I Tried Remaking Q-Tip’s “Illmatic” Pause Tape | NEVER AGAIN

[@15twoe]

I'm a 50 year old " tape loop mechanic" and there's a very easy way to loop the sample! You first have to record the complete song on a tape and then break out the plugs! You then take that tape as the original source and sample from that tape onto another blank tape to record the loops. There are some recording tricks that can be done including overdubs that sound more authentic than using todays technology. This method is the same as using reel to reel without the splicing. If you have a great dual cassette tape recorder you have some added effects like stab, echo and reverse. I still use this method to make beats and mixes today. Other producers like California's BinGrim uses this method as well! It's not hard it just takes patience, practice and progression on counting to stay on tempo.

[@Joe90Production]

I assumed that's what he was actually gonna do. Retriggering it from the exact same spot on the vinyl at the exact right time seems like a nightmare, whereas recording the sample from one tape deck to an identical tape deck in the same machine makes way more sense, especially if it's good quality tape recorder that spins up instantly.

[@keenkingjames]

Doesn’t seem like he knows the proper equipment. You gotta have a studio quality tape deck. The speed off the pause is the key.

[@RinostarGames]

I had a tape deck for awhile where you could sync up the master tape and then hit pause and record on the other tape and when you hit play on the master tape it would start recording immediately. I made a ton of beat tapes that way.

[@Joe90Production]

@@RinostarGames there you go. I'd bet money Q-Tip was using something very similar.

[@clintpartie7369]

Yeah, for one, ya can't do it on a digital cassette deck.

[@mpelle15]

I used to make these back in the day. The key is that you need a dual tape deck with mechanical pause switches. The tape deck you’re using has electronically controlled switches which create an undesired lag. All tape decks in the 80s used to be mechanical, but in the 90s they got fancy and started making electronically controlled buttons, which inserted unwanted gaps when using this technique. Damn, i wish i still had my old pause tapes, the little kid version of me made some creative magic.

[@northerncup]

Brother you hit it on the nail the mechanical ones are the ones that are very accurate the cassette deck he's using those powerconnect backstage you're not good for it soon as I seen the video and I seen the deck he was using I knew right then and there I knew he wasn't going to get it right he's better off doing with those old-school double tape deck radios the portable ones record the first one on a high-quality TDK tape you know the TDK Chrome cassettes 4 sound quality and use the other one for the pause dub

[@skeezix8156]

Also used to use headphones in the mic jack for intros

[@roderickmcintosh5641]

This just explained my reply. I know I'm late! 🤪

[@GPow69]

Q-Tip is a legend man, untouchable. I dunno what the original beat for represent sounded like, but I'm glad Preemo landed on what we've got now cause that's one of the hardest tracks EVER

[@diggingthegreats]

Go check Premier's channel! Link in the description for his Represent breakdown - incredible

[@xoloitsquintli]

@@diggingthegreats I think I discovered your channel because I was watching Preemo's breakdowns. The algorithm know what's up lol

[@GPow69]

@@diggingthegreats I watch so wassup religiously but somehow missed that one, thank you for spreading the word brother!

[@KardiFan2000]

​@@GPow69 The original version of represent is available here on youtube

[@mfnuke7839]

​@@KardiFan2000heard it on so wassup episode but it's not full

[@williamgeorge2580]

Tip is such a good MC everyone forgets his producing skills. Quite a talent.

[@ri067953]

His drums sound so big. Crooklyn Dodgers is my favorite track that he did

[@Nelson_Swamp]

@@ri067953 Word up. One of the illest instrumentals ever.

[@bagelssmellgreat]

The amount of sheer WORK and finesse pause tapes required should inspire anyone with the tools we have today to go make something, anything, and put it out there.

[@diggingthegreats]

🔥🔥

[@79Glitch]

It wasn’t nearly as hard as this video portrays it-this guy is comical in how hard he tries to represent the authentic methods while sometimes being clueless. We made pause tapes off dual cassette tape decks, the kind that were found on most consumer boom boxes and home stereo units. When CD’s became popular, it made it even easier because you could pause the exact second of the break you want on the CD, while the pause and record function on tape machine were already pressed down, simultaneously. There was no lag on any standard tape machine. Even the cheapest of cheap tape recorders didn’t lag, from Fischer Price to those flat one deck joints with built-in speaker from the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t know where he got the tape machine he’s using in this video, but I’ve never heard of a “lag” while making a pause tape, unless he’s actually pressing the record button every time as well? This ish is ridiculous! Most hip hop heads made their own customized mixtapes with cool edits back in the day, like splicing the remix and original version of a song together, or mixing bpm’s like you would with vinyl. There was some skill and timing involved, but it wasn’t that hard for people who had some basic musical inclination?

