The Wonderful World Of Cassette Tape Instruments (And How To Tape Loop)

Cassette tape players/recorders come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. I have for a while now been very interested in the ones that comes in the shape of an instrument. Especially toy instrument (cause they are generally cheaper, hehe). Consider this an introduction to this rabbit hole!
Lofi at it's finest and with a few tricks possible to unlock a pleathora of new sounds. Also big shoutout to Tataki for putting together a tutorial on how to tape loop.
Tataki:
/ horssujet21
horssujet.bandcamp.com/
Foot:
/ foot_music
footmusic.bandcamp.com/
_
MAGPIE PEDALS: www.magpiepedals.com/
MY MUSIC: simonthemagpie.bandcamp.com
PODCAST: www.podcastics.com/podcast/al...
PATREON: / almostviral
SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/artist/750L2...
FASHION: simonthemagpie.myteespring.co/
Magpie Pirates
JOIN: / discord
MUSIC: magpiepirates.bandcamp.com
KZbin: / magpiepirates
WEBSITE: www.magpiepirates.com
Background Music Shoutout:
/ 333amethyst
yvantsalta.bandcamp.com/
/ orangeflipflop
10:17 How To Tape Loop

[@Hainbach]

I had no idea all of these existed. I need a Coffee table book now.

[@nathanjasper512]

I wanna see someone break out the fisher price drums on a session.

[@cleekersneaker]

Talking Coffee Table Book with an embedded cassette player

[@Mad4400]

@@cleekersneaker Audio book book?

[@molekulaTV]

LOL Hey! Do some sh.. together guys again. Can't wait :)

[@kevycoldcuts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2q2mpKFerGghJI

[@MadeOnTape]

"lofi: just a fancy word for shitty" ❤ Love this vid! Long time listener, first time caller.

[@rosswilliams5339]

That made me giggle

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

I've worked as a toy designer for 20 years. I have a shed full of toy prototypes and samples, most of which are musical instruments, or sound makers of some kind. I'd love to send you a box of 'em to mangle in marvelous ways. Most of them are from my days with Mattel and Fisher-Price.

[@K_man217]

For what it’s worth he said on his podcast he doesn’t read KZbin comments. Get ahold of him on his discord if you haven’t sent them out already!

[@mcpeteymcnustard7777]

That is so up my alley it’s not even funny lol

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

@@K_man217 Not a bad idea, thanks!

[@treesurgeon2441]

I'll mangle all of them.

[@DavidDiaz-hh4gi]

Hi ..can i have SOME PLEASE...

[@id.unknown1283]

As someone who did most of their solo music back in the day using cassettes like samplers and like live instruments I love watching younger people get into the magic of magnetic tape.

[@AndreijRublev]

YEAH! TATAKI AND FOOT!

[@mazza420]

oh shiiiiit seperate videos for the specific techniques?? this is some GOOOD news

[@thestinkyweasel6297]

Yay Foot!!

[@0live_]

Incredible video everybody! Thanks a bunch Foot and Tataki for coming through with some REVELATORY tape loop facts! Learning that you could just GLUE DOWN tape guides may have very well changed me as a person...

[@amuletsmusic]

here for the tapes :)

[@MegaMmmmn]

Awesome video, and thanks for pointing me to Tataki and Foot (subscribed!). I've just been dabbling with tape loops for a couple of years so I'm sure that this has been done before, but one thing I do I haven't seen elsewhere to deal with the recording head (and "the gap") is just add in an on/off switch to the wire running to the erase head so you can just turn it off so you don't have to monkey around with covering the tape head. It works well, and is as easy as a DIY hack gets!

[@Rowe4900candymachine]

That elephant sound is pretty industrial.

[@grekygrek]

Man Tataki has some serious equipment. You guys are freakin AWESOME.

[@blackcookies]

Thx for Tataki and Foot! Crazy cats! Subscribed!

[@reggiep75]

For the erase head issue, I'd be inclined to find a way to disable it electronically, and have a few control options like a rocker switch or bypass button to allow you to mess things up!

[@foot_music]

That's what I did on my Tascam, but I just unplugged the erase head for now. Not all tape players allow for that though as some are literally just a magnet that gets pressed against the tape.

[@reggiep75]

@@foot_music - Yeah, on the cheaper models it's a simple ferrite magnet as opposed to an electromagnet, so it would require some experimenting. But the above ideas would work with electromagnet erase heads.

