Tape Techniques 2: Dictaphones for Electronic Music Production

Wherein I lay down my usage of microcassette dictaphones.
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[@vinylarchaeologist]

0:40 “Hi I'm HAINBACH... and it's good to have a backup” 😊

[@konstantine8054]

Hainbach for audio president.

[@davido3109]

Yes Sir!!!!!!!!! No doubt!!!!!!!!

[@atonegames]

Seriously, I love his textures and style. Almost every single is gold, ha!

[@kyledmonds]

this channel is criminally under-subscribed!!

[@Hainbach]

I fully agree :-)

[@irishmossdubwise]

I love it. Its a bit over the head of the average sample pack FL beat makers grasp. I utilize techniques like this to create samples that are all my own.

[@SynthieFlowers]

Watching this in 2019, and they are no longer cheap...

[@goldenstarmusic1689]

Recently got one for $9, and another with two tapes for about $5. They pop up once in a while but it's definitely rising.

[@void.lawyer]

Yea I thought the same until I searched tape dictaphone instead of just dictaphone

[@TheNimasan]

findinding this chaneel end of the shitty 2020 was the best thing could happen to me. at the mean time my top 5 channel without the shdow of a doubt. echt whansinn. danke für alles!!! grüsse aus münchen.

[@Ellotus13]

YES! I loved this! I took a tumble to the world of microcasette dictaphones because of your videos and I completely agree with your point of them being somehow even more real than crisp, lossless digital recordings. It's like audio impressionism, something off revealing some inner, inarticulable truth. Good stuff. I have a question too: throughout your videos I've seen you use quite a few effect pedals like the Strymon Timeline, Janus, Julia and Warped Vinyl, it would be interesting to see a more in depth look into your pedal collection and how you use them. Cheers!

[@Hainbach]

Well put! Audio impressionism indeed. Pedals are indeed a fun topic, good idea, thx!

[@dether3]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I am glad to have stumbled completely into this rabbit hole. I was never a "musician" but have always loved sitting and listening to sound and of course making sound and tinkering and musing about things. I have since my first dive into this bizarre and wonderful audio oceanic experience a year ago have been flooded with new experiencing. I am happy to have discovered you and on a more macro level the avant-garde and improv styles of sound expression, you being a wonderful guide through your own creative processes and sounds. *I've been told I think to much. :)

[@Hainbach]

Thank you! Feedback such as this makes it all worth it!

[@Jefflantern483]

Song in middle of vid is very trippy! Love it! 👍👍👍🎧🎧🎵🎵🔊🔊

[@edgeeffect]

I'm really enjoying the format of these videos... part talk, part performance is a great idea... and you do a great job of both. Keep up The Great Work.

[@CoolDudeClem]

I like the bit at 5:29, sounds like some nice chilled smooth lo-fi hip-hop, and the music that starts at 5:58 would work well as a score for a creapy movie.

[@oliverspiller6545]

Keep it up. Awesome how you bring back to live all the retro tech and turn it into something new.

[@untilsuchtime9380]

I’m really enjoying your work, man. It’s inspiring me to experiment more. I’m grateful for how generously you share your techniques.

[@LondraCalibro9]

Hainbach - always inspiring, always teaching........and always very cool......lots of respect for his work and the beautiful videos he makes.

[@billhicks9056]

I just stumbled upon this. KZbins algorithms doing their thing while I browse with this tab playing in the background. About 8:08 minutes in I hear something awesome happening and check it out... Awesome work, dude! I'm subscribing.

[@Hainbach]

Thank you Bill! That algo is a riddle, a boon and a curse. But it's getting better at recommending for sure. Found a lot through it.

[@_kortiko_]

Thank you Mr. Hainbach!!! 🙏🏻 I found one for 5€, gonna get it in two days and sample the shit out of my 7€ Yamaha PSS380 (speaker sound). As much as i love my other high end gear, there is something with cheap, true lofi sound and combining it with hi end stuff. ❤️

[@CragonThe]

I LOVED this! After watching this video my wife dumpster dived for a bunch of grundig stenorette devices at work. Turns out Grundig still produces astonishing expensive dictaphones and tapes. I can't believe the wow and flutter produced by a current production >300€ device. But still fun toys if you get them for free!

[@leavesformk]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

[@tommyderveloy692]

Perfect the bass line !

[@stuartmee9352]

Just discovered your channel and your music. Love all that you do. Just choosing one of your t shirts!

