Library Of Congress C1 Cassette Player - The Ambient Machine
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- I take a look at what has quickly become my favorite machine for manipulating cassette tape loops, The Library Of Congress C1. I mod it for 9V and make a piece with it.
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I am a legally blind US resident. Used to have one these for talking book tapes. Used it a lot for experimental tape music in the 2980s.
i hear your great great great granddaughter is pretty fine
What sort of time travel machine do you use?
fukken music from the future, man.
The typo makes this better. Or is it a typo?
It's just corroded.
I found the Canadian version (same controls and nice teal green instead of yellow) at a thrift store for $4. Incredible purchase.
My grandmother was given this tape player to listen to audiobooks by I think our local library around 15 years ago. She had lost her sight and could never stay awake very long to get through the audiobooks but it gave her a lot of joy at end of her life for what I have to imagine was a very sad and dark time for her. I had a lot of fun playing with it too when she wasn't using it and I hated having to send it back once she had passed away. Seeing this machine brought back a huge wave of memories. Thank you for showing it off :)
Thank you for sharing that!
TheCypher93
Where did you send it back?
@@jumpingeezus5080 it is government property, so it's only loaned out to those that need it. If you mean which specific department, I'm not sure.
@@peternewson2275 The government apparently stopped requiring that the C1 be returned. Buying and selling them is now legal. No, I don't remember the source (CZcams? Reddit?), but I Googled and found it in 2020.
@@jumpingeezus5080 To be honest I can't remember it was almost two decades ago now. It didn't cost us anything though which was so helpful and considerate. I really love that Hainbach demoed this.
You just made me desperately want something I never knew existed :)
The joy of discovery! :-)
I think we all want one now..
I still have 1.my mom left it.
HAINBACH And the agony of yearning! :):
Imagine being 1 year late but now borrowing your brothers C1.
That's deck envy, folks.
God you have this unearthly ability to call a choir out of the void with whatever you play it’s incredible
I never really understood why most the cassette players are so limited in terms of the controls. It's almost like there was a sudden drop of creativity and playfulness in music (re)production during the era of cassette (and I'm not even going to talk about CDs). Nice to see something very different. Thanks!
Yeah, it became all about practical uses. Tape is so open, I can see why the need for convenience ruled in the end. Boring, but all you need to play whatever you bought at the Mall.
It's because as late as the mid 1980s most "creative" sound people still used reels instead of cassettes. I was an apprentice at a repair shop in 1988 and they still regularly serviced open reel decks.
It's because people were using turntables to cut and scratch.
@@Hainbach I mean ultimately it makes sense - speaking as someone with a strong hoarder and curator side aha - when I buy a cd it's because I wanna preserve the music itself in good condition and quality. Same wit bluray and dvds for films (tho to this day I lament that we have less and less legit interesting behind the scenes and not just promo clips but that's another thing lol). Point is, even when you get the highest quality equipment, for most people the goal is, ironically, to forget the equipment itself and only hear te music, see the film, etc. .... It's super late rn so I hope my sentences are coherent and make sense aha
I used one of these in the 90's to do DJ sets and to also change the speed of samples that went into my samplers and Turbosynth. The sp-1200 crowd laughed at me but people danced.
You're such a cool, chill guy, I love your videos! Stay perfect, dude
Thank you very much!
I have one of those! I've had it since about 1978 when I used it in High School to listen to talking books. I've been meaning to send it back to the library for almost 40 years. It's actually called a C-134 or C-135, I think, I still have the original tape around here somewhere which has that printed on it, the tape tells you how to use it when you press play the first time. I need to find it, probably still illegal to sell it, but I doubt the library wants it back anymore.
I got super lucky and found one of these in perfect condition at a thrift store for 6 bucks.
At first the tape mechanism didn't seem to work at all, but after popping it open, i saw that the old belt was kind of 'stuck'. once i manually got it turning, it's worked fine ever since.
so cool to now hear that I can fairly easily make it run from 9V!
Making a note here, huge success... my brain immediately just flashed back to when I first played portal, with the Lofi radio playing in the opening level. Your videos are the only CZcams videos that can fill me with emotions from the most unusual of places, I love it
This was a triumph... ;)
it's hard to overstate my satisfaction
@@temporalchair8719 we do what we must, because we can
@Jussapitka for the good of all of us. Except the ones who are dead.
@@ollidix4090 but theres no sense crying over every mistake.
@@fragileyouth4302 Anyway, this cake is great; it’s so delicious and moist!
I found the New Zealand variant of this today at my local dump shop. It has a turquoise box, and lacks the US government branding but otherwise is exactly the same. Thanks to your video I knew exactly what it was when I saw it! Thanks very much!