[@legendsflashback]

@@diggingthegreats great video

[@gurpaful]

⁠​⁠@@79Glitchthis tripped me up because he looks like he'd be the age where he had analog cassette decks to play around with as a kid and would know the immediacy of analog buttons vs the laggy hifi stuff with digital buttons that's being used here. like that looks impossible and no one for sure succesfully did this using those

[@phat-kid]

yeah this made me feel old. im only 41 but this guy made me feel like i'm from another eon.@@79Glitch

[@Drrolfski]

As a teenager in the mid-eighties, I played around with pause taping. What I found out then is that you need a 2-head cassette deck with old-fashioned mechanical pause switches, otherwise, your timing will be off and you will hear a pause between two recordings. Judging from your video you might have used the wrong cassette deck as the transport buttons look electronically controlled., not mechanical.

[@diggingthegreats]

Seems like it, yeah haha - definitely a big pause in between each loop

[@MLHunt]

Yeah has to be the really basic purely mechanical pause mechanism, not the technically more advanced electromechanical type that used a solenoid. Impossible to time those lol

[@dusteddevilapparel]

Exactly. We found a way to make a way. My deck was my grandfather's throwaway. It worked perfectly.

[@dogsandyoga1743]

​@@dusteddevilapparel My VERY first couple of pause tapes were boombox to boombox 😂

[@vap8978]

this 💯

[@make1thappen267]

Illmatic wasn’t just an album, it was a producer’s seminar💯

[@creechmixtapes-ux7dh]

I sold the album for a dollar a few days ago. It was somewhere in my closet, collecting dust...

[@regret9423]

​@@creechmixtapes-ux7dhokay?

[@Raucey]

"It works, that was terrible!" Great video, really enjoyed this one. Nice job showing the process of these old school methods.

[@diggingthegreats]

This was a really fun one for me. Took a very long time, but man... new appreciation after doing it myself 😂

[@officialonyxobsidian]

All of this should be taught in classes. Hip Hop would be more appreciated by young people if they saw what my generations producers and artists went through to create artistry.

[@diggingthegreats]

Agreed - It truly is an art form, and needs to be taught - so much respect for methods like this

[@kadu51044]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[@Bati_]

When they tried to teach methods in jazz in conservatoires, it faced the risk of instituionalization. These are oral traditions so I have complicated feelings towards this.

[@beatsbeercigarettes]

I think you’re on a different page of the book.

[@yotaiji012]

It is! Right here. Who goes to classes? Haha

[@BuiltbyFellony]

His needle drop technique is crazy shit too. Q managed to innovate mad shit out of pure necessity, and nobody does that quite like he does

[@anon-guy-dude]

He's so good at needle dropping, I bet that is what he was doing

[@user_unknown1488]

@@anon-guy-dude you are over thinking what he done. it's just tools, timing and tenacity! its how things could only happen back in the day.

[@kidgrebo1]

That's the essence of hip hop, no money for instruments so the turntable became the instrument.

[@shasevere]

im thinking thats how he made that original loop not the pause tape method.. Ive seen qtip loop a record needle droppin before

[@torrancenorwood1349]

Crazy!!!

[@A75MComics]

I really respect how you treat hip hop like art - your reverence shines through in your videos - I watch every one of them, keep up the great work (Could you do a video on how the Pharcyde made their first album with J-Swift)

[@esahm373]

I used this technique in the 90s as a 11 year old looping a sequence without vocals from the first Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince LP. The loop I created was pretty flawless. Very proud of my 11yo self.

[@Sajid_A829]

Care to share? I'm real intrigued.

[@phat-kid]

lol yeah let's all go back to 1991 and find those old tapes from middle school. will get right on that.@@Sajid_A829

[@TimWrightDJ]

Talking about pause taping, my old man only told me after I'd been making music on our family PC for about 2 years that he used to edit and loop his favourite tracks using reel to reel, slicing the tape and sellotaping it in. I was amazed! I have my father to thank for a lot!

[@dusteddevilapparel]

Old School DJ here... I'm going back to 1989 fresh out of high school. Pause tapes weren't always made from tape to tape. Sometimes we had one deck and only the vinyl. I made some of my first loops using one Technics 1200 and a tape deck. The trick was not hitting the pause button early or you would have to replay the previous pass. But... the beauty was having a few minor, barely noticeable glitches here and there. Most of the time the vocals covered any slightly early or late sections. Once I got my hands on a Tascam 4-Track it made everything much easier... I could alternate tracks for the loop and get each take perfect. Also some early Ibanez digital delays had enough time to be able to do an indefinite loop of a beat.

