, since it's all analog - you can apply some obusive treatments on feedback chain (it woun't freak out or choke on the spot, like digital things do )... so you can get some real mad echos. Arghhh, one thig is for sure - the machine like this is VERY unstable... (nothing is stable - transport, speed, tape itself - all this vary-ing as it goes ..heh heh ) so what ever you get from it - it's all one time (one shot) move - one take ...good or bad - can't recreate it
anyhow, I would not call it as real-gear. But it is a fun one for sure ...
/respects
The idea here was to use two identical cassette tape transports, place them one next to the other, build a 'special two-cassette-one-tape' "cartridge" and re-arrange the electronics... so at the end to get one cassette tray act as record... the second as play while the tape runs from second cassette into first and then back into second... okey yada yada ..LOL
I have to post couple of images here, it's easy to see than to write about it.
(sorry the images are a bit large, so I post here only three to present the most of the idea here, I have more photos, insides and some streaming mp3s quick sound-bites at this page, if you be interested: ZDL Cassette Tape Delay System )
So here is the main front image with all main controls and functions:
as you see the 'machine' is actually two-unit gear: top unit is tape transport with speed control and the bottom unit is where all electronics/rec-play amps, ins/outs and the rest of it. In short to describe: I moved all the electronics from one deck into the other, and tape-transport deck was also cut-in-half and re-craftwed around...
Now here's the 'heart of the idea'. This shows the two-cassettes converted into one cartridge. This was a pain-in-tha-neck to make ..heh heh , see the photo, you get the idea what the deal here:
Note, that only one deck is actually active-transport - the 'right'-deck (play head). The left deck (record head) is passive-through.
The two cassettes are actually joint-together by top plastic clear plate, and there are cut-holes on the sides for the tape to go through from one cassette into the other. You also see here a specially crafted cover-door, which also acts as cassette-cartridge holder (keeps it in place with plastic pins).
Here's a general view of the machine:
********
Now, hah ... the question is, of course: is it worthy? Is it useful? Depends. This thing turns out to be a one of a kind effect unit ... creates very wicked delays, and, of course, since it's all analog - you can apply some obusive treatments on feedback chain (it woun't freak out or choke on the spot, like digital things do )... so you can get some real mad echos. Arghhh, one thig is for sure - the machine like this is VERY unstable... (nothing is stable - transport, speed, tape itself - all this vary-ing as it goes ..heh heh ) so what ever you get from it - it's all one time (one shot) move - one take ...good or bad - can't recreate it
anyhow, I would not call it as real-gear. But it is a fun one for sure ...
/respects