space echo help please!

[lilcapn]

i'm realizing maybe this should technically go in the roland forum, but more people are here usually, so:

i'm working in a studio which has a space echo, and tape, but no tape in the space echo (ie they have a small reel of tape which is the correct width for the space echo, but we need to put the tape in the machine).

i've installed one of the roland tape cartridges in my own space echo before, but since it was made especially for it, i didn't need to know anything to do it.

what i need to know is:

is there a specific length of tape that goes in this baby?

any other tips from those who've done this before (re: splicing, etc)?

thanks for any help!!

 

[regebro]

is there a specific length of tape that goes in this baby?

Nope. The longer the tape the longer it lasts, obviously. And there must be some practical limit to how much tape you can get in there I assume.

any other tips from those who've done this before (re: splicing, etc)?

No different from any other tape splicing.

 

[Yescalero]

I haven't wound any Roland Space Echo tape cartridges, but I've replaced the
tape in my Echoplex cartridges, and wound lots of radio cart tapes. It's easiest
to replace the tape if there's already worn tape in the cartridge. If this is the case
you can just cut the tape, and splice on the new tape to one end of the old tape.
Pull the other end of the tape out of the cartridge, (preferably the end that winds out
of the center of the reel), until your splice comes out the other end. In order for
these endless loop cartridges to keep playing without binding up, they use
graphite backcoated reel to reel tape. Make sure this is what you have. When you're
done you should have some slack tape hanging out of the cartridge where you made
your splice. You can wind this in by continuing to pull on the tape from the center of
the reel. Since the outside circumference of the spool of tape is longer than the
inside, you will be winding in more tape than you are pulling out. This will eventually
take up the slack.

If there's no tape in the cartridge, you have to take it apart, and remove the
center hub. You should wind as much tape as you can onto the hub, but leave
yourself plenty of clearence from the other internal parts. When winding the tape
onto the hub, leave the end of the tape sticking out of the center of the reel, and
don't wind the reel tightly. The reel of tape has to be loose, in order for the endless
loop to play properly without tightening up on itself. To get the proper looseness,
you have to pull the end of the tape out from the center of the reel, and remove
some of the windings from the middle of the spool. When properly done, you
should be able to hold the reel up vertically, and have about 5/16 of an inch of
droop between the tape and center hub. Once this is accomplished, put the spool
back into the catridge, run the tape through the guides, resplice, and close the
lid. I'm assuming here, that the Space Echo cartridge works the same as an old
8 track cartridge or radio cart, I haven't actually seen one myself.