I found this vintage reel to reel recorder at a thrift store and made a FREE DECENT SAMPLER LIBRARY

I found this battery-powered reel-to-reel tape recorder from 1968 at a thrift shop. In this video, I try it out for the very first time and then use it to make a "tape piano" sample library.
Download the free sample here: www.decentsamples.com/product...
Support what I do on Patreon: / dhilowitz
Find my FILM & INSTRUMENTAL music here:
Find my ROCK MUSIC here: manwomanchild.bandcamp.com

[@allwaizeright9705]

I find it FASCINATING that we spend YEARS improving technology to remove noise - hiss and other items only to reinsert them as a plugin effect...

[@samuraiowlmusic]

Haha I think that every time a new lofi plugin comes out

[@screamingswifts]

It's an old classic - you don't know what you got until it's gone.

[@ScottGrammer]

And then users of the plug-in bemoan the fact that it isn't as "good" as the real thing.

[@samsanimationcorner3820]

What you're mistaking for something silly is the generational divide in philosophy. Convenience and polish versus texture and substance. The older generations expect more polish for less work while younger generations prefer more texture.

[@ScottGrammer]

@@samsanimationcorner3820 Makes sense.

[@deeranfoxworthy6069]

Even though the audio of the piano is a digital representation of a piano, the reel-to-reel adds an almost life-like quality to it. As if it were a recording of a real person sitting at a piano.

[@MichaelBeeny]

This type of recorder does not operate at constant speed, as it has no capstan. The tape is pulled past the head by the speed of the take up spool which is driven directly from the rim of the take up spool. As the diameter of the tape increases, so does the speed. This means the recorded tape cannot be played on any other recorder. One of the reasons it has so much tape hiss is because it has DC bias and erase. Better recorders use AC bias & erase. Wow & flutter is also very high, because it has no fly wheel. Still, it was very low cost in its day, more or less a toy.

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

This makes a lot of sense, and definitely tracks with what I've experienced. I noticed the lack of capstan too.

[@japhyriddle]

I also have a capstan-less deck. A Concord Sound Camera. It uses 2.5" reels, so the tape runs out extremely fast.

[@MichaelBeeny]

@@japhyriddle Quite right, most start at about 2/3 ips but end up at around 6/8ips. depending on the inner spool diameter.

[@sunbeam8866]

Even your Panasonic cassette recorder has a capstan. That said, some of the 'better' rim-drive reel-recorders could play tapes from other rim-drives if they had a variable-speed adjustment like your North American. Your machine actually doesn't sound too bad playing music - sometimes. For Christmas of '69, I got a 3" rim-drive Aiwa, but soon became disappointed with it's music recording ability. However, for voice or TV-shows it was OK. I learned how to place the cheap crystal mike for best sound quality and the least buzz from a TV speaker. Eventually, I wired up a 4" PM speaker as a mic for even better quality, much less tinny recordings. After a couple years when I was 15, I'd earned enough mowing lawns, to go with my folks to a local GEM department store that had a leftover / floor-model shelf in their electronics dept. For $15, I got another battery 3" open-reel AiWA. But this time with the luxury of two-speed capstan-drive, an aux-input socket, and built-in AC power. That opened up a whole new world of tape-recording for me and I never looked back!

[@rennethjarrett4580]

@@sunbeam8866 I had a AiWA reel to real, 5 inch reels, but it also had a radio in the unit too, both mono, but that was a neat idea. I look every now and then and never see one since I had that one back in the 1970, early 1980's. i think the motor died. I also moved to stereo equipment as well.

[@DaxianPreston]

Man I love distortions, hisses and speed fluctuations. Tape is a really cool medium. I’ve always found it interesting how widely it was used from old pc games, programming, audio and video. You got reel to reel, cassette tapes, vhs, Betamax, 8tracks, that weird video camera kids toy that used cassettes. Then with the same technology you got floppy disks, hard disks and Zip disks. The unreliability really tickles my love for chaos. And a simple magnet could mess everything up.