[@spiderfingers2005]

Really enjoyed watching this. Like all of your experiments in sound. I am just starting to experiment with tape and cassettes again in my set up purely because of what you and one or two other people are doing on KZbin. You have reminded me how much i used to enjoy working with tape machines and 4-Track recorders when i was younger and integrating tape into my modern set up means that i am actually getting excited about sonics again. Thank you.

[@Hainbach]

That is wonderful to hear! I started out with cassette, too. Bouncing noise left and right. But digital quickly took over. Now I am happy with a digital/analog hybrid, more fun and also healthier since I have to move around much more.

[@Brokeninc]

Thank you for sharing what you know. It has inspired a lot of what I am doing these days.

[@SoundsMick]

The jam in the 2nd half was really great! Awesome groove, that strange valve drum machine sounds excellent.

[@Hainbach]

thank you! Yeah, the D1000 is amazing. Have a video on it on my channel, too.

[@andresgrumann4079]

Gracias Hainbach, educational and generous as always!!!

[@Hainbach]

Thank you my friend!

[@Da1AliBi]

Now I got completely hainbached. Jetzt wurde ich komplett gehainbacht.

[@morebeatslesssleep4244]

amazing stuff right here, this is creating

[@sleeptrip]

Interesting and useful technique. Didn’t thought about dictaphones from this perspective :) Thanks for inspiration.

[@Kupka2408]

this live performance is so damn good....

[@Santiagoarciniegaqui]

¡Fabuloso todo!

[@AdventurousInsight]

Amazing content on your channel!

[@Hainbach]

Thank you! I love it when people discover it and find inspiration.

[@scottbrownNZ]

Another helpful video! Time to find some dictaphones...

[@Hainbach]

Happy hunting! I got mine for about 5-10EUR on ebay.

[@FiveElementNinja]

Great insight! Thanks

[@Hainbach]

Thank you!

[@user-ed5ix1sw6i]

7:50 wow, those drums sound mint!

[@Hainbach]

Thx! All the Metasonix D1000/Bugbrand Compressor combo.

[@user-ed5ix1sw6i]

too bad it's certainly wayyyy outside my price range. I'm still struggling with trying to put a small eurorack together! haha, keep up the awesome work :-)

[@Hainbach]

Thx! You can do similar and even better sounds with the Metasonix R54 Supermodule.

[@dubcousteau]

Wow, why I didnt found your channel earlier. Thanks, now I have to get one or two.

[@Hainbach]

+Dub Cousteau cool, happy hunting!

[@lazarusmoment4682]

Damn man this is amazing

[@AT-eh2eo]

Haha the Korg Triton of abstract electronic music.. I’m tryna brain storm ideas to try with my Korg Triton... this certainly helps!

[@kitespongan]

Really brilliant recording techniques! It would be great to amplify some dictaphone tracks in a big Hall/garage for some eerie reverb too.

[@Hainbach]

+Kites Pongan good idea! you would love the sound in the venue where we run our Basic Electricity modular night. Former brewery, sweet rounded 3.5 sec reverb.

[@rberguer]

Thanks!

[@Hainbach]

Thank you!

[@Rephazer]

Inspiring once again :) Keep it up!

[@Hainbach]

Thank you, I plan to :-)!

[@Rephazer]

You inspired me to make some lo-fi pitched down tape ambient (my latest video) though I still need to modify my walkmans to go down -12 semitones (the magic 'half speed') , but I've reached -9 semitones so I am getting there ;)

[@guillaumealtamira7115]

fantastic😱

[@JoggingHouse]

Very cool and helpful. Thanks. I still have an old Sony Dictaphone somewhere. Wonder if it can go half speed.

[@Hainbach]

It better should! :-)

[@barneymorse-brown]

'Yes, I am a Dad'. Subscribed.

[@zebbenham3204]

Man, I'd love to see a Hainbach OP-1 sample instrument walkthrough.

[@Hainbach]

+Zeb Benham will happen, with sample pack. On my to do for 2018.

[@kgbstudio]

Hey hello!! I have watched several of your amazing videos and loving them! I have a Sony TC-WR665S from the tape days which is out of order, which is a double deck with built it pitch control. I wonder if it would be any good for these techniques.

[@telkmx]

Love your new album ! Never saw mini cassette before. Are they easy to obtain ?

[@Hainbach]

Thank you! I got a bunch on ebay, some worked some did not. No idea why. Prices are strangly high though, thrift shops might be better.