I found one of these at a thrift store a few years ago. I instantly fell in love with it and restored it to like-new condition. I ended up building a new battery for it out of NiMH cells. The battery I built runs amazing and it will easily run for more than 24 hours. It's got to be my most successful thrift store purchase.
I picked up one of these Library of Congress C1 machines last summer as well! (Maybe I bought the other one you saw on Ebay? haha). This machine has been fantastic! I use it currently in my post-rock band Surrounded By Water, mostly for playing audio samples/clips over the PA instead of using MIDI samples on a laptop. I currently have it rigged up with a Digitech Digiverb, and the Boss RE20 Space Echo. So far it has served me well. But, I am looking into getting into utilizing tape in a musical way as well, thanks to your channel you've rekindled my drive and desire to do so! Thank you!
Yeah. This would flip a sample anyday.
I have one of these and also a Library of Congress vinyl record player. They really are magical.
Man i felt in love in your channel since 6 days ago when I discover it , I’m not electronic music guy , actually I’m more in making rap music , but what you introduce the information you provide the creativity you inspire, is on cosmic level, thank you for being you
Just picked one up at a Goodwill for $10.00 still new in the box..
The strap on the battery cover is to help pop the battery out. You put the strap under the battery before you install it.
When they would send a replacement unit, they always camein a box as if were new. I went through like 3, or 4. I think I had the green version before yellow became standard.
4:36 I'm making a note here: Huge Success.... Portal?
You should also check out the Marantz PMD 201. It is an excellent sounding cassette player and recorder which also gives you extensive control over tone, level, and tape speed.
Totally agree! Marantz of all variety are my main tools!
So does the General Electric GE 3-5184, and it's the size of a Walkman. It was made for talking books to be used by blind people in the USA. It's pretty good, records as well
or the APH Handi-Cassette II
@@andy9mm I think that's the one I have, has 'APH, Kentucky' on the face
Or, for something a bit more portable, check the Handi-Cassette series from APH (American Printing House for the Blind).
I picked one up a couple of weeks ago "for parts". Replaced an old belt and it was good to go. Fun machine for sure. Thanks for the video...keep'em coming !!
cool stuff!
old equipment is always exciting, little connections to the past and all that...
I believe there’s another person in this little circle of youtubers who has one of these, Amulets perhaps?
I gotta say, seeing various people’s’ uses of spring tanks has really got me tempted. someday perhaps...
thanks as always.
Yes, Amulets has one. Spring tanks are awesome, you won't regret it.
Nice Portal reference 👍
the 1st sounds remind me a lot of 'shine on you crazy diamond'
Oh Heaven yes!
I have two of those! I thought they were useless for anything beyond talking book playback. So sick, thanks for the video.
I just picked a pristine model up at a thrift store this morning for $3 (basically picked it up for the same reason you did). Thanks for the vid!
I just heard your album. Your music (all of it I'm sure) just has the right atmosphere for me when I am painting. Thanks for some facinating soundscapes.
I used to find these occasionally at thrift stores when our libraries got rid of them and for me it was like finding candy or gold.
Its hauntingly beautiful what you create.
my grandmother had one of these - I tried to use it for soundscapes but I found regular cassette recorders were better if you just wire in a pot for the playspeed-
Just great!
Great piece of music you pulled out of all that. Really eerie and beautiful.
Thanks a lot Chris!
This video is the most exciting thing that I've seen lately :) It's so interesting to stare at what you're doing here! Also, the sounds of this "US Government tape-player" is just incredible. Those slides between the notes...mmm...warm and deep. Kinda "liquid" sound. Totally love it
As an exponent of super glue plumbing I must say props for the Velcro engineering :)
proponent
There was also a really cool pitch compensation unit. I don’t know much about it, I dont think it was Library of Congress issues, but was designed to be used with these units. My mom had one lying around, I used to play with it as a kid.
Just scored one of these players today which lead me to your video and your music. It's been a good day
I found this video totally randomly, and it's such a nice coincidence that I've been recently thinking about making ambiet songs just like this one. also, such beautiful music that was. I'll check out all of your music definitely
Absolutely incredible tones!!! wow
I'm always amazed by your variety. You just did a cool module walkthrough and now a DIY casette player repair video qnd they're both amazing. Really loved the track as well, the speeding up or down is just such an amazing and otherwordly sound. Will this be a part of the C45-setup in the future?
I've been drooling after one of these ever since Amulets debued one on their channel, because the controls seem to be out of this world. There's also the added aesthetic for a librarian to own one of these as well :D
Cheers as always!
Thank you! For C45 this will for sure find its way. Also for my tape live set. Love it to bits!
Used to really have one of these a long long time ago, like at the ripe old senior age of 8...