[@ThatsMistaTwistToYou]

I remember making mixtapes like this, end making re-edits of tracks - so frustrating, but if you messed it up, you could always rewind a little, play it back until you got to the error, pause again, then record silence to erase it if you didn't want to overdub and risk the dreaded double hit. The slowest "undo" ever lol. You know, at one point there were tape decks with pitch control and crossfaders built onto the front? discovered one at a party once and sat there most of the time mixing up music from people's tape collections haha :) BTW, pause tapes were way easer to make on the older models, as the buttons were spring-mounted, so you could hold down the pause button, play the record, then release on the "1" of the sample. I promise you it's easier than I make it sound!

[@diggingthegreats]

I gotta upgrade, or... downgrade I guess 😂

[@MrBlueHaze]

Co sign❤

[@djdrwatson]

I know all about pause tape editing as I used to do this on a Sharp SG-280E music centre from about 1982 onwards ( *OVER* 40 years ago!! 😱). I was a kid about 12 or 13 just messing about. This is how I started mixing, editing and DJing. 8:57 Yes, you're right. There are two types of cassette decks - manual/mechanical ones (with piano keys) and logic control ones with touch buttons. The manual/mechanical ones are the best for pause tape editing as they react the fastest. Logic controlled cassette decks just aren't fast enough. They take too long to react and start recording, as you've found out. When using a manual/mechanical cassette deck, the trick is to push the pause button down and *HOLD* it down (armed and ready) then release it precisely at the right time. Then press the pause button again exactly in time at the end of the piece you want to record. With practice it's possible to chop beats and samples exactly in time accurately, capturing samples even as short as a secord. Lots of happy accidents happen using this method. I had lots of fun making pause tape edits mixes back in the day. It's primitive but I learned a lot just messing about and experimenting when I was a kid all those years ago.

[@steve.santiago]

Q-tip’s signature banging drums and super crisp snares are an underrated part of this beat

[@danwg3368]

Love seeing a new video from you pop up in my notifications. You make some of the highest-quality music content on KZbin, and your enthusiasm makes it 10x better. It's obvious that you love what you're talking about. Thanks for all the great content man 🤘

[@diggingthegreats]

Thank you 🙏 having too much fun 🔥

[@hectorvalle323]

Spot on, totally agreed!

[@customjohnny]

That tiny pause before the beat comes back in again is actually sooo sick man!! 11:08 Great work.

[@BeatsByRouph]

Q-Tip is and will always be my favourite producer oat. The things he did for the rap game is insane

[@lowlowseesee]

OAT. yes. particularly when he didnt even take credit for tribe beats til waaaay later lol

[@manatarmsslaps]

man crazy part is that I never knew what a "pause tape" was and lived in the midwest (St. Louis) but also used to do this.. I knew what i wanted to hear and so I made what I wanted to hear.. I used to call them comedy tapes because mixed this with comedy from richard prior, eddie murphy, mixed with beat cuts and snippets from hiphop songs and skits.. I have no idea what I was on back then man.. was like in 8th grade, and in HS.. was trippin lol.

[@nevedofficial466]

Maaaaan would love to hear that shit. Premier used to always put red fox bits on on his crooklyn cuts tapes. Even when I mix vinyl now I'll use comedy records as a means to transition to different records.

[@manatarmsslaps]

@nevedofficial466 hell I might have the actual tapes still lol .. not sure if they still play but I think they are in my studio/office

[@mresilient1641]

You were using a more modern tape deck. We used to do this with the lever button tape players. Your finger is in control of the actual tape, that's how he was able to do the chops in the pause tape.

[@diggingthegreats]

I gotta retry 🔥

[@ObsydyanInkTV]

This is the key. We were too broke for that tape deck he’s using. 😅

[@dreskills2k]

Exactly there was no delay when unpausing the tape on the old tape decks. Plus he keeps trying to start the record right where the sample starts he needs to start the record before the sample

[@Counterpoint]

Yeah came to say this when I saw the tape deck he was using. Because the lever activated ones were all mechanical you could press in the pause button to 'unlatch' it, as such, and then you're holding the mechanism with your finger, in total control of when it releases.

[@djgarybmixesit]

You had to use your ear to know when to unpause the tape, and you couldn't release the button on the one you had to listen back to the tape before the actual edit and as soon as you heard the part coming up then you released the pause button on the one to catch the part, you also had to do the same with the tape you're recording on rewind it listen back to it and pause it just before the one so when you're ready to record you would catch the one and get the loop perfect, haven't done this since the 70's so now I'm showing my age lol

[@dogsandyoga1743]

The crazy thing to me, is that I was pause mixing as far back as 1985. 9 years old, without being taught. It was just one of those things that logically made sense.. it was a trip when you meet other folks who we at home doing the exact same thing....

