Analog tape loops

[elbasurero]

Does anyone know how to construct tape loops of various lengths using a standard stereo cassette? Please don't say "Yeah, give up and use a digital sampler." I'm really interested in old-fashioned analog tape techniques.

 

[Matt]

I used to do tons of tape loops on an old Ampex reel to reel but, cassettes? Wow, that's HARD! The tape is so small and curly. It also doesn't stand up to multiple cutting and gluing like reel to reel tape does. You could try some of the endless loop cassettes. NRS has some in various lengths. You could record onto those. They just wouldn't be very exact. I hear what you're saying, though. Actual tape loops do have a unique sound over digital ones! Maybe try to get a reel to reel?

 

[cletisrayevans1]

You could open the cassette,take out both ends from the tape wheels and "tape" the tape together at a length that works or look into building or buying a anolog delay unit or a space echo machine,they're sound is very unique.

 

[Massive Master]

Please don't say "Yeah, give up and use a digital sampler." I'm really interested in old-fashioned analog tape techniques.

Yeah, give up and use an open reel deck.

Seriously though - I've been through most of the "old fashioned analog tape techniques" and using a cassette tape to create a loop never even entered my mind. Using cassette to get "that tape sound" hasn't either. 1-7/8IPS 1/8" tape isn't worth the powder it would take to blow it all up.

You can find surprisingly decent R2R decks out there for next to nothing.

Granted, if you want to try the absolute most difficult looping process imaginable on the absolute worst recording medium ever created, go nuts. But you can't even scrub a cassette to find your in and out points.

 

[miroslav]

Another option could be some of the endless tape loop echo boxes....like the Roland Space Echo and a few others.
My Multivox tape loop echo box is similar to the Roland....it has a 16 foot tape loop in a special "loose" tray design. I cut my own tape loops for it, and it would be easy to cut smaller loops or even somewhat longer, though I think after about 20 feet, the tray would start getting packed too tight for smooth operation, but I never tried to see how long I could go.

The cool thing about my Multivox (I'm not sure if other boxes have this) is the Sound on Sound option, which basically disables the erase head, so once you record a loop, it will not erase on the next pass. It has option for a single loop where the record head is on for one pass or multi loops where the record head keeps recording, which is way cool for weird effects.
The only trick is timing your audio to the right length of tape loop (and speed of transport) so you get no break/silence on unused tape sections.
I haven't messed with it AFA making sound loops in a long time....but it was a cool thing to do back in the day before samplers.

 

[grimtraveller]

Lost in the Bermuda triangle, somewhere......

You could open the cassette,take out both ends from the tape wheels and "tape" the tape together at a length that works or look into building or buying a anolog delay unit or a space echo machine

Or you could assume that the OP found what they were looking for, given that they posed their question last century !

Another option could be some of the endless tape loop echo boxes....

Another option would be to assume the OP either gave up, went diji or found the answer and only ever posted once more at HR.com, though the search function shows only one post. {It's been a long night.....}

 

[miroslav]

Another option would be to assume the OP either gave up, went diji or found the answer and only ever posted once more at HR.com, though the search function shows only one post. {It's been a long night.....}

Hey...he's probably using a VERY LONG tape loop....he'll come around eventually.

 

[kip4]

Hey...he's probably using a VERY LONG tape loop....he'll come around eventually.

you kill me

 

[leddy]

13-year necropost. Must be a record.

 

[grimtraveller]

Must be a record.

No, tape.