Any 3-headed dual cassette decks?

[jpmorris]

I get the feeling that this might be like looking for hen's teeth, but are there any cassette decks out there which are twin-deck, but both twin-headed, and have varispeed?
I'm looking for something like the TASCAM 202, but with 3 heads each.

Basically I'm looking for a compact way to do true tape flanging, preferably in a single unit. That means both decks must be able to record and monitor simultaneously, and at least one of them must be able to be varispeeded, so both running off the same motor will be a non-starter.

 

[mdainsd]

Hmmm. My understanding of true tape flanging is basically two machines side by side. Supply reel on the left machine. take up on the right. Then a mechanical device is in between the two machines that is capable of changing the length of the tape between the record head on the left machine with the playback head of the right machine.

If my understanding is correct, and I have done this with two Otari MTR-12s. One. Im not sure why the right hand machine would need three heads. When i fooled with it the right machine was playback only while the left machine recorded and played back (simultaneously). Then the two play signals were used as output with the length of the tape between being manipulated. Two, the cassette format seems problematic for doing this.

But that was just my little experiment with flanging...

Edit: My mind is fading. That was for a delay effect with sweeping delay times.

But I still am not sure about the need for a three head machine in either position. The left machine records one track and the right one records the other track. The flanging effect comes on playback. If the variable length tape handler between machines is left where it was during recording. the play back of the two channels will be in sync (well pretty close). Its when you lengthen and shorten that section between machines that "flanging occurs". Note: the capstan must not be in play on the left (supply) machine. The capstan on the right machine is the one responsible for tape speed. Vari-speed is not required for this type of flanging effect. But you can see the problem with cassettes, you would need one with just tape supply, then somehow come out of the casing, into your length changer and then back into another cassette that just has take up.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

I don't think the markets for three head decks and dual decks overlapped much. People who bought three head decks tended to despise dual decks, and people who bought dual decks tended not to care enough about the sound to pay for three heads.

 

[mdainsd]

LOL. On further consideration and re-reading your post, I think I understand what you are after. Record on both, playback on both, and vari-speed one of them. That should work. Now you got to find that machine....or you could do your effect on playback (with two head machine). Either way you have to account for that time shift induced by the distance between the record head and the playback head. I know they are close in the cassette world, but the tape speed is so slow....

 

[jpmorris]

The approach to flanging I use is to have two parallel decks, both recording, and both monitoring off the playback head. The delay time between the record and playback heads must be identical on both machines, so if they're different models you have to vary the speed to compensate.

Both machines are fed the same input, and the outputs are summed in a mixer.

Once both machines are rolling, you can adjust the varispeed on one of the decks and this will give you the flanging effect I used on the song 'Fishsticks'.

However, it's a monumental pain in the rear to set up. If I could just stow a dual cassette deck, or at a pinch, two cassette decks in a corner it would be much more convenient.
Yes, the quality won't be as good as a pair of 15ips machines, but as a rule I'm likely to use this more for tracks on the multitrack than an entire stereo mix.

EDIT: And yes, I can compensate for the delay. I usually record vocals and such on a TSR-8 and bounce them to the 24-track under sync - I can adjust the sync offset to compensate for the delay.