[@DaxianPreston]

Now I recently discovered these speech learning machines as well…and some dude using a credit card reader to do scratching. The applications are apparently endless.

[@sunbeam8866]

The cheapest rim-drive recorders, and a few of the capstan-drive machines as well, used a magnet as the erase head - mechanically flipped away from the tape during playback.

[@lukesterling2276]

Distortions and hissing are so fucking annoying when listening to music. Analog recording is awesome, but the artifacts it creates do a lot to ruin the advantages of having a continuous wave in the first place.

[@IJOSoundVideo]

Analog.. Imperfect.. Organic.. Raw.. This is the character I love in music. You can fake it with plugins, but there is so much more joy working with the real stuff, that sometimes cost even less than the world of plug ins. The crystal clear computer sound lacks a feeling, it always sounds like a lifeless computer digital signal. There can be a lot of debate to be had, and it all comes down to individual preference.

[@retrosb]

Ok boomer

[@CalikoTube]

@@retrosb Cringe millennial.

[@klownck]

Well said!

[@lukesterling2276]

I agree that true analog is a lot more enjoyable than adding in fake analog artifacts, but to be honest, using recording methods that just eliminate the artifacts altogether sounds so much better. Hissing, popping, skipping, crackling, it's all annoying and makes whatever you're listening to sound a lot worse.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

The plug-ins are available for free, as Open Source.

[@props-model-shop]

This recording will self destruct in 5 seconds... good luck Jim!

[@xyzcomp08]

I spent my childhood with these imperfect devices and do enjoy the idea of using them now from a creative standpoint.

[@JerryGartnerPersonal]

The sheer joy on your face when you hear your voice from the recorder is grand!

[@HistoricWrath]

You essentially made a digital mellotron! That’s so cool! I am amazed at the ingenuity and creativity. Fantastic!

[@omnitekt]

I swear the quality of this content is gorgeous. Please continue to experiment with these retro recording utilities. Absolute breathtaking!!!!

[@KAINE2713]

tbh i really like the extra noise that the recorder adds on, it may be annoying for some people but for certain recording i personally think it adds a ton of character

[@wanderinggstars]

I found your videos last night. I used to think that making my own music would be hard without understanding how to play a piano, but the samples you are making sound so unique I really want to give it a try! Thanks for showing your whole process, it's really motivating me

[@zs5948]

if you remove the head and puot a 1/4" jack in its place, these work really great as guitar distortion pedals. very simple to do, and they sound better than a lot of boutique transistor distortions.

[@reggiep75]

Hainbach can hear this from a distance, he want's to know what it can do!

[@travellogger5080]

Time to make my own sample library!!!

[@pauliedibbs9028]

Bless you for making music production fun, all while using equipment from the past... AND sharing these wonderful sounds for FREE! **You, Sir, RULE!** *EDIT:* _The philosophical commentary speaks volumes (heh), as to how much you appreciate life, and enjoy sharing these unique experiences that make one smile :)

[@Gusrikh1]

Very interesting. Reminds me of the tape recorder that we had back in 1964. A Philips four track. Wasn’t too much hiss on that machine. This is certainly, educational.

[@williamthazard]

beautiful sounds! Thanks for this. And I think you’re right - having so many choices does make something like a 4-track tape recorder very appealing

[@tonymckeown1314]

My grandmother had a similar sized reel to reel machine with a little mic like that - mains operated, with a handle like a small suitcase. She used to record herself talking about her news from Ireland and then post the tape to her cousin in S Africa in the 60s or 70s. I found it knocking around our house when I was barely a teenager and I used to record myself telling jokes into it in the 80s. By the time I was doing music in my late teens it had been thrown out, as my mother used to do regular clear-outs of the house, which was a pity.

[@irbomusic]

I'm using library this for a documentary and I just gotta say, WOW IS THIS GOOD FOR DOCUMENTARIES. I was playing a basic arpeggio that started right when a new chapter for the video came along and it sounded like it was National Geographic lol. Great stuff as always man. I love the creative libraries you make out of seemingly nothing. I can't believe a 1968 reel-to-reel tape recorder from a thrift store made something so useful.

