I Put A Cassette Player On A Toy Piano And Now It’s My Favorite Instrument 

I used to think Simon was just a crazy dude who did crazy stuff. Now I realise they're just the point where engineers and artists overlap.

This is the prettiest thing you ever built. Love it!

In the early 1970s I made a tape delay for my guitar from two cassette recorders. I used the record head to record it then the play head ouf the second deck to play it. The play head was on a slider so I could adjust the delay time. I took the tape apart and spliced it back in a very short loop so it went around and around so it would work for long periods of time. My guitar amp back then I made from a 2 tube amp out of a record player, and my distortion pedal was made from a 1 tube record player amp, and the on/off foot button from a vacuum cleaner. The good old days :>

Simon's creative process is super inspiring. Nothing else on youtube is quite like this. Also, I want (need) one of these.

Wow, I've never seen a "Building it" section on RU-vid before, that didn't have annoying music running in the background. So refreshing :) The piano is amazing, too :D

You've reinvented the Mellotron for the 21st Century.

For a few moments my classically trained musicians ear was assaulted with random noise, and the wow and flutter in the tape drove me crazy. All of that changed when you added all that synthesized stuff to it. It turned into something very unique and listenable. Thanks for posting.

If you could manufacture and mass produce this, that would be great.

No way this man just made the best lofi piano VST in real life 😭

9:10 This is an Early 2000's indie banger right here.

I like how the tape recorder automatically dampens the piano's tingyness. Very cool

Simon couldn't let 2021 end without making one of the coolest things I've seen all year. Really cool stuff and inspiring as always.

A great addition would be a 3rd mic coming out like a vocoder mic you can blend with the other mic’s to do piano/vocal loops at the same time 😎 inspiring build Simon!

"I really love how this instrument sounds!" *Proceeds to modify every setting in the DAW*

The beginning sequence of this video is a step up. That was beautiful.

I kind of feel like this should be a factory option for all pianos.

It's essentially a Lo-fi piano. Amazing

This is brilliant! Utterly unique and wonderful sounding creation. Simon ends 2021 on a high and brings us hope for 2022!

this style of video is super nice, and the build video was super enjoyable. i was hooked the entire time! great work!

The sensibility and care put in this project are amazing. Even down to the choice of colors to go with the original toy color. Fantastic job.

This was incredibly soothing. Really loved the presentation on this and would be psyched to see more videos like it.

I like the "This Old (Tony) Magpie" build montage. Just enough information to see what you did. Happy New Year!

Back to that idiosyncratic Simon the Magpie thing. Love it. I like your expensive weird pedals too but this type of thing is just so much more fun.

This has got to be one of your best ones yet! please make more with it, also would be kind of cool to have some graffiti type of illustration all over the piano with those toy colours shining through! 😍

9:22 dude casually just went jack stauber out of nowhere

This is mega clever and very cool. It sounds great as well. Those building skills are impressive.

Everything about this is awesome, and the colours are brilliant. So cool 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Dude you're so good at creating ideas into reality its so refreshing and wild!!

Fantastic jam at the end there, much like you this thing has a ton of character :))

I'm pretty well in love with this thing, also that second jam you did was fantastic!

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while! And I love how it looks, the yellow front kinda looks like a metasonix panel.

You are too good at this, Magpie. Wonderful handiwork - and fantastic video production. Have a very very happy New year, my creator brother. Best regards from Glenn in New York, USA

Coolest instrument from a maker ive seen in a long time, excellent work simon.

02:26 - AMSR overload... my soul will never recover from this!! Play that little piano thru a massive amp to inject some anger.

Really great. So satisfying to watch you build this. Congratulations. Sounds Great. I want one

This is so cool!! Glad I found your channel 😊

Just found your channel through this video, i of course insta-subscribed and boy am I hooked already - great work my friend

I like...it's good. You have really honed your woodwork and electronics skills. Very impressive. The last jam was my favourite....noice.

One of the best build 'n' play videos I have seen for a while : )

First video. Love the process. Made a solid, honest, tangible, and multi-periodical vibe. Want to build one myself. I used to be a carpenter and I am currently learning music production and sound design from the internet and just playing with various DAW and plug-in and XP farming, and reverse engineering. You might have influenced me a lot with this video good sr.💯 💛

You outdid yourself with this one. This might be the best video you've ever done. It's fucking beautiful man.

oh man this is a real beauty 😍 Love it!

this is amazing. thank you for sharing!!! inspiring me to start building my own stuff

Hey there Magpie, love your creativity, brilliant mate, hope you had a great Festive season and all the best regards for the rest of the New Year from here on the West Coast side of Australia 🌏🖖

One of the best videos I've watched from you!

