London-based Decurus has built a simple synthesiser using a cassette deck, in homage to the 1960s Melotron electric organ, which used a bank of tape loops to pre-record sounds.
The ‘tape organ’ uses a loop of cassette tape, the pitch of the sound being adjusted by altering the speed of the tape’s motor.
There is no recording of the result, but it has been described as a drone.
The build includes a 3D-printed tape loop holder, designed to fit a cassette mechanism, potentially interesting to other tape loop experimenters.
This isn’t the first tape pitch synth to be developed, highlighting the continued fascination with such retro-tech among tech enthusiasts.