[@ChuckNorrissH8ter]

I love these videos! It feels like NPR for music production nerds and I am so here for it!

[@ralfnolte174]

Hi David, Thanks again for this great Video! Just one hint: Try to stay away from Contact Cleaner as long as you can. Typically, it contains petroleum, which sticks to the surface and starts collecting all sorts of dirt. Potentiometers are ruined by this after a short time. A better means would be to use q-tips wet with Isopropyl-Alcohol. This also can be used to cleansweep AFTER you had to use Contact cleaner. Thumbs up for work!!!

[@tasteslikeawesome]

The tape machine breeds life into the synthetic rhythm of machines.

[@chriskaprys]

7:39 that's the perfect collective noun for the modern menu of choices.

[@nolanscope4581]

Incredible. Every video is educational and amazing!

[@markwiemels]

Yep, love this, great video.

[@saku_sound]

Incredible video. Such a pleasure to watch. Awesome to see the recording process. Thanks David!

[@darkwingduck5006]

Nostalgia is an interesting thing. It's not like things 'sounded' better or were better in general. It's that feeling you get from it. The memories of feeling, not really an exact moment or thing.

[@oldspen85]

Love this video. Brings back fond memories of my childhood as I had both types of these records and loved recording everything with them. Man, what fun that was.

[@ArchieBC]

You always make exceptional content, but this one has something extra in the script that pulls my own memories out of my head word for word.

[@rawbinmo]

This plugin is amazing! Truly love it

[@drindy5166]

What a killer find. I rememer finding similar gear like and old school 8 track recorder unit and cartridge tapes to go with it, also an old portable suitcase record player with many audio port functionality! Love these kinds of finds. Thanks for sharing!!! ✌😍👍

[@Hermiel]

Man, I had that same model cassette deck, or one very similar. I kept it by my bed so that I could record any musical ideas or sounds that popped into my prepubescent mind. I also had a cassette for recording my favorite songs off the radio. When the daily top 10 came on after school I'd be waiting with the tape deck mic positioned over the radio speaker, my finger on the pause button, ready to send the transport into record. It was pure magic.

[@DavidSmith-ne1zp]

I enjoyed this from beginning to end, for all the same reasons you described. Thanks for these videos, and for Decent Sampler!

[@akabearman_]

I feel a very warm feelings. Thank you!

[@Lu._.Soriano]

THANK YOU for keeping all of this free

[@pabloluis3641]

This is one of the greatest videos and channels I've ever seen. Truly fascinating the feeling you seem to put into making these videos. I love the final part, with the piano music and you talking about the trend, very pleasing to watch. Thx for this video.

[@zedxxx9]

I love your new video style. You have really stepped up the awesomeness of your content! It's so cool to see these products and the way you are capturing them is just brilliant!

[@rthua5718]

Beautiful hiss and warmth

[@maksymushka]

This was fascinating to watch! Thank you for sharing knowledge + doing what you do.

[@pzzuo1387]

Very nice. Thanks for your generosity. That entailed a grade deal of work!

[@user-gp1dy1xb8h]

huge appreciation for you putting up these sounds for free. downloading decent sampler right now :)

[@lladnarpro]

Wow, the fact that the thing even works is astonishing enough, but to get it with the original box in that condition is beyond belief. Great find! Also, very eerie sounding piano library, definitely inspiring, thanks for this.

[@damienlemoine1200]

Keep up the great work, your work means a lot..

[@seandamnbruh]

I have the same Panasonic wow. Thank you for sharing. It’s my favorite !

[@Sungodv]

as a child of the 60s, this is a blast from the past

[@tyarcmusic]

I'm so happy i stumbled into your channel, this is beautiful stuff and i'm so grateful that you are giving us these free resources!