[@maccagrabme]

Surely you hit play/rec and pause then drop the beat in sync with taking your finger off pause. This guy doesn't seem to be doing that or maybe doesn't have a suitable tape deck so is getting random results, that's how I remember doing pause tapes in the 80s and they were in time.

[@dogsandyoga1743]

@@maccagrabme I think he had an automatic tapedeck, I'm familiar with those, there was a bit of a gap before the mechanism started. But yeah, there were even workarounds, for some of them at least.

[@peterpiper0815]

@@dogsandyoga1743 Yes, with the mechanism on 80s tape decks looping was much easier because the pause was a right-at-your-fingertip-instant-pause-control. I loved tape looping back then. Funny thing: At that time I didn't even know any hip hip tracks. My intension was to make extra long versions of the (pop/rock) songs I liked. Like the extended versions on 12" vinyls. I took different parts of the song, put it together in different order/looped some parts etc. Genesis - Tonight tonight and Billy Ocean - Get outta my dreams are two songs I remember. I think I'll go thru my old tapes tomorrow. Hope to find some of this extended stuff 😄

[@PuffinPass]

Same here except I got into splicing tape which I couldn't do today if I tried. I think I saw it in a movie where they were splicing a tape for some nefarious purpose or other and I remember asking my mom what they were doing and she gave me a general idea of the process. Armed with a razor blade and a roll of scotch tape I locked myself in my room for a few months. Not sure I made anything of note but for the time it wasn't bad.

[@dogsandyoga1743]

@@PuffinPass Yeah, I wasn't nearly that advanced. At most, I was fixing tapes that broke with scotch tape 😂

[@B-Nice]

you need a tape deck that has buttons that push down like piano keys. it's damn near impossible with those tactile type buttons on the deck you have. you eventually figure out the rhythm of your tape deck as you get into making pause tapes more.

[@TheRealNativeSun]

I was about to say that. Not the soft solenoid deck that he used but a old solid state tape deck with the vu meters and spring diving board looking transport buttons. Lol. The old Teac and Panasonic decks were good got pause tape loops.

[@maccagrabme]

Yes that's the difference, its the piano key buttons that felt like you were stretching the tape when pushing them down and the tape started recording immediately once you took your finger off pause, it was easy getting it on beat with the right tape deck. Those new decks have a delay, its like using a belt drive turntable, useless for pause tapes.

[@CT-ho6si]

100% this, came to the comments to say the same thing. No way you can make a pause tape on one of those tactile button tape decks -- or at least I've not met anyone who could or even wanted to try lol.

[@Trizzy4shizzy]

I kept watching as if something differently would've happened 😆. I knew those decks couldn't handle it

[@xavierramos1270]

Exactly

[@TranzparentMethods]

I might sound like an old-head, but the 90's was the best time for music. Several different genres reaching their peak, new production being introduced, Grunge, Horrorcore... Just a crazy time for music!

[@osmaniqbal8354]

I knew there was an original version of "Represent" but had no idea that was the case for "Memory Lane" as well. So glad that Preemo remixed those OG versions as the album tracks are much much better.

[@igloososa]

Bruh, my brother and I used to pause tape only the coolest instrumental parts on every rap cassette we owned so we could spit our own verses. Dad had that same Pioneer double cassette deck too HAHA! Thanks for reviving those great memories! Love your content and share it with friends frequently. Keep up the stellar work!🏆

[@camronstudenka9377]

dude your seriously one of the best youtubers for a young producer to start watching. you actually care about the subject matter and actually teaching hip hop history. Keep going bro …. 🤞🏼

[@AKiEM.]

Couple other people mentioned. But you absolutely need a deck with mechanical pause rather than an electronic servo mechanism. The way to do it is record further than the edit. Then listen back and find the new pause location and hit pause. You always have to record further than the edit, rewind and pause on the one. The good thing is the mechanics will always pause slightly after 1 so its not messing up the bass drum on the 1. Chances One Love was actually a pause mix is slim for various reasons, the demo with no drums - sure.

