How To Create Rhythm Tape Loops 

“If it is fun, it is worth trying.” -Hainbach

It's lovely seeing you so obviously happy. You can't contain how excited you are in this video and it's great!

Back in the early 80s, when I was a kid, the only instrument I could afford was an old tape deck.... I used to *TRY to* do this sort of thing all the time. My guide was an excellent little book "Composing with Tape Recorders (musique concrete for beginners)" By Terrence Dwyer. Love the music in the splicing sequence. ;)

I love your videos so much. I was watching this video on my break and my coworker asked what I was watching and said it was “hypnotizing.” I said you were “basically the Bob Ross of analog tape.”

Hainbach doing math definitely needs to be a gif

i would love a video generally on ambient music. i love these videos that talk about very specific techniques as well as the ones where you talk about gear but i would love something on youre process as a whole

Man you’re the king of tape, period.

You could make a custom ruler for dividing tape up into various note lengths, like the ones they use for scale model railroading.

When a single preview picture sparks your imagination and you know it will be great!

i love your "doing math" theme song. really captures the essence of doing math

This is a thing of beauty... In these trying times we need more beautiful things in the world. Thank you!

unreal I love checking out your older content, some I missed timeless

Maybe you could tap a rythm on the leading tape with a marker while running a loop, and thus create more intricate break points to cut ?

one thing I like about this way of working, is that I tend to be more committed.... in a daw I can just go to something else, but this way makes me focus to get something useable out of the process...

Great video. I used to have lots of fun with tape, back when I did my studio training (a very long time ago). If I might make a suggestion for more tape-based fun: maybe try doing this the other way around. Record onto the tape first (again, at all the different speeds) and then make the cuts and splices. Maybe with some rearrangement of the tape pieces. I think this would work very well with spoken word recordings. I really need to get a reel-to-reel machine and a splicing block now. ;) As always, it's a pleasure to watch your videos. Keep up the excellent work.

Loved the idea! And loved the TAPE AMBIENT CARTOON LOOP MUSIC on 4:42

As someone new to making music, your videos have really helped bring context to many parts of the process. For example, this video helped me realize how I can more adequately use the slicer mfx on my sp303. Your videos have really made creating music more enjoyable for me, thank you so much. Looking forward to what I’ll learn from the next video.

Outstanding. I love the fact that you could feed the rhythm tape directly with other of your ambient recordings, and then having it generate a rhythm with past elements of itself. Superb work.

Thank you Hainbach, I was bored before but seeing you having fun inspired me to make music on my own!

Watching this instantly put me in a better mood after a really bad day. Your excitement is contagious.

Brother you are inspiring! Thanks for share your tricks and knowledge. Now I’m more than tempted to find a guy that restores my mono nagra recorder and use it as and instrument. Love from Spain.

I just realize now how many creative ideas from this video made it into Gauss. Wow!

It is good to see that how different you think of music. The ambiences and spaces that you use, make me feel something that I did not experience from many years. Thank you for this special kind of motivation HAINBACH, and greetings from Hungary.

First seconds sounds like most crisp voice I ever hear, like super quality and balance

Fantastic! Tape loops have a quality that is so specific. Process is great.

Just watched "Sisters with Transistors" yesterday. Made me think of it again watching you splicing tape.

There was a moment in the track where the higher pitched pad work cuts to lower pitched pad work and it just got me so into the piece. The sudden change was interesting and just got me more invested, definitely something id use if i get into ambient work . Thank you hainbach!

This is amazing, I love coming back here. so much inspiration.

I'm really loving the last few tape videos, it's always fun to watch and learn, but it is a real joy to see you trying out these new techniques and seeing the head scratching, monotony, as well as the eventual elation when the project falls into place. Great work as always. Also, the song that came out of this is really beautiful, I wasn't expecting the distressed loop to just fit perfectly the way it did, that actually made me smile. :)

Hallo! Selber 64 geboren und in den 70-80ern dazu verdammt mit den zur Verfügung stehenden Mitteln Mucke zu machen (Musik ist das Geilste und ich MUSSTE selber welche machen) kann ich diese schiere Experimentierlust komplett nachvollziehen. Zu meiner Ausrüstung gehörten 2 Stereotapedecks, Casio VL-Tone, Flohmarktmischpulte, CONRAD-DDR-Boxen und Federhall...und das teure Stereo-Tonbandgerät meines Vaters (Hersteller nicht mehr erinnerbar) mit 3,5 und 7 Zoll p/s Geschwindigkeit (dass ich durch meine Experimentierlust letztlich unrettbar schrottete). Die Tapes waren genau so breit wie die hier im Video. Ich wollte unbedingt ein Echo und bekam irgendwann tatsächlich eins hin, in dem ich einen Tonkopf von einem Sperrmülltonbandgerät mit meinen Lötkünsten parallel anschloss. Naja, solche Sachen eben. Auch Bandschneiden natürlich, nur noch ein bisschen fitzliger: Compactcassettenband schneiden! Auch dafür gab es Werkzeug, dass prinzipiell genauso funktionierte, aber nun ja...;) Was ich eigentlich loswerden will: Solch zeitintensives Analoggewerkel mit teurem Werkzeug aus der Vergangenheit kann mit digitalen Mitteln in einem Bruchteil der Zeit und erheblich erweiterten Manipulationsangebot problemlos nachgebaut werden. Es hat, gerade für jemanden der das alles schon mitgemacht hat, etwas von schwärmerischer OldTimerHandgemacht-Mentalität, die die aktuellen Muckemach-Desperaten von den, Ihnen jetzt zur Verfügung stehenden Mitteln, ein klein wenig zu sehr ablenkt.