[@kozy5398]

God this style video from you is absolutely stunning magpie, the hard work is so appreciated ❤️

[@poitaots5054]

Feels like a 90s educational TV show in a nice way.

[@midinotes]

Magpie, master of J cuts! 😷👍🏻

[@NicStage]

He does do a lot of J cuts, doesn’t he? I think it’s pretty much every video 😆

[@easeupkid8270]

I’ve quickly become obsessed with ur videos dude

[@NicStage]

HIFLO! HIFOOT!

[@patrickyeo2016]

Thanks magpie!! Love these videos!

[@thejustingaw]

Can’t stop looking at paper! Damn it

[@Serioko]

I hate your paper. Gets me everytime.

[@brianspenst1374]

Simon really needs Teddy Ruskin tape bear to complete this collection.

[@LabRatWarfare]

Hahaha!! Totally agree!! 🤣🤘🐀

[@unsoundmethodology]

Very cool! Some neat stuff I need to examine going forward, as I've been getting into tape stuff myself. My first build was a tape head on a wand, to do scratching noises off credit cards and such. Then, a few months ago, I built Rich Burnett's Cassetone - a design that splits a speed mod on a walkman out to five pots activated by keyboard-like keys, so you can get distinct notes. Then I made a short loop tape to use with it - though it's almost more fun just to play back old audiobooks.

[@bobroberts8264]

Please do more episodes with other youtubers that was interesting to see their ways of doing things, it was incredibly interesting it felt like i was going deeper and deeper into the internet it was really cool, cant wait to see what comes of this

[@kevycoldcuts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2q2mpKFerGghJI

[@ianhively8378]

Thanks for posting this. Glad people are still fking with tapes. Also a great beginning project is soldering both wires from a jack straight to the play head to make lofi cheap distortion “pedals”. Esp if you can find the 90s ones with eqs built in. Keep on doing god’s work

[@DirtyPlumbus]

I just picked up a terrible vintage Kawasaki toy synth. I'll be looking forward to your circuit bending video.

[@lightningboltschannel525]

I picked up a really really shity piano it's bright orange and you could only play one note in a second or it just won't work

[@molekulaTV]

Yes yes more and more vids!

[@ChrisLeeW00]

I’d like to turn myself in, Magpie. I kept looking at the paper. Just couldn’t resist the forbidden fruit.

[@LabRatWarfare]

Such a great video! Really enjoyed this man!!! 🐀

[@kevycoldcuts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2q2mpKFerGghJI

[@brad6919]

We need a cassette player/looper pedal! A pedal that you load a cassette into to create tape loops. Foot switches for record and play.

[@CashMattock]

Have one of each of these. They’re a ton of fun but if I see another tape loop/splice video that doesn’t emphasize a diagonal splice cut, I’m going to loose my mind and never make my tape loop video. I don’t think the world deserves it. JK ..😆🤪😂

[@t0xcn253]

Look at this man name dropping Hainbach and Audiopilz as if they don't all live rent free in my head with him anyway, like in the same studio apartment where they jam and hang out all the time.

[@bluntguts1724]

Man you find great toys! I am into playing with vocal processing toys. Like halloween voice changers and Paper Jams type stuff. If you have any toy mic mods or bends we might not have considered? I'd love to hear what kinda stuff you've done? Typically I just add an output if they dont have one, and run them thru pedals. That has led me to some unique stuff, but I'm wondering if you have come across anything outstanding in this area of the toys you've messed with. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. Much respect Simon!

[@mima85]

Sorry, but I couldn't stop looking at that paper xD

[@valley_robot]

I remember your early videos where you were pretty smashed and used to take the piss out of hainbach , they were funny , he’s a good sport

[@StephenMcLeod]

Can't believe Ali G is making videos now.

[@jameshamaker9321]

I would like to see, a video, of the exploration of the drum machine. It would be interesting, to see what would happen if the comedy sounds, where used for effects in a song.

[@swingAE86]

Eyy it's Haim the magpie

[@fishisyum]

I refuse to stop looking at that paper.

[@jameshamaker9321]

Thanks!

[@yanchesanchez]

Ah rad, The Books must have used one of those myfirstsony drum machines, i know those sounds, lol, nice find

[@TimTam69420]

I keep looking at that paper, how to stop?