[@grittyshaker]

The knowledge you bring and the production of your vids is incredible. I watch every time you drop something. Thank you and keep doing what you’re doing

[@PrAnG2000]

I was an expert at pause button looping back in the day. My Mum's 80s Amstrad Tower hi-fi was superb for that. It had an instant stop so wouldn't move forward a bit when paused. I used to even do double notes to delay the start of the next loop. Used this formula to put together my ideas before booking a recording studio. Those were the days

[@suryasen8046]

bro Qtip pause taping one love is one of the best stories ever cant believe u made this vid! 10/10

[@SCMESD]

A plus content. Phenomenal! This is so cool. I still have my pause button tapes. This is how we made music in college back in 93 and 94.

[@waxxaddiktz]

The gap between the pauses is due to the type of tape deck you have. You need a mechanical tape deck, similar to the MARANTZ SD3000 or old boombox. They automatically start recording. The one you use goes through a process of moving the recording head into position and move the motors and all this other stuff, which take a while and creates a gap of muted space. With the mechanical version, all you need to do is have it on pause, while on record. You slap the pause button and it would immediately start recording, and stop recording on a dime. This would eliminate the gap/pause. I've broken a few pause buttons on my tape decks, but the outcome was amazing. Now imagine *pause mixing*, with two or more decks and having extended mixes of loops, breaks and chopped edits. =)

[@zoppe_5062]

Thanks for everything you do, I'm a big hip hop fan from Italy and I'm learning a lot with your videos. Keep it real!!

[@nyonsmith6621]

I've heard pause tapes described numerous times by multiple artists. Thank you for demonstrating the method.

[@eddiethetruhead]

I have the same Technics dual tape deck. For all of us who grew up making tapes thank you for demonstrating this lost art. Q Tip is master craftsman. Definitely one of the greatest beatsmiths ever. Peace to anyone who is still showing love to cassette tapes. One Love.☝️🔊

[@VACAYJAYTV]

I can appreciate you breaking this down and giving pause break recording a shot. I was doing it in the 80’s. Takes a lot of patience and timing. It was the bootcamp of sampling. Then after the sample and looping for at least 5 minutes then try dropping a beat on it live with no sequencer like a SP or Akai. This took all day to do… today Producers have no idea of the pain agony and patience you had to have with pause breaking. It was fun especially getting the results you want then having an emcee rap over it. Much appreciation to you on this one. Salute 🫡

[@steve.santiago]

Yes! Q-tip is as good as any producer of any genre ever. I know you would struggle trying to do the pause tape beat like he did. lol. He’s such a genius is unfair. Have you ever seen him needle drop?!?

[@diggingthegreats]

Yes! He's absolutely insane

[@lowlowseesee]

dude plays bass for nas, he definitely has seen q tip needle drop lol

[@sharptrickster]

From the awesome research and captivating presentation, to the hands-on aproach of recreating the things you talk about to demo the techinique, you are a legend, Sir. Thank you for everything.

[@Sgtgee]

For those Hiphop enthusiasts, fans and connoisseurs who are old enough to remember when Illmatic debuted and dropped in the spring of 94’ and had to either cop the vinyl album at Record Explosion here in the NYC or the cassette & CD at Nobody beats the wiz or HMV …..I salute you! 👊🏽 the best memories of Pause taping for me was doing this off of the Marley Marl and mister magic rap attack show, the Future flavors show and Stretch and Bobito shows on my moms Kenwood twin cassette deck floor model stereo system. It was a great time to be a young hiphop disciple in the golden era of Hip Hop history. Salute to all the producers rappers and DJs! rapper Nas on top, it seems we gonna rock it, queens represent buy the album when I drop it. - Extra P keep it rollin.

[@slik_p]

One of the best channels on the platform. Easily. Happy that you got to meet Questlove. All the best! And keep bringing the 🔥🔥

[@Earlyterrorhead]

Bro,,,the patience Q had for pause sampe is crazy,,,i could just imagine him being up all night for just one sample,,,it goes to show the ocd that goes into making gems ❤

[@theDutton]

Your videos are a masterclass in writing, editing and communication. A phenom! Love the topics so far, keep making videos about what you're passionate about and we'll all keep watching. But I know us nerds would love some insight into how Madlib made/makes beats!

[@ACSanchezium]

Like Q-tip, bshaw is on one for doing the pause tape this long LOL. I had no idea this was a thing in hip hop! To know that some of the best beats were made this way is incredible. Great video man keep it up!!

[@diggingthegreats]

🙏🙏

[@MakeSomeNoisePlaylists]

it was the backbone of underground "beat making" back in the days actually

[@jaschakutzky3169]

I simply love how much respect you’re giving, by showing how hard this technique is in reality…

[@juniornlondock]

Dopest channel on YT for producers & music enthusiasts

[@diggingthegreats]

🙏🙏

[@mikejwomack9597]

Ok so how I did it was I would record the entire song on one tape from vinyl. Using a Fully Manual dual deck (controlling the input volume to reduce tape hiss noise ) I would then loop sample from Tape 1 to Tape 2. I don’t like using those Soft button automatic decks because there is always a delay. Use the hard button manually decks. Even with those stay away from the deck with the long press buttons that are heavy as hell. Your finger will hurt after a while. Short press soft buttons are the decks to use.