[@JubileeGiggles]

This is fucking incredible

[@theobest4193]

yes I am a dad:)

[@anselwilliams2003]

Hi. im from Argentina and im in love with your channel. I love the music and the process. Ibe just bought a couple of dictaphones but i dont know where to start now!!!! Any suggestion???

[@Hainbach]

Thank you! I suggest you watch this video and all the videos in my Tape Techniques series. Then go out, record something you like, play it back at half speed and make music to that. Enjoy the hunt!

[@iNuchalHead]

7:00 right of center on top of the three modules on the monitor speaker... is... is that... a RadioShack reeverb?!

[@chipbipdip]

Definitely feel like you can very easily make some Boards of Canada-esque sounds. Have you tried recording live drums with these? They seem to bring interesting sonic characteristics to the table and make the recording sound like a memory almost. I wonder though, since drums are generally a bit more "violent" and loud whether it would just distort everything or if the recording is actually relatively clear.

[@Hainbach]

Live drums sound super distorted with these. Cool for an effect though, or to mix in to a well recorded signal.

[@CJHillman87]

Do you ever use an external microphone to 3.5m jack with your diaphones @Hainbach ? I'd like to see if I can get a slightly better sound from my small Sony VOR machine.

[@raavenstark5905]

5:20 You sounds like the song Moving Plates of the side project of Sigur Ros 'Liminal' Go check it, i think they use the same technique :)

[@worthystudios1]

what are u using the olympus for ?

[@theboytheycalljonny1]

Lovely! Does your talk-book mic pickup the mechanical noise of the recorder? I have two talk-books and the noise on the recordings from the recorder leaves them pretty useless (although one of the talk-book has a mic input, so i could maybe use an external mic). Would you have any advice? Thanks!

[@Hainbach]

That is a workaround! But I accept motor noise as Charme. Have you seen this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKbchp16adGbaK8

[@drkakophanos3013]

That triangular spring thing....very unusual. How did you make it?

[@Hainbach]

It's from morfbeats.com

[@drkakophanos3013]

@@Hainbach Thanks. I will look that up 😎

[@ajsmith4181]

This is brilliant. Thank you for this information! What are you using for drums in this jam?

[@Hainbach]

+AJ Smith thank you! All Metasonix D1000.

[@ajsmith4181]

Thank you!

[@ceri-potat]

that poor violin D: ^-^, tho love your content :P

[@trunskee]

top

[@janhrdmn]

How do you get the clock out of the OP-1 to sync external gear? Via the PO-Sync and split cable? 7:55

[@Hainbach]

Bastl made a thing for that, I used that

[@themadsamplist]

Zoom Sampletrak!!!! I love that machine!

[@Hainbach]

It is supernice! I feel guilty that I am not using it more.

[@themadsamplist]

It was my first and for years only sampler. Mine broke unfortunately. Once you know it inside out there is a lot possible even with the limited sample time. It made me very creative.

[@davidpicarazzi]

Is there a way to export the audio from the dictaphone directly into Ableton or do I have to record the audio on the dictaphone with a microphone?

[@Hainbach]

Record.

[@Hainbach]

Either with mic or line out.

[@PaulChabot]

I need more random in my setup... lol... reminds me of when I used to make noize...

[@msynth7186]

You ever use the ones that come with microphones

[@Hainbach]

Not sure what you mean - external mics? They usually seem to be bulky.

[@zaloo]

so... what are your thoughts on cassette and micro cassette recorders with broken drive belts. i'm the sad owner of 4 such decks. do you try to repair? take for repair? give up on them? ...any tricks for portable cassette decks with broken belts?

[@Hainbach]

I have tried and succeeded once and failed once. Microcassette ones I usually just replace, as they are incredibly tiny and for me at least to hard to repair.

[@zaloo]

i just dug up my micro cassette Sony and made another sad discovery. and a Tandy data cassette deck.. my Tascam 112's bely straight up MELTED into the motor. (i've been having all sorts of rubber break down issues here in dry California. i thought the weather would be good, but not really..) taking these things apart is SO byzantine.. btw, i have a Jaymar toy piano.. arent the overtones on those things amazing?? well thanks for your uploads. always thought and heart provoking.

[@Hainbach]

Oh man, that sounds sad. Yeah, when you take them apart it helps to take photos all the way. But it also clears up why no one will ever re-release a new hi-quality tape deck. The amount of machinery is too high. have no workshop for repairs at my home (yet), so I use the kitchen table, which is impossible with two kids. I am actually planning a Toy Piano video, comparing all the ones in my collection - Goldon, Jaymar, Michelsonne. They are beautiful.

