SecondHandSynth

FoldyMakes Sidecar Cassette Mod – Is It Worth The Price and What Can It Actually Do?!

In this episode, we explore the wonderful world of pitched-down cassette tapes with the Sidecar Cassette Mod from FoldyMakes. We dive into some sound sculpting possibilities with the use of delay pedals like the Boss Digital Delay, Hologram Microcosm, Death By Audio Echo Dream 2, and the Chase Bliss Habit. And also used some in-series compression and EQ to craft the incoming signal and shape it for optimal frequencies.

What is the Sidecar Mod? “The Sidecar is a variable motor speed mod for standard cassette recorders. The knob adjusts the motor speed, allowing you to slow down and lower the pitch of audio being played back by the cassette. The switch toggles the mod on & off, allowing the audio to be played back at normal speed if desired without needing to tune the knob perfectly.” -FoldyMakes

And in the end, we will talk through the reasons why one might want to drop $200 on what is basically a modified cassette tape player. Is it actually worth the price?

Thanks for watching and thanks for all the support on some of my previous videos. I really appreciate it.

Tapeless 4-Track Looping With The Zoom MRS-4

We all know that 4 track cassette tape recorders are great, but probably way overpriced. Are they fun? Yes. Do they sound cool? Absolutely. Are they worth 500 bucks? Well, that’s debatable.

In this video, we showcase the Zoom MRS-4 and walkthrough how it can be used to create ambient cassette tape looping without a single cassette tape.

Because of the lack of popularity around vintage 4-track digital recording stations, these old-school machines can be purchased for a lot less than their cassette tape counterparts and have quite a few features that make them every bit as good as a Yamaha, Tascam, etc.

Let’s see what type of soundscapes we can create with this retro tapeless looping 4-track.

Thanks for watching!

Hologram Microcosm – Is this sound design tool right for you and your setup?

I have had the Hologram Microcosm for a few months now and I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised and pleased with it. It’s a versatile pedal, with loads of potential, and tons of features. It’s so much more than just a delay or a looper, it’s more of an idea generation tool.

All hype and excitement aside, I did run into some small workflow issues with the pedal that took some getting use to and I wanted to share my experience with folks so y’all could make the best decision possible when it comes to pulling the trigger on the purchase of one of these pedals.

In the video, I go over a few pros and cons as well as routing options and a couple things to keep in mind when considering this pedal as an option.

All in all, I’m super happy with the pedal and after figuring out which workflow was best for my set up I think I’m getting all this great pedal has to offer.

Thanks so much for watching!

Analog Drums on Tape – FREE Sample Pack

In this video, I walk through what’s in the sample pack and how it came to be. Originally recorded straight from the Synsonics Drums, I then re-recorded those samples to tape on the UHER 4000 Report S and sampled the output. Because the UHER has 4-speed playback I recorded each speed individually.

Below is an example of a beat I put together using only samples from the pack. Even the synth sounds are created using small pieces of waveform in Simpler.

Included in the sample pack:

• Original Synsonics Drums Recording
• Tape Normal Speed
• Tape Double Speed
• Tape Half Speed
• Tape Quarter Speed

I would love to share what people are able to do with the samples so have fun and let me know what you are able to come up with!

DOWNLOAD – Synsonics Anolog Drums Vs Reel To Reel Sample Pack 1

All the samples are originally recorded by me and can be used on any project for any reason under the Creative Commons License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

DIY LoFi Dual Sample Looper

In this episode of SecondHandSynth we explore the 1820 Voice Recording Playback Module. After watching a video by Lonershy (https://youtu.be/JJU73BE90DU) where he creates a 4 channel version, I was inspired to create a similar build but with only two samplers.

I love these boards because they can be purchased online for very cheap. My favorite feature is that they have a resistance dependant sample rate. So, this makes it easy to add a potentiometer and pitch a sample down for a real slowed down LoFi feel.

The chip doesn’t sample high-quality audio so when you stretch the sample it breaks down even more adding to the LoFi bit-crushed feel. Additionally, these chipboards are really easy to work with and only require a few components to get a DIY sampler going.

For my version of the sample looper, I chose to just create a Eurorack based enclosure/faceplate so that it could be used easily in that fashion down the road. The module is run off of a 9V center negative guitar pedal wall wart. I’m using the 7805 5V voltage regulator to get the voltage down to under 6V needed for the 1820 chip.

I replaced the SMD timing resistor with a 200k potentiometer and a 56k resistor in series. This brings the sample rate down to a lovely buttery downtempo speed when the pot is at max.

At the end of the video I’m jamming with the looper and I passed it through some delay which really enriches the sound and creates some awesome loop-based soundscapes.

All in all this project was a lot of fun to work on and I’m really excited to create some LoFi sounds with this module.

Definitely go check out Lonershy’s video as he talks about the pinout and how to rig up the chip for sample and playback. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4RzOgdJRhRteLy0hqPIkrg

Download the Audio from the video below

Free Sound Pack Audio File

Let me know in the comments what you think of the build.

I Accidentally Repaired This Old Reel To Reel – Part 2

In part two of this two-part series on repairing the Delux Sandy Reel to Reel, I struggle to get some tape fed onto the reel to reel. I figured out a clever way to wind some tape despite not having a take-up reel and was able to around with some sounds. Spoiler, it sounds awesome!

I still have to figure out what the best settings are for recording to tape. I think it needs to have the volume knob down pretty low and have a solid signal coming in but more experimentation is needed.

Additionally, I really just enjoyed using the Delux Sandy as a preamp as it gave a super compressed gritty sound that you would struggle to get via a DAW. It just kind of brings all the frequencies together it a grungy textured soup and I love it.

All in all, for a reel to reel for 30 bucks isn’t bad at all, and I’m pretty excited to see what types of sounds I can get out of it. I will put a sample pack up for the kalimba part that you can rip and run in your tracks.

Thanks for watching!

I Accidentally Repaired This Old Reel To Reel – Part 1

I this first episode of a two-part series I get down to the nuts and bolts of this old Japanese made Delux Sandy S-102 reel to reel tape player and recorder I wasn’t sure what was wrong with it before I made the repair, and if I’m honest, I still don’t. But, you get to watch me fix it.

It’s a great little reel to reel, although a little noisy. With only a forward play and one speed, it has very limited functionality but it’s a welcome addition to the collection.

The sound is raw and gritty so it’s perfect for a more industrial grungy sound. It also sounds great as just a preamp, shaping and compressing the sound giving the audio a lovely old cold war era feel.

I’m really looking forward to incorporating it into some upcoming jams.

In part two I fire this reel to reel up and record some sounds and play them back so make sure to check that out.

Let me know what you think!