[@Steely_Fran]

My grandfather's stereo was excellent for making pause tapes. It would start recording instantly when unpaused. What's funny is that I didn't even know that pause tapes were a thing until years later. I had a few ideas for beats when I was in high school, tried it, and it worked. I also used to add things by playing my loop on one stereo, playing what I wanted to add on another, and recording it all on a third. I used to double track vocals like that too. This brings back so many memories.

[@RobertoGinsburg]

🤩

[@elijahconstantinescu1995]

Dude this video is amazingly well done! Respect!!!

[@cratesdeep]

In the TV mini series Station Eleven, there is a episode that includes a tip of the hat (pun intended) to Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest. One of the characters makes a sort of a pause tape and it all culminates in a great scene later in the episode. It's episode 7, Goodbye My Damaged Home. Highly recommended! (Hint: includes upright bass) Also, great episode, Brandon! Respect!

[@georgeclark5813]

The beauty of making music The beautiful headaches Keep doing what you doing this is awesome

[@clementinelives]

the process of 'Pause-Tape' seems so infuriating

[@diggingthegreats]

Compared to today's methods, it's definitely not efficient - but this actually was a ton of fun

[@diggingthegreats]

Though maybe I should publish the unedited footage of me pause taping 😂

[@advaittdeshmukh3023]

​@@diggingthegreats pls do it

[@RobertoGinsburg]

Is because don't use the appropiate Tape recorder: Instead the digital recorder with "Logical buttons", *must be use "one with Mechanical/Manual buttons* 😊, and pre recorded the part on another casette.

[@MobileMagic-e1x]

All this time, I had no idea that any *legitimate* music was made using "pause mix" beats. When I was in early high school, I would make beats using pause mixes, and didn't even know it was a real thing until The Nonce "Mixtapes" and Dred Scott "Back in the Day" mentioned it. Two, in particular, that I remember (and I can tell ya EXACTLY why I remember): I had a whole song worked out using the breakdown and the horns from Average White Band "I'm The One" and another whole song worked out with the opening bars of Kool & The Gang "Too Hot." I had to scrap both when I heard Brand Nubian "Word is Bond" and Miilkbone "Where'z Da' Party At?" because they used the same samples. Thanks for the videos! I'm enjoying the content!

[@OperationSmoke]

It's a lot easier if you record the beat, then record to tape from your recording. Then double it up that way. The original copy paste using a record as source and then tapes as the ctrl p

[@alexsim225]

insane stuff - and i feel like the "simplicity" in the beauty of Tip's early productions make it all the more impressive. the pause tapes don't have much to hide behind, but they STILL sound immaculate

[@BobbyFischerQc]

Fresh new video from my Professeur Hip-Hop

[@robinkwakman9934]

Thank you for this. Very cool to watch. I was just reading the “Dilla Time” book this morning where Dilla described to Amp Fiddler that he uses tape loops to make beats; I was wondering if I should look it up on KZbin how that process would go. And BAM, without even searching for it this video popped up. Love your content bro! Biggup.

[@The.ARCHIT3CT]

wouldn't it have just been easier to have a DJ loop the sample live, and just record it on the tape? basically like a live show.

[@diggingthegreats]

Definitely. This only uses one turntable, and I guess Q Tip liked pause taping because he'd done it a lot, or liked the creative limitations of it. Also, as I mention in the video, the actual One Love beat is chopped a little more than what I'm doing. I'm simplifying it a bit 😂

[@carlweston4808]

In the early 80s i and my friends made pause tapes....We had to make pause tapes because we couldn't afford turntables...Most pause tape pros didn't have dj equipment back in the days...But I lusted for the Technics SL-D1's or the SL-B1s....

[@The.ARCHIT3CT]

@@diggingthegreats ah yeah I totally forgot about the multiple sample factor. I was thinking in terms of block parties how DJ’s would just loop breaks back to back and rock a crowd. We would record those on tape and essentially make our own tracks. But if we had to layer samples etc, that wouldn’t have worked. Great video bro! #MuchSuccess

[@The.ARCHIT3CT]

@@carlweston4808 true. Budget def plays a factor as well. I grew up in Brooklyn in the 80’s/90’s so there were literally 5 DJ’s on every block. Finding one wasnt hard at all, but for most, i could see how that would be an issue.

