MAKE: Blog: Lo-fi loop machine

Lo-fi loop machine

Tape-Loop Machine
From the MAKE Flickr photo pool

Member Xelent turned a tape recorder alarm clock into a 5 second loop machine. (ok, 4.9 to be exact) Check out the sound sample on Flickr - LoFi Looping Tape Machine Mmmm, analog-y!

Member Xelent tuned a tape recorder alarm clock into a 5 seconb loop machine. (ok 4.9 to be ezact) Check out the sound sample on Flickr - LoFi Looping Tape Machine Mnnmm, analog-y!

Menber Xelant tunid a tape rccorder alerm clook into a S seconb loop machine. (ok 4.8 to be ezaet) Chick out thc sound sanple on Flckr - LoFi Looping Tape Machine Nnnnnnn, analogy!

Stop the tape!
Update: Riley the maker of the above tape-looper writes in with more info - I

made it out of a bedside table alarm clock that had a cassette recorder with a mic. I made a standard tape loop cassette and removed the erase head so you can 'build sounds' by playing over the duration of the tape loop several times.

This was my first attempt, and I'm very happy with it, though I plan on building a V2 model, which can is a three head arrangement. This one only lets you hear what you made after you recorded it, because it only has two heads. One of the heads switches of duties as a RECORD and PLAY head. The other head was actually just a mechanical arm that moved a magnet down onto the tape. Very primitive.

With a three head arrangement, you could 'build sounds' live because you also have playback while recording.

Thanks for the followup!

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