News that Revox is relaunching its B77 Reel-to-Reel tape recorder as a new MK III model had us delving into the esoteric world of tape innovation, from one-off creations to quirky instruments. The unpredictable nature of analogue tape has found favour with producers, musicians and artists, especially its ability to function as a flexible, hands-on way of manipulating sound.
Compact cassettes are also back as a low-cost, limited edition format, with small labels like Blue Tapes, Death is Not The End and The Tapeworm hosting an eclectic roster of contemporary artists and archive material. Read on to re-enter the world of analogue experimentation.
Revox B77 MK III Stereo Tape Recorder
Swiss engineer Willi Studer founded Revox as a consumer electronics brand in 1951, manufacturing alongside professional audio equipment sold under the Studer brand. Key models include the A77 1/4” tape player, introduced in 1967 and its successor, the B77, which was built in MK I and MK II versions between 1977 and 1989. Now the company, which manufactures in Villingen, Germany is launching the B77 MK III Stereo Tape Recorder, redesigned and enhanced with new features and functions for a new century.
The MK III takes the same distinctive form factor as the original, with its upright casing, large spools and prominent VU meters. While some key components stay the same, such as the motors and pickups, there’s a new digital counter and better connectivity. This is a strictly analogue machine, however. As well as making and playing back your own recordings, Revox also sells prerecorded music via its own online store [https://revox.com/us/music-shop-master-tapes/]: these are direct copies of original master tapes, recorded personally for each customer.
Revox B77 MK III Stereo Tape Recorder, $15,950, Revox.com, @Revox_Official
C-52 by Love Hultén
Swedish electronics wizard Love Hultén has created the bespoke C-52, a wall-mounted cassette player that takes the guts of a Sony Walkman WM-EX655 and blends it with a bespoke handcrafted tape storage. The Walkman’s electronic innards are supplemented by the addition of an oscilloscope for additional visual interest, and there’s a handy horizontal storage spot to stow the box of whatever’s currently playing.
Moth Hunter Mods
Trevor Rudd’s Moth Hunter Mods is a boutique electronics company that specialises in handmade, limited run pedals, sound generators and circuit-bent electronics. For artists working with tape, MHM presents a number of options, including the Reel Estate, Backtracker, the Tapeworm and Tapesnaker, all of which transform off-the-shelf low-cost cassette players into quirky performance tools.
MothHunterMods.com, @MothHunterMods
El Taller Pino
Based in Encinitas, California, El Taller Pino describes his work as an ‘exploration into the structure and design of electrical equipment’. Delve into his Instagram and you’ll discover a realm of old tape and reel-to-reel machines as well as bespoke creations that tap into the creator’s fascination with Brutalist design and the work of Dieter Rams and cult American hi-fi designer Don Garber (who started life as a minimalist painter).
‘The machines are usually constructed out of different raw metals with minimal treatment or processing other than sanding or patina,’ he says, ‘Most machines are one of kind, meant to be used and to age with their owner.’
Battery Operated
Tape loops have been an integral part of avant-garde music since the medium was developed, as well as being an essential studio tool in the days before digital effects. Battery Operated is a way into this world, a workshop that sells both modded players and the cassettes themselves, transformed into multi-spool entities that are the ultimate lo-fi way into making music with loops.
Visit the Battery Operated store at Etsy.com
