how to run an analog tape loop?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

already spliced the tape and have the loop, but having trouble making
it play. am using an mci jh24 2" tape machine. does the tape need to
wind around the reels, or just around the headstack and spools? can
it be done in 30 ips? maybe the tension on the mic stand was wrong,
but i couldn't get the tape loop to play

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>already spliced the tape and have the loop, but having trouble making
>it play. am using an mci jh24 2" tape machine. does the tape need to
>wind around the reels, or just around the headstack and spools? can
>it be done in 30 ips? maybe the tension on the mic stand was wrong,
>but i couldn't get the tape loop to play

Never tried it with a 2" machine, but many times with 1/4" and 1/2" ones. You
need to hold the tension control arms in place so the machine "thinks" there's
tape in the path. On a smaller machine some adhesive tape will do it but a 2"
machine has a lot more torque and might not hold well enough.

Basically you need the transport to be positioned just as if there were tape in
it normally, but have the loop exit the path on either side of the control arms
or inner rollers and go out to the mic stand or whatever keeps the outside part
of the loop tensioned. I would usually drape both sides of the loop over a
horizontal mic stand boom leading downward, then hang a reel in the bottom part
of the loop as a counterweight. The reel turntables would normally be left to
spin away without reels on them.


Ted Spencer, NYC

"No amount of classical training will ever teach you what's so cool about
"Tighten Up" by Archie Bell And The Drells" -author unknown