Using 3 head cassette deck for tape echo?

[Lance Lawson]

While I've run my RTR deck to create tape echo it occurs to me that this might work with a 3 headed cassette deck as well. My Sony TC K670 sounds pretty nice and for a tape echo it might work well. I have the old TEAC AX 10 unit that was available for ease of setting up 3 head RTR's for echo. Using the SONY might create a nice classic tape echo.

Has anyone tried this with a 3 head cassette deck?

[vinyldavid]

it should work the same way. I am not sure of the delay, and if it has a record and play head very close together (my Akai GX912 has this), the delay will almost be like reverb.

[Lance Lawson]

it should work the same way. I am not sure of the delay, and if it has a record and play head very close together (my Akai GX912 has this), the delay will almost be like reverb.

The delay on my Sony TC K670 is small, smaller than my TEAC @ 7.5IPS but likely close to it @15IPS.

Years ago I used to record at a studio where they had a pair of TEAC RTRs wired in tandem that they ran at 15ips for reverb. It sounded great and unique. Later they got some state of the art plate and rack units but the twin tape was always my favorite.

[vinyldavid]

Yep. I've done that, and I like running tape at 7.5ips for echo purposes.

let me know how it goes, maybe post some sound samples?

[Des-Lab]

I actually have my TASCAM 32 sort of wired like that, where the input and output pots via the mixer are looped on itself. You have to be ever so deft with the monitor output open on the deck lest it get caught up in a feedback spiral that will [theoretically] escalate to infinity and thus fry the speakers. I haven't used it a whole lot, but it does make for some cool effects.

[vinyldavid]

Yeah, you have to be careful with that.

BTW, that traditional Reggae vocal echo is tape run at 7.5ips on a studio style machine like the Ampex AG-440

[teac3440]

My crown can make a short echo with using its 3 heads aswell. i swith the output knobs to source and tape then i turn up the the record levels, start recording then i turn up the the output levels while recording and it will creat an echo.

[Lance Lawson]

I tried setting up the TC K670 with the TEAC AX-10 unit which is not a powered device but a passive switching and level device. The drawback so far is the TC K670 is that it will attach a mild level of delay to the main incoming signal but there is no way to increase the level of the delay to make it more audible. The delay time is fairly nice but not as big as a 3 head RTR.