Havent seen any of your videos in a while. You actually have room to work! And your craftsmanship has evolved alot. Awesome stuff

beautiful vibes you created, i take my hat off to you sir!

Man how do you make those Instruments so cool and beautiful at the same time… man im impressed

Brilliant! Love this! Loved the song too!

More better than I expected. Well done, and in the end - it always depends on what you and yourself make of it. "It's great piece of inspiration" Goal reached. I am with you there. Nice to participate in this moment.

Great build video, Simon!

Ok, that was the most random thing to pop up in my feed in a while. But I'm glad I watched, pretty cool

Best movie recommendation ever. I subscribed just for that ending of yours. You hooked me up with your personality, dude, keep doing great stuff!

So you essentially made an analog midi. Nicely done, has interesting sound variables but honestly I clicked on the video thinking you made a piano that plays the sound from a cassette as notes converted to the piano

It's a beautiful machine, you make beautiful sounds and music with it, and this video, how you show what it does, is awesome too

This seems perfect for Lo-Fi and retrowave

Sterling job, Simon! Love it.

Love love LOVE how it’s a little out of tune It adds so much to the wonky wobbliness of the sound

I feel like the Sleep Party People dude would love this instrument.

Subscribed. This is totally dope!

Wow from 1.3K to 1.4K... I'm feel lucky!... Happy & Prosperous New Year 2022 for you and all your followers!!!...

I think toy piano is the ultimate low-fi sound. ❤

I think you have really improved in your building! And i mean that in the best possible way!

First half: Calm deconstruction/reconstruction ASMR. Second half: "IT FARTED!!!" Cool video dude, great tunes too!

Dude. This thing is wild! Love it!! Big ups from Upstate New York ❤️💛💚

Brilliant. At first I thought you were going to go a mellotron route but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

Dayyyum, that vocal effect at 11:56! What is that, autotune+bitcrusher+reverb? Sounds great!

Reminds me of the kinds of sounds Samiyam uses a lot (especially in the Sam Baker album). This thing is very cool and looks very well built. Good stuff m8

Dude, that beat you pulled out of that fart at 10:45 is epic. God bless you.

Mad scientist is the only way to describe Simon

you should make a sample pack out of this. id def buy it

Most satisfying video I've seen in a long while. 🙏🏻

Jumping on the love pile here, sweet build Magpie! For those of us who don’t have the skill but want the sound: check the Warpman S8, get kids piano and record yourself- check it, you will see:) Don’t stop Magpie!

wow..... speechless. what a great intro. just got at it and its amazing

Super super super cool!!! Well done!!!

Absolutely amazing. I’d love to sample this. Touché my guy, this is tight af 🤙

Good find. Good tweaks.

I did something similar with the grand piano version of this brand except I enhanced the soundboard with greater tension then adding electronic pick ups to wash through various effect pedals. You can create limitless sounds with this commonly thrown out kids toy piano.

0:16 beatles "wild honey pie" you're the best magpie. great video.

this is the best video i've seen in 2022 so far and it's not close.

Absolutely genius! I hope you'd consider making a tutorial of sorts! I can roughly follow what you're doing, but the electronics component of this build would have me a bit confused.

You should add a switch that kills the erase head, so you can do overdubs .. slow or fast or vice versa :)

Man deadass made vapour wave an instrument, respect ✊

I gladly hand you my subscription, you wonky genius. Off this video alone. I wish I need how to work with electronics because I so desperately want to add this to my arsenal of sonic toys.

Very cool! I am inspired to revisit my toy piano.

This is probably the most relaxed I've seen someone make amazing music

This is one of the many reasons for the ultimate success of this channel.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a great movie and an excellent outro if I do say so myself!

I never get tired of The Magpie.

I fuckin love the look of this thing and the sounds it makes are pretty awesome indeed!

Wonderful INSPIRATIONMASHINE!! Got it!!

Pretty instrument in terms of both looks and sound

It’s been a while since I’ve caught a video. I love this new style

Your content it's so inspiring!

This is strange and awesome! This is like something out of that old Doctor Snuggles cartoon

Hahaha... amazing! The description is such an understatement to (simply) "put a tape player on a toy piano". Awesome work man, congrats on a funky new instrument and tons of respect!

It’s actually quite fun to listen to!

You can make bangers with anything. All you need is creativity, and this proves it.

Quite the inventor! VERY NICE!!! :)

I connect with your "material selection process" deep in my soul.