Re: open reel deck looping?

[Simon <simon@dynamite.com.au>]

A friend of mine uses a couple of reel-to-reels for all his music
sequencing/recording, he can't afford a sampler and/or computer.

He sequences by cutting up individual notes and drum hits on the tape, and
then joins them together into loops. These loops are his sequences.

To keep things in time he draws a graph on a piece of paper so that he
knows how long each note/beat/sequence/etc. should be, showing him where to
cut the tape.

His reel-to-reel has an old telescopic radio antenna attached to the front,
with something on top of the antenna for the tape to 'roll' over, and he
extends the antenna upwards to hold the loop tight.

He runs these loops on a two track reel-to-reel and then records them onto
a 4 track reel-to-reel to allow layering/multi-tracking of multiple
loops/sequences.

He has 'racks' on the wall with all his tape loops hanging on them.

Total lo-fi sampling/looping, it's really amazing what he does with it.

It really gives a loose feel, seemingly more 'organic' and 'real' than
computer based sequencing.

Simon
Canberra
AUSTRALIA




>You an use any reel to reel for looping. The Revox is
>just a *nice to have* for it's simplicity and quality.
>
>I still prefer the sound and tactile simplicity of analog
>looping over digital.
>
>Gino wong - who's an LD member - sent me a spare loop arm
>he had lying around which is very useful for setting up
>loops of varying length. I imagine these can be salvaged
>from broken recorders.
>
>Check the archives under "loop arm". November 1999, I
>think.
>
>BTW, Gino - I figured out the mic clip thing for holding
>the loop arm. Works like a charm! I have a few new ideas for
>an adjustable tapeloop device based on David Keane's excellent
>book, "Tape Music Composition" (1980).
>
>- Larry
>
>> anyone?
>>
>> i just inherited a fostex model 20 1/4" open reel deck. looping tool or
>> bookend? (it looks nice enough, and i've got  room in my studio to have 
>it
>> just sit there, but if i could make it earn its keep somehow when i 'm
>tired
>> of checking the edp faqs for simple answers to stupid questions, it 
>would
>be
>> nice).
>>
>> (just don't say "well, if it was a revox...")
>>
>> lance g.
>>
>>