I always have a gay time with that player.
it got me introduced to changing the key of a song by the dolo pair of slicing the speed then tapping the speed selector switch.
Just wish I could find an old copy of the instrcution tap for this guy.
This seriously takes me back; Way back;
Jose Garcia looking, back to the warning track, the wall; He's gone!
That's home run 445 on the year.
Garcia's just killing it!
Great video! Om super inspired to start playing with my tape deck and make some ambient loops.. great work as always HAINBACH!
Great find! An instrument designed especially for you! :)
hicut cake actually they were designed to help print handicapped people read audio books ;)
As a reading aid - sure! As an instrument - it was designed for Hainbach. :)
Hainbach. Just thanks for another great vid
This is pretty awesome! I bet you could do some cassette DJ beatmatching if you had two of these units hooked to a mixer! Cool!
That's what I was thinking!
1:48 yes, Neun volt battery :D ...thank you very much for the introduction to this player, now I looking for one ...
you made this refit in such great style ... you not afraid to keep it simple! I can learn from you ;) love the music
Thank you very much! I have a lot of fun doing DIY, even though I really suck at it. Must be building all these model airplanes as a kid.
Omg I just found one of these in a box of stuff inherited from my uncle. I thought it looked familiar, and it was from this episode. It was originally destined for the thrift store, thank goodness I looked a little closer
@hainbach , if you like this you should check out the American Printing House for the Blind's tape machine made by GE. As good or better IMO than the LoC one!
Nice tidy mod there! I was just thinking that having battery power would make it portable, but it is kinda big. Still, it's nice to have the option.
Good to see the FKFX in action too. Mine has gotten a lot of use here. Great fun with the 0-Coast.
You do shave a off a few grams and its portable if you only take it and maybe a few other things. FKFX is perfect for synth, and also a synth for itself.
Yeah I love my FKFX. It always seems to give me something cool. In the two months that I've had it I've put nearly a dozen jams using it on SC and YT. That's almost half of my total output over the last two years.
Awesome sounds! I would’ve had that on repeat in the 90’s
I had one of these, working well too! A friend back when I lived in san francisco started playing with it and fell in love, so I gave it to him. But the fun I had playing with tapes with the pitch and direction controls. Thing was built well, our government likes spending money.
That is nice of you to give it away - its good to see gear such as this being used. Truly unique instruments.
Came across this video doing research on an old GE Model 3-5198A Cassette Recorder I have for listing on reverb. IMO the GE Model 3-5198A Cassette Recorder has more functionality with its expanded controls. 🤙
cool.. I have one of these, along with the sony mono headphones that came with it.
Good find, and brilliant use! Very inspiring.
I was gifted one of these several years ago. It's a fantastic machine.
Are you per chance friends with @Oldbmwr100rs ? He mentioned in this comment thread that he gave one away. Would be an amazing coincidence!
Heh, I don't think so, but that's sooper-cool for him to gift someone one of those! There's versions of those machines in a dark blue color, too. I'd love to find one of those.
just found your channel. thank you
also nice Portal reference
I love it vintage sounds are amazing ❤️
Man i love this channel
Nice, I watched the video of when Simon came to visit you and see this player. Nice bit of kit for the blind and so nice to see you make a video. Now to watch the video. Placed thos before I even watched 1 min into it 😉👊
So inspiring! I just found one of these on eBay, thanks to you. I looking forward to creating with it!
That cassette deck was a good score!
So nice!! ... "How To" and some really nice demonstration Music. Thank you!!
Cool machine! I have a Sanyo TRC 8700 Memo Scriber that has pitch, tone and volume sliders, love that feature. As always, lovely sounds here. Cheers from SF!
Oh, cool tool! Looks nice.
Yes, I don't yet have the accessories (Mic, Footswitch etc.) I guess you can start and stop rec/playback with a mic and/or footswitch which could be interesting to experiment with. Regardless, it sounds good and is a solid and heavy machine. tape 4 eva!
can you record a line source into it? i see a REC jack. thanks
The yellowing of the plastic can be cleaned up using hydrogen peroxide. There are many guides online for fixing discolored Super Nintendo systems.
Unless that's the original color? haha
I think it is at least very close to the original color - these were known as the "yellow" ones from the start.
Yellow is the original color, they also made red, orange, white and green ones too, but I think they were slightly different models.
HI HAVE seen talking books on a unit like this that techmoen did a video sometime ago yes it's hard to find i have worked on a lot of tape decks i easy to make
this deck nice to see one on here at last
if the U.S. gov. had a color associated with it, it would certainly be the color of this cassette player. Resembles regurgitated egg nog. On the other hand though, this video is amazing. I love the character of the sound, like a warm sweater (minimal itch).