WOW 😲 quarter note rhythm. Sounds good 👍

This is one of the most inspirational channel I've found recently. Thank you for bringing your ideas and technics to us. I've gotten back into tape music making after years of forgetting how magnificent pieces you can make with them. You are truly a live saver. Cheers from Finland!

Hey!! That was great!!! That gives me an idea... Or two. Maybe you like to try it. _ First record something on the tape. Then chop the tape has you did. The build the rhythm tape but reverse a few slices. _ I'm not sure if it's possible but...(is it the tape Stereo?) What about recording different sounds into left channel and right channel..then connect left output into 1channel on the mixer and right channel into another one ... This way you can play with levels and also add different effect or EQs to each channel. Maybe they are stupid ideas but maybe can be fun just to try it... I will love to see if it works! Keep doing what you are doing. It's great!! Good work!!!!

I'm really loving all of your tape-based videos! It makes me wish I had a Nagra (I use to work with a Nagra IVs back when I was a sound recordist in Hollywood.)

Wow! Cool. Like Brian Eno kind of sound.....very cool.

I can relate to this so much, when my photography experiments work there is no other feeling like it! Pure joy! Well done Sir!

Have you tried threading your tape over and around the the capstan, then back between the capstan and the pinch roller in the opposite direction, then around the bottom of the pinch roller. This is what we did in the studio when we wanted to back-time. With this arrangement, when you press play, the tape goes in reverse. You have to be careful, because the capstan rubs the tape, but that might be yet another way to destruct a tape loop.

what a sweetheart the spirit of experiment and discovery is strong in this one

Just hearing him greet us, instantly makes me feel good.

Absolutely gorgeous work here. I'm feeling deeply inspired to go write now!

Really inspiring, well done. I think the feeling you got at 11:59 from your efforts is why we all enjoy making and experimenting.

First time ever I’m witnessing a RU-vid video with no dislikes and it’s well deserved! Crazy stuff

Of course, you could introduce gaps in your playback by pulling your ambient audio loop into your DAW and cutting the audio output of the track... easily. Do it randomly and live and love the rhythm you receive or do it as you please for the rhythm you desire.

God this is undeniably perfect way to create a ambient sound, gotta try it at home, very inspiring!!!!!

Man! Excellent as always, but I could watch a loop of that chunk at the end for hours! Colorful tape loops running through the minimal Niagara playing a gorgeous and delicate piece of music! Perfection...

Your tape videos are great.... they take me back to my youth.... only you have nicer tape machines than I did.

I love how this comment section is just full of creative ideas inspired by your videos. Such an amazing community!

The same technic reel to reel of the megamixes in 80,really cool!

Great video !! I think I will try to do the same with my old reel to reel tape recorder ! You can also record any kind of continuous sound (sustained note, machine, motor, field recording...), and then slice the tape in little parts, then display them on your new tape, with a regular space according to the rhythm speed you want. You don't need to calculate the total length of the tape, provided that there is the rignt amount of "slices" to make repetitive rhythm (3/4, 4/4 or any other). I will try this as soon as possible !

This is literally my favorite track you have made

This channel is like gold dust . Thank you hainbach

This has me rather excited as i have an old 1972 Tandberg series 15 in my studio which I haven't yet had the chance to really be creative with, you have sparked my interest with this with an especially great result. think I'm gonna have to start experimenting with this set up. Keep doing what you do, love the content :)

I was introduced to your work through Mr. Magpie, as a new subscriber I'll be looking forward to many more of your videos 🤘

even though I don't have a reel to reel or even a working cassette deck, this still gave me a lot of ideas/inspiration for making rhythmic loops in other ways such as with a sampler or looping pedal. one day I'll get some real tape to play with :)

Your enthusiasm and love of your craft made me subscribe, I love this video! Hope you keep up these fun ideas :)

More adventures in magnetic tape! Looking forward to seeing you here and chat tomorrow. Aftershow Party: discord.gg/MUBp5AB

its actually bloody gorgeous HAINBACH. Love that sound

Loving the colours on the spliced tape!