[@elsantoproductora]

Your channel is absolutely mesmerizing. I'm happy to have found it

[@fittingoff]

this video is so much full of love! your face expression and voice when you have found the device be working is priceless :)

[@cmdrbuzz7779]

Amazing stuff David. Thanks for this - now in my Decent Sampler library 🎹👍🏻🍻

[@lacrimaeetpluvia]

great video! I love the way you document your process, it's very engaging and relaxing

[@BF-up5xw]

Thank you for the walk through of your process and for the piano!

[@PFZ]

Thank you. That was lovely.

[@MrNiniko]

This was inspiring.... Reminiscent of that feeling.... Ahhhhh.... So good. Cheers.

[@boumedienesari5380]

these videos feel so good to watch, like they had no right to be so well written with such background music while "on paper" being just review videos. they're my breakfast companion now and I love starting my days with them so yeah thanks

[@WotanSkyFather]

Excellent sounding character piano. Haunting sounds.

[@scotmeaney5013]

I downloaded this from pianobook a few days and have been loving it! I also coincidentally found your KZbin videos around the same time and had no idea you were the creator of this sample! This is so cool thank you man

[@driverat8s]

That is the most amazingly simple tape deck I have ever seen. And it still works! Incredible! I love your little machine, what a great find.

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

It really is _very_ basic. I was almost surprise that it had a REWIND button at all. (The first portable tape deck I had as a kid didn't have a rewind button. You had to flip the cassette over and fast-forward if you wanted to rewind.)

[@markjamesmeli2520]

Nostalgic for sure. My big brother and I had one of these. By 1970, we wore it out. You are very lucky to find one in working condition...at all.

[@kernjames]

I enjoyed the exploration of the process to get some unique sound out of an old Reel to Reel tape player. It is fun to goof around with old equipment to see what one can glean from it.

[@lburger404]

Fantastic Video! I loved the production. Love me some good tape sounds, thanks!

[@SanaKhanBalti]

Very unique tape

[@djwickit]

Love this instrument so much! Thank you.

[@eldipi8313]

This is next level. Keep it up! Thanks again

[@IamTakutama]

I really love these videos of old tech. I don't know but they feel so nostalgic and they calm me down.

[@willswitchcraft]

so glad to have found this video........Looking forward to checking out the samples (although I so rarely use samples created by others) This whole video is so well produced, shot, edited, etc..................nice to see someone setting the bar so high.....................

[@skysurfer]

That Panasonic cassette recorder is the exact model I have. I was obsessed with audio as a kid and all I asked for one for two or three years when Christmas or birthdays rolled around, but it didn't happen. So I started making tape recorders out of Legos, and pretending I was recording things around the house, even to the point of asking my parents to take their conversations to the other room as to not disturb my "recording". Christmas morning, 1977, I received that recorder, likely in part to quell the frustration of my parents. I was 9 years old, and the adventure started.

[@suedelacy]

Awesome!!! Thank you for the samples!

[@distractionpool]

This is my favorite video of yours to date.

[@ErickMcNerney]

I wish I could be so lucky to find something like this! Really cool sound. Well done!

[@aximus_official]

Thanks a lot for your library. This sound is really good!

[@marchaney]

Very interesting. I love old tape recorders. My introduction came via Mrs. Johnson, my second grade teacher (I just turned 67 yesterday - so that was some time ago). She told us things about recording that I have always remembered and even explained to my students when I was a teacher. At 15 I had an acoustic guitar, bongos and TWO recorders - my cool new cassette recorder and a reel-to-reel from my dad's office. Hello multi-track world (bouncing at least) and my rendition of Santana's "Evil Ways." I could go on but I'm running out of tape! Thanks.

[@mintegral1719]

There really is just something so beautiful about how tape sounds. It's why an analog Mellotron is my dream instrument, but I'll probably never be able to afford one, sadly.

[@Arkanoid_242]

Sounds awesome!