[@carlweston4808]

@@The.ARCHIT3CT I knew mad DJs it’s not the same as being able to work on something in the privacy of your own home… yeah, you can ask someone to loop something but that’s not really the point you wanna be able to work on your own stuff when you want

[@BBMP7]

A golden nugget. There is a special type of tape player used for pausing back in the day. Its portable player and the release on the pause button makes it a lot easier to catch the loop. I'm sure Q Tip probably used one of those.

[@deadlyninja112]

This is dope

[@albertm9298]

Loving what you’re doing, I used to pause tape sample back in the day. The best way to do it from tape to tape. Tape decks with soft buttons with a lot of travel are best.

[@elbjornbjorn]

This seems just as annoying as I always imagined. Must've been quite useful back in the day though, even after samplers were introduced, considering the memory limitations. We've got it easy nowadays.

[@diggingthegreats]

If you're trying to get it done quickly, yeah it would be annoying. All jokes aside I enjoyed it and would do consider doing it again just for the fun of it. Take a night, pour a drink, and pause tape something else 😂

[@enocraavi]

Ayo…that was the way I started remixing and making my own edits of songs in 1983!! Only real heads know the struggle and eagerness with NO REAL GEAR…no looping machine,no sampler….just sheer curiosity and hood ingenuity!!

[@alexposilkin9683]

Great video to shine a light on those classic production techniques. I’ve never heard of pause taping before. It also made me think of countless engineers/editors who have had to edit songs with tape cutting/splicing in the pre digital age.

[@256k_]

dude ive been binge watching your videos. you got me with the justice one and now im on a hip hop binge. this ia top tier quality stuff! thank you for all the great info and explanations

[@moresnqp]

thanks, i really never heard of pause taping before now. i knew of using two vinyls at once, and of course samplers. never heard the inbetween though. incredibly skilled, insanely respectable since these days even i could recreate this in ableton in a minute flat

[@XavierCoolDude]

Awesome video-Nas, Tribe, Pete Rock & CL, Gang Starr all some my favorite artists of all time. Hip hop was my life in 94-Illmatic songs were incredible

[@saintdenis11]

Thank you, KZbin algorithm for this recommendation. I’ve never heard of this channel but sampling is my passion. Amazing video, now I got to see the rest of your catalog!

[@nhoomiteub]

you have to start the record before the one and when you unpause it with delayed cassette decks you have to do it slightly off beat but on beat if that makes sense.......ive done pause mixing since 1985 my first pause mix that i can remember was Raspberry Beret by Prince the beginning of the song with just the drums

[@Roccetscience]

I started with pause tapes in 91. I didn't know anyone else knew about that then. My dual cassette was mechanical rather than digital. I know what you mean. Great channel 💯

[@erickmartinez9850]

I never thought this was a technique that any professional producer used. It brought a smile to my face because in the mid 90's that's how I used to sample beats and I had it down to a science with timing. I made two full cassette tapes I called "Pure Beats", I used to dub them about 3 times (1 the beat, 2 the live lyrics & chorus and 3 the sound effects along with the dub in vocals, and if that wasn't crazy enough our budget was so pathetic every verse had to be live no mixing later, with no room for mistakes so we would rehearse and lay the track in, then dub the other two parts live too (timing). Those were my favorite recordings because they sounded professional but were ghetto as hell! 😂 Thank you for making this video, I feel validated. Actually, thank you for all your series they really take a deep dive into music and for real Hip-Hop lovers it gives an in-depth poetic take on the music we grew up with and love.

[@erickmartinez9850]

1 last thing you're using the wrong tape deck for this technique. U need the double or single tape deck with the big push-in record, play, rewind, fast forward, eject, pause (button) teeth, those stop and start exactly where you left off. This technique works because you're manually stopping the tape upon pushing the button. Just in case you wanna give it another shot. 🙂👍

[@Tricklarock]

@13:30 ... That's why I would always scratch into the beat in/my headphones, that was the best way (for me) to match up the drop/beat/etc.

[@shawncharles6077]

Bruh thank you for showing the difficulty of pause tapes. As some one who did them when I was a child, you appreciate modern technology. Salute.

