TUTORIAL Tape Loops + Pedals // tips, tricks, and techniques with effects pedals and cassettes
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- A tutorial on how to use pedals with tape loops, or at least some of the ways I like to do it.
This video features a Tascam 414, Adventure Audio Again, Walrus Audio Fathom, Land Devices HP2, and Retroactive Pedals Dot Chaser.
All music in this video was written by BlankFor.ms aka Tyler Gilmore
If you like what you hear and see, please consider following and supporting:
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Been getting into tape loops very recently and I've been somewhat frustrated by the "gap" and your spacious progressions are really inspiring and a great way of showing how to take advantage of space in general. Love this video!
Thank you so much for what you do! This is really valuable, very well done and it's a pleasure to listen !Really one of the most helpful channels about experimental recording techniques on RUclips.
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it
That overdrive at the end is actually pretty dope!
Some great stuff here man! One thing I was surprised you didn’t do when you fed the delay back into a channel on the 4-track, was to use the send to feed the delay back into itself for some extra feedback. I’ve found this technique to be more successful with a parametric EQ so you can dial in the feedback frequency but you can get round this by putting an EQ/Graphic EQ pedal before the delay pedal. I guess I should dig out my old Fostex X-18 and have a play around with some loops… New sub for thee here sir, cheers! 👍
This video is wonderfull ! Thank you teacher
This was an amazing watch-I have a Tascam 4 track somewhere in storage,& if it wasn’t full of thousands of items that barely fit for my parents to move-I’d did it up bc I can’t even find what model it was-it’s from ‘97 or so-used it for my band at the time & to do the “one man band”.. but these ideas never came to me-I don’t think there was even a program I could record it into until later & then I did with Acid Music..but highly enjoyed this, not only helped but brought back a lot of memories using that-used to have to use special tapes bc a normal tape without record about 10 minutes per side bc of the speed it ran at..damn, just talking about it makes me want to either get another or dig it up NOW😂.. much love for what you do, such a different vibe-you think outside of the traditional methods people do.. you should test out a Reason rack & try rerouting the cables-it can be quite a powerful weapon if used right-even the old versions.. back to version 2, haha... take care & keep this up, it’s appreciated!
Thank you for the wonderful tutorial - gonna get soooo loopy with this!
At 3:52, are you going line out from the recorder into the pedal, and then how are you going back to the recorder?
Thank you, very instructive and inspiring :)
This is amazing man. Well done
Love this bro! Keep the videos coming! Super quality and would love to hear more
Thanks for this 😊
Sounds great! I might need to look for one of those portastudios for the effects loop (I'm just using a small Tascam). I've been having fun with the DOD Rubberneck delay, Neunaber Immerse MKII reverb and SS/BS Mini for dirt.
even beams love the neunaber stuff
Wow! I’ve been waiting for this moment! Thank you so much!!!
Batı thanks for watching 🙏🏻🤓
Awesome tutorial! I did similar things with microcassette dictaphones, but with your Tascam possibilities are definitely much more inspiring :)
Arrrrg I discover this fabulous idea and I send mine a year ago ;-(((
Great idea you have had !
love this video - but question, how are you panning the delay ? the dry on channel 1 pans left, then are you taking an out to a mixer of just the delay and panning it right on there? or a daw?
When you say stereo separation, do you mean that L is a clean signal and R is a signal with effect pedal (or vice versa)? I am in a search for a reverb pedal, and I was thinking that it needs be stereo for synth setup. But I listen to Fathom and it sounds very nice, even if it is not “true stereo”. I am not sure now. Thank you for the video, very nice sounds and explanation.
I have a question to ask you. Where is the pedal's OUT connected at the beginning of the video?
It’s going straight to my interface
@@BlankFor_ms Can you be more specific if you can? I'm curious.
@@chenchending3439 quarter inch cable to an input on my apogee quartet. Is that what you mean?
@@BlankFor_ms I am using Tascam 414mkII and I want to know how to use effect 1 and 2.I didn't understand the video :)
Really well done, thank you! Given how crazy expensive these multi-track tape recorders have gotten lately, I wonder if you would be interested in making a follow-up video showing the potential of just using a standard tape player (basic walkman, etc.) with effects.
That’s a great idea 🙏🏻
@@BlankFor_ms I thought so too (*looks wistfully into the distance*) Just made my first tape loop this morning, fun stuff! Lusting for a portastudio, but yeah....hard to justify $400 for one...I could buy a lot of synth for that
Could probably do 80% of these with a single cassette player and a mixer with an effects send. Great video. Definitely gives some inspiration
8:12 had me... all feels.
