Tape Manipulation with the Panasonic RR 830

[@calebparkermusic]

Thanks for the great video! I’m using this machine to experiment with tape looping. It seems like there is some auto stop mechanism so it will only play through the loop once and then stop. How have you worked around this? TIA!

[@jezspirit]

My workaround is that I dont use tape loops with it! Someone posted in one of the comments on here that you can use a rubber band on the spindles in such a way to disable the autostop, but I mostly use the machine to grab bits of longer tapes and use tape loops on other machines anyways

[@calebparkermusic]

@@jezspirit fair enough 😂

[@calebparkermusic]

@@jezspirit I know you don't use tape loops but I wanted to follow up on this since I asked your input. I discovered that running a size #32 rubberband around the two reels keeps the cassette running and prevents auto-stop from engaging. Obviously that means it's necessary to run the tape around both reels as well. Cheers! :)

[@kenbaumann2287]

Love this machine. Thanks for running us through its possibilities.

[@jameslittier1444]

I love this breakdown! Just found out about this machine as I"m looking to get into the world of cassette for music and it looks so sick!

[@summersky77]

I have one on order from eBay. I’m looking forward to getting this. If you’re getting one too, something the uploader forgot to mention make sure it’s the VSC model.

[@bonistik]

Useful video, thanks a lot! For those in the EU, it might be useful to know that the Sony BM line of cassette transcribers offer similar functionalities and they are much more available over here as as they were actually originally marketed in Europe (unlike this Panasonic or, certainly, the Library of Congress C1). You can get one of those for next to nothing and you won't have to do any power supply mods etc.

[@bonistik]

also some of the Sanyo Tape Scribers

[@nopenoo9156]

It is so cool that how clear the tape machine is able to produce the rewind!!!! wowee also luv the footage of your foot action

[@wychwoodmusic]

Just stumbled across one of these listed online and it had me thinking it might be a great tool for musical experimentation - and you just confimed all my suspicions. Thanks!

[@njlwag]

Just bought one off of Facebook with the footswitch. Can't wait to mess with it

[@improziv]

Very interesting presentation. I’m working with tape but have tried this yet. Thanks!

[@patriciablank597]

I love this! I have the machine which I used for transcribing as a graduate student. I can now see other possibilities for my musically inclined family. Thanks!

[@patriciablank597]

I'm shipping mine to my grandkids as a bonus Christmas present. I can't wait to hear the fun stuff they do with it.

[@NegativePulse]

Just found one of these at a thrift store. Going to head back and see if I can find the pedal.

[@nicksouthcote8826]

Thanks for the video! That helped a lot. I just picked up two of these for 10 bucks each and they seem great. I need some books on tape or something like that to play through it.

[@Stranger_at_the_Crossroads]

Content that needs to be made. Rock on man

[@realmsofficialmusic1398]

Great video, awesome machine! I could really use one of these for my next ambient album. Thanks for sharing, keep up the great work!

[@vwestlife]

The purpose of the VSC is to allow you to slow down or speed up the tape while retaining a natural-sounding voice pitch. But if you misadjust it, you can use it to create an unnatural-sounding voice pitch.

[@jezspirit]

Thanks for the info!

[@kingofspraycheese1072]

how would u misadjust it

[@regplasma7906]

Nice work.I see thee mighty Sledge in the background.

[@jezspirit]

its an amazing machine

[@CostonFrijoles]

bro you just put me ON to some SHIT!!!!!! thank you for making this video!!!!!! i'm ordering one of these immediately

[@jezspirit]

having a foot pedal for tape stuff is a serious game changer

[@tomallen343]

Same. I found this video while researching whether it was a worthy investment... and this man confirmed my suspicions.... and got me hyped af!

[@adcommit]

Nice video man I just picked up the 930 micro cassette version but now I want this one!

[@D1777YB0T]

Great for cassette djing and cassette techno beautiful machine

[@NK-yl3yp]

Yo, thanks for the excellent video! Looking forward to the tear down, finding out which cap is causing all this buzzing, deep clean, belt changes, and over all inspection.

[@MillionBlue]

You may have just inspired me to get my hands on one of these

[@caliusta4927]

Do you use an adaptor to get the audio into your interface? Are you plugging out of the headphone jack? Either way, awesome stuff

[@jwes4588]

holy. shit. the vsc sounds like a formant shifter... definitely just bought one on eBay for 20 bucks after watching this lol

[@jezspirit]

it rules!

[@sweatereater]

woah

[@christofabsurd]

love the vid. Love those VSC sounds. I'm considering buying either this or the 930 micro version (huge fan of the micro-cassette!) Did you ever end up trying out the 930 ? Curious as to how it compares...