Usually films are scored after they are shot, but I would be soooo very curious to see what would happen if the process were inverted, i.e. if a film maker created a film in response to music created by Hainbach. I'd watch that film for sure!

I loved this video. Love stockhausen and old the old great and pioneers of electronic music. It refreshing to see this. :D

in WDR studio thy used that technique as sequencer, because it also works as a gate for the incoming signal in rec mode of course.. and you can do envelope, by cutting the tape from thin to full thickness and then thinner again..

This is fun! :) Did you ever make any more of these? One thought I had was you could probably make interesting rhythmic loops by cutting up tape with material already recorded on them. Say you have one ambient tape loop with lots of bass content, another one that's really mid-heavy, and a third that's mostly high freq noise. One could maybe splice together bits of those three to make them like the kick/snare/hats of a drum loop, but with textures instead of transients.

Oh man, what a great idea. And the music you let come out of it. My weekend starts great with this.

first video that has made me smile from amazement and excitement in long time

Dear Hainbach: thank you for making such stimulating, informative and enjoyable videos!

This tape recorder has me fascinated!!!

This sounds and looks amazing, thanks for the video.

Thank you for making these interesting and entertaining videos. Your content inspires me to experiment. You put a lot of work into these clips and it's apparent that you enjoy what you do. The insert cut at 1:55 demonstrates this.

Fantastic and inspirationally entertaining. Love that feeling of pure joy when you try something new and it totally works. Very rewarding.

Fantastic. I love your videos, and style.

I'd love to see a rhythm loop that uses random lengths of blank leader tape, and a pre determined normal tape length as a kind of mutibal instruments clouds type of sound where the grain size is the length of normal tape and the length of each piece of leader tape is determined by a couple dice rolls Perhaps?

Such lovely sounds. I am eager to hear more of your tape loop rhythm experiments!

Amazing textures! Great stuff

This is great and last week you inspired me to get out there and start creating again. Thank you

Just watched this and destructo loop. Subscribed! Starting to get ideas about a Sony TC-651 that fell into my lap last last year.

The last few minutes reminds me of Lightbath and Jogging House put together. Very ethereal vibes.

3:45 just got added to my sample library. Great video, Love your stuff!

For a second I thought this was turning into a magpie video Then you said non-alcoholic

Just pure beatuful sounds. Could listen to this all night long and hear new textures! Keep it up :)

That sound at about 9:20 is like my wet dream... I would die to make that sound in my DAW

That is a seriously clever concept.

You can see your face light up with excitement, same here on the viewers end. Inspiring as well :)

I've been thinking about this recently. Thank you for doing this.

Fummelig aber wunderschön. Was man für unberechenbare grooves bekommt!

sounds awesome, and looks fun as hell to have all set up and going, maybe not all the work that went into getting this gear and working into this haha.

your just built a Frankenstein :) I'm using preacher samples to create rhythms . the syllables dictate the rhythm thru the loops . Very nice what you've done here

9:30-11:00 Why is it that everything you put together sounds so good?

I tried to do this with a cassette the other day - it took a lot more than 20 minutes to splice six (one second = 47.5mm each) equally-sized pieces of tape into a loop! No splicing block or specialised tape, just scissors, sellotape and patience. Of course, the loop was quite long and I couldn't fit it on one wheel. It immediately got pulled to pieces by the capstan. Back to the drawing board tomorrow, with more tension inside!

Awesome technique! Sounds really lovely when it all starts to come together.. maybe I should get back into tape, hmmmmm..

dammmmm!!!! wow!!!!!!!!!! You are a inspiration for me!!! You sounds are very inspirational, I hope that I can learn!!!! Have a incredible day!!! Namaste!

You sir are very genius

Love this! I am not so good when it comes to math... Makes me wish that some tech-savy individual could make a Rhythm loop web calculator - like total loop length (time and physical length) with how many breaks and of what length... just to make the actual tape cutting part less stressful :)

like this one. multitrack tape looper machine

First I'd like to say that the piece turned out really good! But I have a tip for you: You might wanna try cutting up pre-recorded tape for the same purpose. If you have some old spools lying around, there's an endless resource right there! If you are gonna record new sound, it might be worth trying a more continous sound (for a steady beat), and you can vary the length/pb vs rec speeds and so on - but you already knew that... ;-) You might reverse the tape of course, also - for added effect...

sadly i don't have a tape machine, but I've tried the same technic on op-1, its both crazy and fun :)

VERY beautyfull sounds.. Great work, Hainbach!

Loving your tape experiments Stefan! What's the interlude starting at 02:58?

Ahhh so that is Rhythm Tape!... you were so happy when it worked haha! I really think you've hit on something new here, glorious music as all ways too,

That was amazing. I loved how it all came together

Please come to play in Berlin!