[@voiceofjeff]

Excellent video. Thank you! My first tape recorder was in the late 60's. It was my grandfather's old reel to reel deck. It worked very well. Then we got a cassette recorder for Christmas--from that same grandfather. I started working in radio when I was 15 and enjoyed using both reel to reel and cassette decks (all very high end decks for broadcast) for many years, and was recently given an Otari MX5050 that is in very good condition. I love it. Thanks for reminding me of my enthusiasm of recording myself when I was a kid... many years ago! By the way, when you hit play on this machine, I was expecting a voice to say "Good Morning, Mr. Phelps. The person you are looking at is..." Now, who here remembers where that was from?

[@dreamelatte]

There's something so charming about the reels spinning, so peaceful

[@notbustah9472]

The narrative structuring of this video is genius, very entertaining.

[@jondellar]

"As someone who spent their childhood longing to be free of the limitations of this technology…" So eloquently put, and so true ! I'm a bit older than you but know exactly what you mean. Absolutely fascinating to watch. Beautifully done as always. Thank you David.

[@naderhumood1199]

Terrific keep it up. Great vitage device .Thank you v much indeed, Sir.

[@andresenes]

great! what a good sampler you did. kudos

[@mikeblack622]

It's beautiful, thank you.

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

You're welcome.

[@philschroeder]

That is awesome, gonna grab that download.

[@maxs.3238]

In that Era a new transistor would've most likely been more expensive than a whole set of tubes for a tube reel to reel. Which are not that 'breakable' as everybody seems to think... Got a philips reel to reel from 62 that has its original set of tubes still going strong.

[@alvinedwards434]

This came out really good! Nice work! I've been using it for the last few days.

[@Tmidiman]

Tape warmth. Awesome!

[@flamboyant91]

beautiful stuff. I always loved tape as a child

[@Schemilix]

Commenting for the algorithm, this sounds... so mellow and pleasant. thank you!

[@jpsynth1411]

A lovely video. Thank you!

[@hooverboy2331]

What a find, I remember buying a marconiphone reel to reel from a jumble sale for 50p back in the 80s ,it had really good sound quality .

[@p.donohueindustries3514]

I have been collecting reel to reel players. You perfectly justified this new obsession.

[@RetroZon3]

For me, I love tape recorders and just tape in general. I love listening to all of my music through an old Sony cassette player, the quiet whine of the motor and tape distortion just gives the music more depth and makes it more interesting to listen to. But most of all my favorite thing to do is go to thrift stores or garage sales and buy up as many tape albums as I can because each holds not only the music written on it as intended but also a story. Each tape being used over and over again gives the tape a more unique sound, one of wear and love. I love especially when I'm playing a new tape and a song in it is horribly distorted, its quality diminished and the vocals barely recognizable. where most see it as garbage and to throw it away, to me its a story, that at one point in this tapes life, someone loved that song, that tape so much they couldn't help but rewind and play it again and again. To me there is nothing greater then that, it gives each song two voices and characters, one that the artist gave it, its song and feel. but the other is one of love and age. Its something you cant find anywhere else! I still wear my player in my belt loop while I'm out and people stop to ask me why, because to me. Tape is so amazing that I wouldn't have my music any other way. And after I've listened to a tape I've recorded my music onto and its too poor to carry on I store it and eventually, I hope someone finds it in a sale and has the same experience as me and finds as much enjoyment in it as I once had.

[@anubhavverma9528]

love the way you make your videos ✨

[@marcolyott]

Many thanks for this David, best wishes from Devon UK.

[@stefpir]

excellent work David !!

[@drjpica]

Wow. What great videos !

[@petecarney2035]

Beautifully done. 👍

[@hermitthefrog8951]

I think "progress" is a misnomer..... just think of everything we have lost as we gained all those trillions and quadrillions of transistors... and I'm an electrical engineer. Sometimes I cry. Thank you for this.

[@BenjaminEarlMusic]

I love this library David! I haven't used it in a project yet but I'm having a lot of fun just playing it.

[@dezinhoguitaplays3303]

i just wanna say that little video made my night

[@NorthernerInSpace]

Wow - that piano sound was beautiful.