Musique concrete revisited...

["Sauvageau Leo" <Leo.Sauvageau@tetrapak.com>]

I recently have become interested in going back to the basics of looping and the musique concrete technique. Mainly because I am intrigued by this limited means to create electronic music. There is a certain charm to using limiting means to create music. This desire to use analogue tape as a way to create electronic music comes from the fact that anybody with a PC or MAC can now create electronic music just by pushing a mouse button.

 

The following is a descript of a device I am creating that uses analogue tape and old 8-track tape cartridges (yes those 70's tapes) and 8-track tape recorders (and yes they made 8-track tape cartridge recorders, surprisingly enough). I know the question WHY? Why not!

 

Okay here is the proposed idea...

 

First I did a search on the web and found several 8-track tape recorders for sale and most under $20.00.

 

Here is the plan...

There is actually 2 parts to the process.

 

Open the 8-track tape recorder up to get access to the record, play and erase head.

Next place new post with wheels around the heads. So the the tape can be made longer and spliced together.

 

Next open an 8-Track tape cartridge.

Take out the tape.

Cut a strip of tape about 2 feet long.

Splice the ends together. (This will be our looping tape.)

Put the tape on the new wheels and over the play record head.

Now start the recorder and record. Every time the metal part of the tape reaches the sensor the track automatically changes to a new track.

 

Okay that was the foundation of this new looping device, however now the fun begins as there are several additions that can be added. Such as:

1] Add additional play heads

2} Add switches that turn on and off the left and right record channels.

3} Add cassette record heads

4} There is a metal strip that changes the tape track (program as it was called in the seventies) This can be used as a randomization trigger. Imagine placing a metal strip at 3 other points on the tape and engage record. Now what will happen is the tape will record, but at certain points switch to a new track and record there. So now you have random material on different tracks. Also you could place metal strips at different points along the tape path so the tape would switch as it plays.

5] Add a switch to the sensor so that you can switch tracks manually...again to add random recording. Or used during play back to switch tracks randomly

6] Add another play record head and reverse it. This may or may not work.

7] Use better quality audio tape.

 

You see the potential... This takes the musique concrete approach to a different place.

Leo