Hi,
This is possible if cassete player has dual head and two separate electronic. Then you can monitor in real time something what cass record. Echo-delay depends of record and play head distance and tape speed. For example, in profi Teac cassete player this distance is ca 5mm and for tape speed of 4,75cm/sec, delay is about 100ms. If your player has pitch control, you can vary this delay, but if tapes speed is smaller, recording quality is smaller too (HF response and higher noise).
This technique works well if profi tape maschine (1/4") are used(Tascam, Revox..) at higher speeds (19 or 38 cm/s).
Regards
Milan
This is possible if cassete player has dual head and two separate electronic. Then you can monitor in real time something what cass record. Echo-delay depends of record and play head distance and tape speed. For example, in profi Teac cassete player this distance is ca 5mm and for tape speed of 4,75cm/sec, delay is about 100ms. If your player has pitch control, you can vary this delay, but if tapes speed is smaller, recording quality is smaller too (HF response and higher noise).
This technique works well if profi tape maschine (1/4") are used(Tascam, Revox..) at higher speeds (19 or 38 cm/s).
Regards
Milan
thegunshyboy said:
I think you, are much better off if you start from scratch than to rebuild a casettedeck.
It would be quite easy to put everything you need to move and steer an endless tape onto an iron (or wood) plate and then screw on some old monoheads with their electronics onto it.
Best is if you make the readinghead(s) moveable so you can change the delay by moving the heads rather than to change the speed.
Hmm, that sounds like a fun thing to do actually...
Homemade Tape Echo can be done!
Yes, tape echo's can be made cheaply . I built one myself using an old reel to reel and 4 walkmans. Here's how I did it.
1. old portable reel to reel with record function (portables are easier because they lie flat)
2. four walkmans taken out of their cases front and back (just the motors and electronics) mounted on on L shaped piece of steel I just screwed them on and then attached to the side of the reel to reel.
3. next I took the spools out from 4 cassette tapes, except the last one has one spool in it to pull the tape.
the tape pulls through the record on the reel to reel and passes through each walkman. The head phone out on each walkman has been resoldered to one set of left and right rca's, the volume control on each walkman acts as the delay time and amount, e.g. no volume on walkman 1,2,and 3 equals one longer delay time, volume on all 4 equals 4 step delay. Because the motor in the walkman is weak you can pull and slow down the tape by hand on the reel to reel creating wierd effects.I have a Roland 201 Space Echo that cost me $350 I can get remarkably similar sounds with my "Space Walkmans" for a cost of 45$ after searching garage sales. Only thing is to use long tape, because it doesn't loop you have to rewind it, my tape lasts for 45 min before I have to rewind.
I hope this isn't to confusing, try it yourself if you have the time and patience.
Yes, tape echo's can be made cheaply . I built one myself using an old reel to reel and 4 walkmans. Here's how I did it.
1. old portable reel to reel with record function (portables are easier because they lie flat)
2. four walkmans taken out of their cases front and back (just the motors and electronics) mounted on on L shaped piece of steel I just screwed them on and then attached to the side of the reel to reel.
3. next I took the spools out from 4 cassette tapes, except the last one has one spool in it to pull the tape.
the tape pulls through the record on the reel to reel and passes through each walkman. The head phone out on each walkman has been resoldered to one set of left and right rca's, the volume control on each walkman acts as the delay time and amount, e.g. no volume on walkman 1,2,and 3 equals one longer delay time, volume on all 4 equals 4 step delay. Because the motor in the walkman is weak you can pull and slow down the tape by hand on the reel to reel creating wierd effects.I have a Roland 201 Space Echo that cost me $350 I can get remarkably similar sounds with my "Space Walkmans" for a cost of 45$ after searching garage sales. Only thing is to use long tape, because it doesn't loop you have to rewind it, my tape lasts for 45 min before I have to rewind.
I hope this isn't to confusing, try it yourself if you have the time and patience.
Gunshy, you can make an echo out of any tape deck that has separate record and playback heads. Most cassette ddecks have a single record/playback head - a dual purpose head. But some have separate heads. You put the deck into record mode, then monitor the playback head. Due to tape motion, the playback head will be lagging behind the original signal. Mix the delayed signal back in with the original and you get echos. Feed some of the delayed signal back into the system and you get repeating echoes. Multiple heads were far more common on reel to reel decks.
I'm also interested in that 
Tomorrow I guess, I'll buy an old tape recorder, probably those old ones with big tapes
Then, using some part's of steel, iron and stuff will try to develop a reliable system... don't care if it was to big, cause it will be fitted in a box like echoplex.
But have one question, in case of echoplex units, wich is ussualy the speed of the motors that drive the tape?
Happy DiYing
Tomorrow I guess, I'll buy an old tape recorder, probably those old ones with big tapes
Then, using some part's of steel, iron and stuff will try to develop a reliable system... don't care if it was to big, cause it will be fitted in a box like echoplex.
But have one question, in case of echoplex units, wich is ussualy the speed of the motors that drive the tape?
Happy DiYing
sreten said:No easy way of doing this at all.
You obviously never worked in a studio! Your machine needs to have separate play and record heads, and you may need to butcher the case a little for a cassette recorder, (a reel to reel is obviously a little easier), so I won't take any responsibility if you break it in the process. You need to basically clear a path between the two heads, so you can pull out a loop of tape. This loop then gets passed around a smooth surface, the upright pole of a heavy mic stand works well, and you set the machine to record. The distance you set the mic stand away from the machine gives you your delay as the tape gets recorded, passes out to the stand and back again to the playback/monitor head. Bingo!
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