Winding tape to make a reel to reel machine play backwards? How was that done?

[ThortonG]

Back in the seventies, I studied electronic music/musique concrete, and I used to know how to trick a reel to reel into playing backwards. I just bought a Teac half track, and I want to do the same thing. Does anyone know (remember) how to do this? I'll probably have a dozen more questions in the future, but if I can't get past this little trick, how will I ever start making manic noise? I haven't experimented yet, but I figured; better I ask someone who knows, no?
Thanks...

[astrotoy]

If it is a 2 track tape, just play it without winding onto the take up reel. 2 track tapes are spooled tails out, so you need to wind onto the takeup reel before playing. If you just play, then you will be playing the tape backwards. 

Larry

[Listens2tubes]

Write a note to Paul McMartney asking how they did the backwards "Paul is dead" track. LOL

[ThortonG]

I'm going to experiment, but yes, I did consider just playing the tape backwards by spooling it out...As far as Paul being dead...I think Paul has become a cover artist now (creatively, I'm not impressed with him any longer). Of course, I was thinking along the lines of Jimmy Hendrix's "Are You Experienced." I just love the traditional studio techniques, but I mix the old with the new. If anybody out there knows the technique, drop me a line...If I can figure it out, I will post it for anyone interested...Thanks!

[ironbut]

Hey Thorton,

If your machine has an edit mode where the pinch roller(s) don't engage in play, you can turn the reels manually.
Essentially, this mode was needed to place the tape exactly at the spot you needed to splice/edit on the gap of the playback head. You would "scrub" the tape back and forth, find the spot and mark it so you could pull the tape down to an editing block and do what needed to be done.
In your case, you could find a comfortable spot on each reel put a finger on each spot and spin in reverse. It works okay for fairly short lengths of tape and the more you do it, the better you get at it.

[steveidosound]

Just to echo what astrotoy said, there is no trick to it.
If you have a 2 track stereo machine, any tape recorded in the normal way can be played backwards by just flipping both reels over and left to right, as you would to play the 2nd side of a 4 track commercial tape (oxide still facing in, reels on the machine in the same orientation with the tape spooling off the bottom). The left channel will switch with the right BTW as the head is now reading the opposite half of the tape. Just hit play. This does NOT work with a 1/4 track stereo tape, but would work with 4 tracks in one direction like a Teac 3340 or equivalent, as long as there is material on the track that would be read by the head with the tape running the opposite way. I think there is something in what I wrote in the beginners guide that explains what happens in some other combinations of tape tracks and head gaps.

[ThortonG]

I've been so busy, I haven't gotten a chance to experiment, but I do remember that you could wind up the tape in a different way around the lever that keeps the motors running, and the  rewind motor would start pulling the tape back over the playback head...I'm surprised that no one here has done it. I used to work with Tandbergs back then, but the professor made it sound as if any good reel to reel could do it...This guy was a genius with reel to reels. I know, it's a crazy question (who would want to do that?). Of course, I'm a bit of a lunatic...I started playing with recorders when I was 15, and I used to annoy the heck out of my family (locking myself in the bathroom and trying to record everything from water dripping to the sound of the plumbing)...Now I just want to turn the section of a song backwards, record it on a hard disk recorder and play a solo...Drop it back on the Teac and pump it back on the hard disk...I know, it can be done digitally, but I like the classic sound (besides, it's more fun that way!).

[High and Outside]

Thorton,

You know how the tape makes kind of a straight line between the capstan and pinch roller? Thread it in more of an S-curve, so it goes around the back side of the capstan, then between the capstan and pinch roller, then around the pinch roller on the back side. This will have it moving the opposite direction between the capstan and pinch roller, thus it will play backwards when you hit play.

It won't play optimally, because the tensions aren't correct going backwards, but close enough to get something out of it. Also, the tape may be subjected to unusual stresses on startup, so be careful with your priceless masters when checking them for satanic messages.

[ThortonG]

I think High and Outside has the trick...That's what we did! True, it's not optimal, but it will serve my purposes in a pinch (roller). I thank you all, and I'll let you know how my project turns out...No Satanic messages here, just a backward guitar solo from hell ;)
ThortonG........

[ThortonG]

Were you the managing director? Thanks!