[@delta-9969]

Can I ask what the large red module with VU meter next to the D1000 is ?

[@Hainbach]

Bugbrand Stereo Compressor.

[@_kortiko_]

I know there’s a big difference between recording dictaphone speaker and bouncing audio via headphone out, but can you tell me, if i bounce it through headphone out, will i retain “lofiness” or should i take the mic road?

[@Hainbach]

Ha, minicassette will sound lofi no matter what.

[@_kortiko_]

HAINBACH Yesss, thanks a lot! 😊

[@dylansky3975]

if anyone knows of a store in nyc that might have these, please let me know!

[@lebenitj]

Any thrift shop..

[@insideTheMirror_]

I'd be very curious to know what you do for a living. It would be so pity if not something music related.

[@Hainbach]

I am a composer and have been living of making music for close to a decade now.

[@insideTheMirror_]

Cheers! I am glad for you. Can I see your participations somewhere?

[@Hainbach]

@@insideTheMirror_ sure: www.stefangoetsch.de

[@insideTheMirror_]

I had a quick glance at your stuff. You tottaly nailed it at the video game! Lovely

[@Hainbach]

That was a dream come true to write for!

[@jcamp3606]

I repair them. Replace the belts, new caps, adjust speed and bring them back up to spec. If you need yours serviced let me know. Really like the jam!

[@Hainbach]

Thx! Where are you based?

[@jcamp3606]

BC Canada

[@Hainbach]

That is a little to far from Berlin. :-)

[@enikscave5771]

Hey, I was wondering if you could share some resources on how to repair cassette dictaphones like this/could i commission you to fix a couple of mine? Thanks!

[@metatron7515]

this is essentially resampling, i guess i was thinking you were going to "perform" with the tape players as some do with spliced tape loops or something, but with microcassettes! enjoying your videos, thanks!

[@Hainbach]

It is indeed a form of mechanical sampling, that I then resample again into my Ciat-Lonbarde setup. You have probably seen the performance part in the new video on dictaphones, where I assemble a new piece with nice dictaphones playing back the same phrase.

[@Hainbach]

That piece might be more what you had in mind. :-)

[@metatron7515]

i haven't seen that yet actually, looking it up now, i just thought it was funny that i was expecting to see someone splicing micro-tape! love resampling it's amazing for someone that records/composes mostly inside the computer, to utilize all sorts of speakers and room acoustics to add or take away from the character of a sound in a way that can only be partially controlled or explained, lol. thank you again for making these videos, cheers!

[@Hainbach]

oh no, splicing tape I do on my 1/4" Telefunken M15 with integrated cutting block and scissors. I am no masochist. :-)

[@metatron7515]

THAT sounds awesome!

[@definitelymiami7978]

So i ended up buying one of these on ebay, an Olympus Pearlcorder S700. Much to my surprise, the "earphone" jack isn't a standard 3.5mm jacket. I tried plugging in a headphone and it's too big for it. Do the ones you have come with a standard headphone size? Or did you need some sort of convertor cable? Thanks again for the inspiration. I made one track already using some dictaphone recordings i made but i had to record it back into Live via a mic setup as opposed to line in. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXmkaWSkYrlpiKM

[@Hainbach]

+definitelymiami mine is regular, but only left side. Will check the track later, setting up for a show right now ☺️

[@patrickmccarthy8838]

Weird ok thanks. I'll just have to buy another one in hopes it has a regular headphone output jack.

[@japcarjohn]

Hey man, I just did the same, mine is the s701 model and has the 2.5mm headphone jack like yours, cheap converter cables can be found on ebay,you need a 2.5mm to 3.5mm Jack Adapter.

[@definitelymiami7978]

great thanks for that info. i'll order one of those.

[@degradedecho8397]

My Fastrac also only gives audio out the left side. Do you know why this is?

[@sssnacksss]

Dad joke accepted.

[@Mad4400]

Anyone know what model that Casio at 2:21 (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZ3IhGBsh66Cr6s) is?

[@Hainbach]

That is a Casio Magic Keyboard.

[@raavenstark5905]

40$ is cheap for you ? ^^ But very good video ! great demo

[@pieslice]

I just sample his stuff from KZbin 😏 #cheater

[@forevershampoo]

pieslice thats wack lol

[@msynth7186]

This is getting creepy