All about
Tape Loops
This page is a starting spot for information on Cassette Tape Loops, machine maintenance, recording techniques etc
Some information about your Tape Loops
Be sure to insert your Tape the correct way into your Player/Recorder -Sticker/Screws side is up
And remember, the nature of these tapes means they are perishable over time so treat them with care when loading them into your machine.
BPM values and calculation
I have found these BPMs work with these Tape lengths. Bear in mind though, each Tape Loop is unique and you’re looking at +/-2-4 bpm depending which division you’re working with. Experiment with your sequencer to get your Loop tight.
Identifying your Tape loop length
Machine maintenance
You live and die by your machines to it’s important to keep them tip top. Your Tape heads are responsible for reading and writing on your cassettes, and they accumulate dirt, debris, and magnetic particles over time, messing up the playback and recording quality. Using cleaning tapes is ok but I would recommend using an alcohol based solution like Isopropyl applied with a q-tip. Regular maintenance prevents signal distortion, dropouts, and premature wear on the Tapes and the Heads. Demagnetizing your tape heads is also essential. Over time, magnetic fields from tapes can cause residual magnetism in the heads, leading to signal distortion and reduced playback quality. Demagnetization removes these unwanted magnetic traces. You can pick up a demagnetizing tool easily. A demagnetizer will generate a controlled magnetic field, effectively neutralizing any residual magnetism without damaging the delicate components inside your machine.
A word on erase protection tabs
In order to protect “accidental” recording (aka erasing your masterpiece) all cassettes have a record protection system in place. These are the little tabs on the top of the cassette (left hand side according to the side of the Tape you are working with). If this tab is removed, you will be unable to record on the tape. To overcome this, you will need to cover the tab using either a purpose designed (or 3D printed) insert, or more commonly this is achieved by covering the aperture with a little bit of tape (any tape is fine, just don’t use too much as it may cause problems inserting into your recorder)
This article and this video do a great job of explaining the concept further
Tape Loop Emulator
This is a little Tape Loop Emulator to help explain the concept of how the different typical Tape lengths work. Click on either the 4.6 or 7.7 (seconds) button, then upload a sample from your hard drive and play!
Further reading
Video guides to Tape looping
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