An Exploration in Tape
Image Source: Guerilla Digital
Background
This project is inspired by the entropic nature of tapes and the beautiful soundscapes that artists have created with them. Additionally, as an avid fan of the Vaporwave movement and their attachment to cassettes, I have always had a proclivity to the technology myself.
Highlighted Works:
- Disintegration Loops - William Basinski
- Yamabiko’s Theme - Mid-Air Thief
- BLACKHOLES - AMULETS
- ANALOGUE DYSTOPIA - AMULETS
Cassette Advertisements Showcasing, Now Called, Vaporwave Iconography:
A Tape Loop Primer - I spent the last two weeks researching and making endless cassette loop tapes and this is what I learned.
Equipment
Fostex X-26 Multi-tracker
The first weapon of choice was a gamble. This item was listed on ebay as untested BUT looked to be in well kept condition otherwise. Upon arrival, the item powered on but would not play tapes, nor would the drive motor spin. I went to work on repairs and found that the belts that drive the tape to be disconnected from the capstans. Thankfully, replacement belts were available online and I was able to restore the player to a state where the tape would spin! Unfortunately, the audio that was being output was incredibly quiet. After some internet sleuthing and troubleshooting, I determined the cause to be a dead amplifier. This was beyond my ability to fix at the time, so back on ebay the Fostex went as “for parts or not working”.
Tascam PortaStudio MKII
The “Red Ryder of streamlined multi-track cassette decks. I found a good deal on one in great condition from Reverb.
Cheap Chinese Player w/ Potentiometer on Drive Motor
This wonderful piece of equipment comes courtesy of Moth Hunter Mods. The potentiometer here is connected to the drive motor. This allows you to fine tune the voltage going to the motor, allowing granular control over the playback speed of the tape.
Sony ICD-MX20
Another ebay find. Perfect little voice recorder for ideating, field recording, memos, etc. This requires some pretty strange software to convert the output .mvf files to mp3.
