modifying a cassette player

hey, im trying to figure out how to modify an old cassette player/recorder to play the tapes backwards, anyone know how to go about doing this?

  sinkfield said:

hey, im trying to figure out how to modify an old cassette player/recorder to play the tapes backwards, anyone know how to go about doing this?

 

 

play the tape into your computer and reverse digitally?

reverse the polarity of the motors

expose the inner workings of your tape machine and pull the magnetic tape manually over the play head

Edited March 25, 2007 by ۞ Syntheme ۞

Make time flow backward.

open the cassete, and swap the wheels.

 

reversed sound, revesred stereo.

 

 

brilliant.

^ dont you have to unwind the tape and wind it up the other way? otherwise isnt it just like playing the other side. I admit I havent bothered to think too hard about this

  Coalbucket PI said:

^ dont you have to unwind the tape and wind it up the other way? otherwise isnt it just like playing the other side. I admit I havent bothered to think too hard about this

 

thats what im thinking too

  ۞ Syntheme ۞ said:

play the tape into your computer and reverse digitally?

best idea, but it will undoubtably get bashed for going against the 'true' analog ways.

Flip the reels in the cassette.

It's much more fun to move around the play and record heads to make your own tape delay.

 

Oh wait no its not.

  Coalbucket PI said:

^ dont you have to unwind the tape and wind it up the other way? otherwise isnt it just like playing the other side. I admit I havent bothered to think too hard about this

 

 

spoilsport.

ask jim henson

press rwnd and play at the same time whilst eecording on the other deck

  loganfive said:

open the cassete, and swap the wheels.

 

reversed sound, revesred stereo.

 

 

brilliant.

 

 

  heliumb said:

Flip the reels in the cassette.

 

 

  loganfive said:

  Coalbucket PI said:

^ dont you have to unwind the tape and wind it up the other way? otherwise isnt it just like playing the other side. I admit I havent bothered to think too hard about this

 

 

spoilsport.

 

 

anyone ever reversed a vhs tape?

i guess you *could* just flip the cassette reels, but not like you're just changing the side but upside down. then (obviously) you'd have to route the tape so it runs by the heads.

Cassettes are fun to smash into pieces.

 

Only because of all the cool parts.

  kokoon said:

i guess you *could* just flip the cassette reels, but not like you're just changing the side but upside down. then (obviously) you'd have to route the tape so it runs by the heads.

the grooves in the reels means they cant fit in the wrong way round, I think

  kokoon said:

i guess you *could* just flip the cassette reels, but not like you're just changing the side but upside down. then (obviously) you'd have to route the tape so it runs by the heads.

 

i just tried it, it doesn't work. the tape just ends up coming out of the cassette .. the way i did it was by opening it up and flipping both reels upside down, then figuring out how to route it through.. but the motor in the cassette player doesn't work the same way when you turn the reels upside down, it pushes the tape out rather than pulling it in.

 

it's an interesting concept, it just didn't quite work heh. though it's inspiring me to try making a crude tape loop.

I just tried about 5 different ways and it didnt work. i cut the tape and turned it over and put it back in but it just played normally. I swapped the reels so the tape wound on to the inside of the reel instead of the outside, and it played backwards for a bit but kept stopping and then it fixed itself when i played the other side.

hmm okay what about this:

1. rewind the tape

2. open it up and turn the reels upside down (so the underside of the tape will be played)

3. close the cassette back.

 

now the reel with all the tape should have it in the innerside and not on the outer side like originally.

 

now the question is if your cassette deck would allow playing if the non-driving reel (the one with the tape) is spinning backwards. probably some decks will just stop if they detect it. if it plays you should have what you wanted - tape content played backwards.

 

if it doesn't play you'll have to rewind the tape (if playing didn't work then probably that won't work either), probably manualy - you can take a pencil or such, stick it into the empty reel's hole and start spinning the tape like you're waving a flag or something :D

 

lemme know if someone tries that, i guess it should work.

Ok. The flip idea was wrong, but I remember opening the cases to try to fix them & messing up & it coming out reversed when I was done. I think I accidentally twisted the tape upside down, so the topside became the exposed side.

Inside your tape deck, there will be a small motor.

 

From this motor, there will be two wires, one red, one black.

 

Switch these, using a wire cutter, stripper, and soldering iron.

 

Presto.

 

 

If you have more time, and a bit more electrical understanding, you can install a polarity switch, and thus select between "forward" and "reverse" modes.

  skytree said:

Inside your tape deck, there will be a small motor.

 

From this motor, there will be two wires, one red, one black.

 

Switch these, using a wire cutter, stripper, and soldering iron.

 

Presto.

 

 

If you have more time, and a bit more electrical understanding, you can install a polarity switch, and thus select between "forward" and "reverse" modes.

 

what component could you put in to make it like a jog shuttle, i.e. one knob makes the tape go forward at 2x normal speed when it's fully to the right. In the middle it stops and fully left plays it backwards at 2x speed -- ? (with all the in-between speeds)

Edited March 26, 2007 by ۞ Syntheme ۞

  skytree said:

Inside your tape deck, there will be a small motor.

 

From this motor, there will be two wires, one red, one black.

 

Switch these, using a wire cutter, stripper, and soldering iron.

 

Presto.

 

 

If you have more time, and a bit more electrical understanding, you can install a polarity switch, and thus select between "forward" and "reverse" modes.

 

thanx, ive been trying all sorts of stuff but nothing works, ill check this one out :)

im goin to look into installing a knob instead of a switch so i can fuck with it

  sinkfield said:

  skytree said:

Inside your tape deck, there will be a small motor.

 

From this motor, there will be two wires, one red, one black.

 

Switch these, using a wire cutter, stripper, and soldering iron.

 

Presto.

 

 

If you have more time, and a bit more electrical understanding, you can install a polarity switch, and thus select between "forward" and "reverse" modes.

 

thanx, ive been trying all sorts of stuff but nothing works, ill check this one out :)

im goin to look into installing a knob instead of a switch so i can fuck with it

You might need a potentiometer (for variable speeds) and a polarity switch (forwards<->reverse) to do this, but I'll do a bit of tinkering and see if it's possible with only one knob. I'm sure there's a solution...

easiest thing to do is buy a 2nd hand 4trk portastudio on ebay for like 10-15 quid