Do you know if the mixer of your tascam model sounds the same as the one on the mk3? Same pre's? Wich one do you think sounds better in the mixer section for saturation?
How did you record to your interface and preserve the stereo mix? Don’t most interfaces just have a mono input?
Every time I try playing through my basic casette player the audio just comes out of the player and it has no change to it. I plug an adaptor into the aux and still nothing
How are you getting multi tracks from one tape? Or are the other channels from other sources?
Thanks man!
What does he got on the tape??? how got it.. he process all the tape signal throw the pedals...
Very tasty! Do you make your own tape loops? Do you sometimes have problems with your slice stoping at the capstan?
The distortion at the end is so satisfying. I mostly play with multiple loop pedals and considering exploring tape loop for texture - is the tascam 424 the best intro or will a Walkman or two suffice?
4 track machines offer the most flexibility, and yes the 424 is the best one to start. 414 is great too
Thanks!
And thank you for responding
Maybe it's a dumb question but, how is it you are getting the FX into the unit just using one cable?
There are two. One of them is L shaped and kinda hard to see.
What cassette type do you recommend using, not just for tape loops but for warming up and/or lofi-ing a digital stereo master?
This is what I have always used and they work very well for both www.amazon.com/MAXELL-UR-120-Cassette-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000087NBU
Hey !
how do you connect your pedal to your tascam? The tascam is then in RCA / jack up to the audio interface? This tutorial is very inspiring. Very good idea that you start these focus! ✊🏼✨👌🏼✨
Vincent Ligny to pedals is 1/4inch via the sends. The tape main out is RCA to 1/4 cable. Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
BlankFor_ms Thank you !
hey mate! if i may ask, what camera do you use? always the image quality of your vids... (and sound of course!!)
With the first loop how are you so precise when making the loop on cassette do you prepare the cassette first or do you record for 45ish minutes on each track and then cut the tape??? Sorry I’m confused with this process! Thanks.
john slater I cut and assemble the tape loop first. Then, I record onto it. The precision isn’t easy to be honest, it takes a bit of practice and thinking ahead. But doable with a few tries. Is that what you were getting it?
@@BlankFor_ms Would love a tutorial on cutting the tapes and then making a loop on it. Feel like that's always been a mystery to me too
With the tape loop from 4 minutes onwards, have you recorded 4 different tones to the tape? Trying to understand how pushing each fader upwards is changing the tone!
Dan Bond that’s right, I’ve recorded a different chord on each track and I’m bringing them in individually.
i just want to add tape character to my masters, do you recommend this 414?
if you just want subtle coloring, i can attest to virtual tape machines by slate. im definitely not as qualified to speak on hardware tape machines though i would guess that a reel to reel might suit your needs a bit better
Did you cover the erase head when recording these loops?
No. That’s part of what the delay and reverb help with, they obscure it 👍🏻
@@BlankFor_ms Awesome! Thanks for the reply.
I've yet to try my loops with the tape head covering technique. Kinda worried to damage something in my 424. Have you tried it?
I have the old blood noise endeavors - Dark Star Pad reverb pedal. Though, I think it is more for making pads from guitar plucks...
thx
Eddie Vedder is that you talking?
Man where do you find those exotic kinda pedals?
I’m sure many places carry them-but if you can’t find them-look up Motor City Guitar & see what they have you can order-they have hundreds, if not thousands...or my go-to place is Vintage King Audio in Ferndale, MI-you can call them without even knowing what it is you need by name & they will help by you just describing it.. if they don’t carry it, they will get it. Actually, as someone who got ALL my music equipment for a studio we made right down the road-I recommend them more than anything-more than guitar center even-this were 2 places we had accounts & they ALWAYS come through! Hope you find what you’re looking for!
Best granulator
Great vid! Just a question though, why dont you also use a routing where you return the effect to channels 5-6? Is it because you wouldn't be able to pan this?
Good point, I should have mentioned this. You are right, I don’t use it because of the panning limitation. But I bet others might.
Love all these sounds! We just finished a concept album recorded on the Tascam 488 Portastudio. It's alt-folk style music with some experimental sounds like tape loops, musical saw, synths, field recordings, etc. It's uploaded on our channel if anyone wants to check it out!
Your voice sounds like Chris Issak...
The irony of using a warping pedal that replicates a failing playback tape motor/head…..even when there’s a pitch control right on the deck…..
so the casette can be used to play 4 discrete mono tracks at once? do you have to manually, physically alter the casette so it becomes a loop?
Yes, and yes. But you don't have to use a tape loop, you can also just use a standard tape and use looper pedal or loopstation for a similar effect. Tape loops are fun though.