Tape delay with digital delay and 2 head tape deck???

[lordvibrato]

Hi! I just found this thing here:

http://www.interruptor.ch/dub_fx.shtml and it says this:

"Create your own tape echo by combining a digital delay unit with a two headed tape deck or an old reel tape. Check the detailed instructions here." but the link is down...

Does anybody know how to do it?

Cheers!!

[interruptor]

Hi Lordvibrato

Glad you found this tiny but cherished spot in the depths of the world wide web

The link pointed to a forum post I wrote 18 (whut??) years ago. In the meantime the forum was ported to new platforms a number of times, hence the dead link.. The complete forum topic can still be found though. See here:

viewtopic.php?f=61&t=162&p=679#p679

For your convenience below follows the mentioned run-down on how to create your own tape delay:

cheers
Daniel / Interruptor

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
instead of using a simulator you could also build your own tape delay. This may be cheaper and you'll have a REAL tape delay.



You'll need these ingredients:

• a tape deck or reel to reel machine with read-after-write feature (r-a-w or repro), this means there are two separate heads for recording and playback - this way you can listen to what's on the tape already while recording

• any digital delay unit

• one channel strip of your mixing desk

connect as follows:

• auxiliary send 1 (example) of your mixer goes to the recording input of the tape deck

• set send level to Zero

• put a tape in the deck, start recording and switch to read-after-write mode.

• connect the monitor out of the tape deck to the input of the delay unit

• set feedback amount to Zero

• the output of the delay is connected to channel input 4 on your mixer (example)

now that everything is connected you can:

• use the fader of channel 4 on your mixer to set the overall delay level

• adjust the delay time on the digital delay unit

• open auxiliary send pot 1 on any instrument's track to add tape delay to that channel

• tweak aux send pot 1 on channel 4 to control the feedback amount

• use the EQs on mixer channel 4 to shape the sound of your delays

• if you are using a reel to reel tape stop the left reel with your hand and let it go to create some extra crazy delay wobbles..

The advantage of such a setting is that you have more control over the delay sound via the mixer's EQs than on a SpaceEcho or similar unit. For a start you can also do this without the digital delay unit but then you will not be able to set the delay time freely - you will just have the ones resulting from the tape speed settings available on your tape machine.

peace & happy dubbing
the interruptor

[lordvibrato]

Hi Interruptor!

Thanks a lot! I found it and was really wondering about it, thanks again!

Lord Vibrato.