[@jalocin]

Your best video yet! I really love that song and actually didn’t know about the pause tape technique. Thanks a lot

[@silfrido1768]

Chopping parts up to cassette is why that man is a beast. Needle dropping on vinyl to hit exactly where you want it to hit is insane

[@paperbagbrown1326]

This is without a doubt the greatest youtube video I have seen thus far. I am 45 years old. Big hip hop fan. I used to use a dual deck tape recorder to make my own dubs and mixtapes. As I grew older I began to learn how DJs make their beats and do what they do. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever imagine that some of them used the "pause-tape method" to make beats. That is insane and it almost literally blows my mind. I watched this entire video with my mouth agape. I never gush like this about a video. Never. I was hesitant to subscribe to this channel, much less become a fan, but I eventually did do both quite some time ago. But this video... this is crazy. My mind is blown. I'm gone.

[@turlus0072]

I used to do this on a small boombox as well and the pause button was instant with no speed up time. Record the full song on the tape, then use that to record on another. Keep looping until you have about a 30 second loop. Loop that and you have 1 minute, then 2, 4, etc. The deck you're using has too much of a lag. But you showed the process. Love you're work brother.

[@lucasduncan8952]

Your channel is so fantastic man! Please keep going -- incredible content!

[@fedoramcclaren4294]

The 10:59 drop though...that was pretty awesome!!! It sounds like an actual drop on a track when an emcee said something worthy of the drop...

[@kevs8225]

I've always heard about the concept of pause tapes but never seen it done so props for doing an actual live demonstration !!

[@WillD0021]

Just want to say thank you man! This channel is a gem🙏🏼

[@jiveeeeee]

Yo I just found your channel fam, and I love it here. Just went through about 10+ videos. Got yourself a new fan

[@damandbass]

@8:57 Mechanical transport mechanism vs electronic/computer control mechanism. You need the cassette player with the big piano style buttons (mechanical).

[@djbrd8641]

Thank you for making these videos. A gift to the world.

[@JJermane]

This almost brings tears to my eyes because I was doing pause (tape) recordings back in the day and I never knew a producer such as Q-Tip and others were doing the same thing!! Anytime I heard a hip hop record that had an extended break beat, I rush to my boombox which had a recording option, and do this for hours at a time!!

[@doupard]

Thank you for being the best content on this app

[@camodeano3003]

Wow man, the difficulty of the execution of all these beats is mind blowing

[@Tricklarock]

@5:25 Yup! I used to use the pause-break method to make all my mix-tapes - without the internet or anyone else showing me how! My roommate had a cheap-ass all in one - EP/Dual Cassette/Radio jank, and one day we were bored and I showed him the pause break method. He didn't even know that shit was possible?! Well, I guess I was feeling a lil cheeky after that so, I already had my fingers on all the switches, so I figured why not try to bust a quick scratch too?! That shit worked and my boy was flabbbbergasted lol, so when I got proper decks and a mixer, the basics came easy. I wish I'd of had that sweet Technics deck he showed back then!!!

[@grassenjoyer8470]

love the video, thumbs up for the effort man

[@mikeb3936]

Man you need to start a hiphop history podcast with this type of content. You have the voice for it.

[@Knick_Fury]

As someone who was making pause tape back in the late 70s, I just want to point out that the technique was originally a way to "mix" breakbeats when you didn't have two turntables and a mixer. People used one turnable and a cassette deck or portable tape recorder.....It was a budget way to get your DJ vibe on. BTW...back then, you REALLY wanted to perfect your technique and make seamless edits because making pause tapes was actually considered WACK by real DJs...so the aim was to make your edits SO clean that people couldn't tell it was a pause tape.

[@CEE-ji5rx]

This blew my mind. never knew about pause tape. So rad

[@tempeff8670]

I used to make pause tape intros for my mix tapes back in the day. It was super fun.

[@diggingthegreats]

This process was incredibly fun for me, especially since I've never done it before. Ableton would be faster, but not as fun

[@MrBigjay00]

Love this video! I remember being a kid in the early 80s making my own "remixes" "pause-tape" style...

[@Hype2k23]

Amazing soo amazing wow those producers back then deserve so much praise

[@RiverKia]

Digg’n the montage.. YOU ARE A JOY! I’m sure recording to tape is humbling.😂 You did a great job remaking this beat!

[@metronohm808_6]

Great insight into the process. Props for having a stab at it yourself man! Can't beat authentic hip hop production

[@DamascusHarris]

Old head here: you record the whole record to one tape. That's your master. Then you use it for your pause loop.

[@magicspiral]

There was a discount GLP cassette I bought in my teens that had this dope beat I wanted to make longer, so I came up with the idea of using my dual cassette deck to inexplicably make a pause tape. It was quite jagged, but a few cuts were seamless. It was years later when I heard Adrock talk about making “pause tapes” that I realized I’d attempted that myself. What a crude and meticulous way of making a loop. I didn’t know some actual tracks were done using that technique. Thanks for highlighting it in such detail! 🔥