[@jezspirit]

i still haven't gotten around to testing it, since I dont have any microcassettes on hand, but that's a good idea for an upcoming video!

[@CRAETION_]

Thank you so much for this demonstration!! I just ordered one off eBay (no foot pedal unfortunately) but I'm mostly just looking to downsample audio. What kind of cables did you use for you I/O?

[@jezspirit]

I'm pretty sure the signal is mono-out, but I use a stereo 3.5mm cable just because it's what I have around

[@lukaswheeler3023]

oo coo. i have one of these too. i never messed around with the foot switch. only bummer about that machine is that it cant play tape loops

[@jezspirit]

It's true! My friend Alex has been looking into why that is, maybe there's a sensor to remove or deactivate that could make them play loops. I pretty much only use loops with my four track so I've not had too much of a problem working around it, but you could have one machine for loops and the rr830 set up as a second one for live loops.

[@logancroker2078]

jez spirit has Alex made any progress? i’d love to use loops on this thing

[@cjbcarr1]

I’ve had succes playing tape loops with it....it’ll play the loop like 3 or 4 times and then stop though. Is that what you mean?

[@robstorer1078]

@@jezspirit just put a small rubber band around the two spindles. Should trick the autostop function.

[@darrellkennedy5420]

So I have a question. I just bought one of these and I’m wondering if I can take A tape that was recorded at a higher speed and use this machine to basically re-record it slow down

[@crystaltremer3851]

What do I do to help fix the motor?

[@AngelicActivity]

Can you connect an aux cord to record off your phone?

[@jezspirit]

Yes, it has an audio in (3.5mm)

[@jjai471]

I have a question. I had an older cassette recorder that I recorded cassettes on with the spoken word. It broke and now i find that for any other cassette recorder I've been able to find, the playback is really really fast(like the three chipmunks cartoon but faster) . Do you think that the Panasonic RR 830 would have the capability(and the range) to slow down the playback enough to normalize the voices?

[@jezspirit]

It hard to say without hearing it, but it could certainly slow it down somewhat. Its been my experience that something like a Library of Congress player will go much slower than the RR830, but it would still be improvement.

[@scottchevaillier668]

What's that tape, hmm?

[@timj41]

Hi there, are you familiar with the Sony Secutive BM35 dictation machine ? I have just taken a $25 gamble on one in the hope it may be useful for recording Guitar/Drums/Bass ?

[@jezspirit]

I don't know anything about it but it looks very cool, I love those older bulky units, they usually have a really interesting sound

[@rubesphinxyard]

great vid. question: i have a focusrite i'm wanting to use as my interface, but the 830 doesn't have RCA. so if i'm wanting to record into ableton, do you know how this would work? i have an aux i've been using to record into the 830 from iphone

[@jezspirit]

I'm pretty sure both the line in and the line out for the 830 are 3.5mm jacks, so you would just need an aux cord to connect whatever you'd like to record into it (like you're doing with your phone) and another aux cord + whichever adaptor you'd like to use to get it into your Focusrite.

[@squashrecords]

can you confirm if this machine is mono or stereo through the aux output?

[@nilespeshay1734]

It's mono.

[@kingelement4160]

can you tape loop with these?

[@jezspirit]

unfortunately you can't! something to do with the complicated mechanism around it starting and stopping so precisely has never let me play any tape loop for more than one or two repetitions. however it kind of lets you use any cassette in a semi-looping fashion, so if you have another machine for playing loops you can use this one to add more variety

[@nilespeshay1734]

Yes... Caleb figured out a solution and Jez added it in the pinned comment at top.

[@Happ567]

Any info on the tape you used in this video?

[@jezspirit]

Dreams, Language, and the Soul with Marian Woodman, from my new age collection

[@Happ567]

@@jezspirit awesome, thanks man!

[@Nearthebanks]

Does it have a input?

[@jezspirit]

Yes it does! You can record into it

[@Nearthebanks]

jez spirit sweet. I’m picking up one for 20$ tomorrow

[@shakeywill001]

wondering about using this to make a tape echo. does it have separate erase/record/play heads?

[@jezspirit]

It only has 2 heads and one output unfortunately!

[@shakeywill001]

ah ok! thank you

[@calebcrittenden]

How does this work for slowing down music?

[@jezspirit]

very well!

[@kogenpandajiujitsu]

What cassette is it that you are using?

[@jezspirit]

A tape I found about Jungian analysis

[@ckhgator]

found one at goodwill for $5.99 :)))

[@andyconda9456]

I have 4 sets of pedals, does anyone want them?

[@infinitehospitality]

You still offering these pedals?

[@andyconda9456]

@@infinitehospitality I think I gave them to goodwill, but I’ll check for you