[@uberkoth_windyfuckface]

Can't stop looking at this paper

[@flibflob2785]

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS MAGIC PAPER I CANT STOP LOOKING AT IT

[@PhillipRaymondGoodman]

I wonder if theres a way to take one of those dc motor speed controls and put keys on it, so you can tune it to very precise speeds that would play particular notes if you were to have a tape that just had a constant tone on it

[@rosswilliams5339]

I circuit bent the mu 781...it super freaking tight yo!!!. ..but the sliders are a pain in the ass...well worth it though!!!

[@OmBotCult]

YES! YES! YES!

[@SynthApprentice]

"Pew pew, kapow, krsshh, bjjzzz." Simon Magpie, 2022

[@areusmartinez8343]

🙌

[@KingGameReview]

I can't stop looking at the paper

[@bimbom9712]

THE PAPER ARRGGGGGGV

[@aurora3655]

do u know to fix tape machines? i have a four track stuck on play.

[@pulpero666]

Check the Sankei Stereo Entertainer

[@joaquinbrasher3722]

please please please please do a DIY mellotron

[@MandoThingz]

If Thomas Bangalter had a KZbin channel it would be like this

[@jakedyer2674]

Is there much of a difference in flat cutting vs angled cutting of the tape?

[@treesurgeon2441]

The angled cutting is so the ends you join fade into each other instead of abruptly cutting at the joined ends.

[@treesurgeon2441]

Sorry could you say that all again I couldn't stop looking at that paper on the wall.

[@YellowJelloMusic]

I've been trying to make the super long 7-roller tape loop for a while now and I am losing my shit every time! Like how does Tataki make it so effortless? My tape is out of control, tangling and tangling...

[@jemadamson2715]

When i was 5 i recorded my eulogy on a kareoke toy like the first one shown. I did all that work and turns out it didnt actually record. I didnt bother trying again lol

[@101jemxsabre101]

Its ok though because i gained a second life

[@kengreen6901]

What’s the make n model # of Music Wiz? Thank you!

[@ThorCullum]

Anyone know what they’re using as tape guides?

[@foot_music]

Those are the rollers from old tapes. I'll break apart tapes that don't have screw holes (not good for tape loops), and pull them out of those.

[@floatingdoor]

I'll look at the paper if I want to.

[@treesurgeon2441]

Funny seeing you here.

[@floatingdoor]

@@treesurgeon2441 What can I say were both people of good taste.

[@korgms2037]

ok ok nice

[@RoadheadRecords]

Speed mod: 7:30

[@MrKarlGP]

My thirst Sony ;)

[@-EekaMouse-]

Why does all the pro stuff has to have names like Terminator 1000 or Tokio 3.3 instead of cool toylike names like Mickey's meow or Fat Freddy's cat?

[@I967]

11:52 That's not an erase head.

[@horssujet21]

I know, but I didn't have a spare erase head to show :)

[@I967]

@@horssujet21 Fair enough. Normies won't know anyway.

[@wrongsquirrel9520]

Tape

[@t0xcn253]

Looplooploop

[@andrewsmith7543]

I love Ali G.

[@jamesburke2759]

couldnt pay attention too busy looking at the paper

[@aholder4471]

What just happened? I was looking at a piece of paper that was trying to tell me not to look at it.

[@anniesthesia]

Why do you look like you are about to go out to a meeting with your probation officer?

[@No-hs4jm]

Troppi buoni percorsi per i miei pensieri, non vorrei che qualcuno di questi fioosse oilgl3g4l3

[@davejones5745]

Now, are you related to "Borat" in anyway?

[@spaceman103]

Just killed the devil in likes…..667

[@stephencarlson7297]

I cant not look at the paper

[@BirthQuakeRecords]

Fifth

[@JubalCreech]

"Lo-Fi is the fancy word for s#!++y!" Hahaha! May I please quote you on that? ;)

[@RuthlessMojo]

I think that definition of LoFi is actually in the dictionary. LoFi (low-feye) n. Basically shitty.

[@palethorn]

Sorry, I looked at the paper.

[@thewayofbass2534]

Stop looking at this paper!

[@EaselCat]

Bet these just got spensive lol.

[@richardalldredge9129]

Sounds like old school Mario bros

[@gustavoberocan]

Ok. Stop inventing little cool tape toys instruments and telling everyone it's easy to find them on ebay. that's a not fun. (and i didn't read your paper at all)

[@theyeknomym7559]

STOP LOOKING AT THIS COMMENT.

[@thomasowen5785]

Stop looking at this comment

[@rosswilliams5339]

Join my Facebook group "circuit bent benders " lots of benders in there Reed Ghazala, igor amokisn,Luke reddington,