This is more than analog, I mean this is literally alive. How to bring life back. Well done.
huge success.
So cool. I’m envious of your find.
That Portal's ending song reference though! :)
Beautiful! Vielen Dank!
Hello mr. Hainbach, we have simillar tape player from USSR times its called LEGENDA P 405 T specially designed for people with eyes disorder to listen tape books - its got the same options and in my opinion more handy speed control, you might want to check it out too
Oh thank you for that tip!
@@Hainbach there is an odd thing about LEGENDA, its buttons...those are so tough and sharp so its scratches fingers a bit) unique experience😂 anyway great devices range of LEGENDA s, there is even a version 404 which you can use with a special Legenda radiocassete, it additionally opens radio option for the unit.
"I'm making a note here: huge success." Ahaha! This machine absolutely oozes the vibe of the Portal video games.
It is extra neat that your 9V battery solution means that you can take this out in nature!
Absolutely! I plan on doing that.
You’re amazing. I just love it
That’s so beautiful.
Excellent information
You do what you must because you can. I need one of these. Cake all the way down.
Portal forever!
Really enjoying your videos and your aesthetic. Keep up the good work!
I used to have one of these when I was younger and received talking books from cassettes before they went digital. I should see if I still have it somewhere.
Did you ever find it?
L P Saddly no. But I think I saw one on Reverb that I might try and get my hands on.
@@johndowlingjr. The drive belts go bad (melt/disintegrate), but replacement belts are cheap on eBay --- a variety pack of 25 or 50 belts for under US$2. The CZcamsr "Adam Cee" has an extensive C1 repair video entitled "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS C1 CASSETTE TAPE PLAYER: TEARDOWN, TIPS, & REPAIR GUIDE".
Que música desafiante misteriosa hipnotica👀🎛️👀🎹👀🥁🔈🔉🔊
That performance Is excellent 🎞️
This absolutely amazing
Important work being done, thank you for your service
YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION! THANK YOU!!
You gotta check out the Panasonic RR 830; it’s like the C1 and a dictaphone had a baby.
I scored one of these for $5 at my old rehearsal studio under an art gallery. One of my favorite tools.
An autotransformer that can convert 230VAC to 120VAC can be easily found. I'm certain the unit doesn't draw more than 10 watts at less than 1 amp, so pretty much any cheap autotransformer should work. The cassette player will have no issues with the 50hz line frequency. You'll want to get the "transformer" type and not the "electronic" type based on a light dimmer. Use "220 to 120v auto transformer" in a Google search.
Edit: I also want to add that using six of the "aa" batteries will give you nine volts, but the output voltage will be more stable and will run the cassette player longer.
Edit again: If you don't mind working on mains powered items, here's a $15 one from Digikey that should do nicely:
www.digikey.com/products/en/transformers/isolation-transformers-and-autotransformers-step-up-step-down/167?k=&pkeyword=&sv=0&pv2=1327&sf=0&FV=ffe000a7%2C15c40030&quantity=&ColumnSort=0&page=1&pageSize=25
I have one now, thx!
Thank you, quite fascinating.
I bet those switches feel real, real good.
Oh yes! Its so satisfying. Like a good chunk of LEGO.
Großartig!
This is what trees rave to.
💯🖤
YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAA PORTAL REFERENCE I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL EVEN MORE NOW 4:36
Portal ♥️
These are also incredibly useful for scanning 'found' cassettes (that are often mostly silence or album recordings) in search of the good bits. I always lamented the lack of a record function (tho I remember that a youtuber 'cassettemaster' hacked a record head into one to some degree of success about a decade ago), but it was easy to forgive since I could be entertained for hours just by adjusting the speed and switching tracks of a studio-recorded tape of 'music box' songs and adding effects.
That is indeed a nice application! The decided process of recording somewhere else to process it on the C1 makes it feel a bit like working with a classical musician: here is the score, now what can you do with it!
so this is how vaporwave is made
Such a nice machine
This is fantastic!
Lucky you to find such an ancient equipment in very nice state - been searching for a C-1 for a long time, but the few I have stumbled upon were in pitiful state, sold "as is, no refunds".....incidentally, on the voltage, why not just use a small electrical converter? I recently bought a 3U Deopfer case from your part of town, which I had to convert from 220/240 to 120 - got a small, cheap 45w plug that does the trick perfectly. The voltage consumption on the C-1 is probably extremely low - I would go for one of these instead of batteries. Much better!
It's sounds great! Rare stuff
this one is too good !
Is that a mini spring reverb? Looks awesome
That is the rather amazing Koma Field Kit FX. All you need in one small box.
so nice... (equipment &output)