15IPS Tape Saturation

[Minimallamb]

I'd come across this schematic for a little tape saturation unit for studio use (on the diyrecordingequipment site)

The actual circuit doesnt look too tricky but I'm not entirely sure how it should be reworked into a stompbox format. Is it as simple as just wiring up the in/out/ground as usual and then attaching a +/-15v supply or is there more to do?

I'd love to try it out in front of some tape style delays or preamps

Hopefully someone smarter than me can get their head around it and potentially lay it out?

[Minimallamb]

Image came out huge so here is a more screen-friendly one

[Travis]

I really don’t think this would be particularly interesting at all to use as a stompbox. It is basically meant to process a whole mix

The whole thing with a tape delay is that the sound is re-recorded onto the tape over and over with each repeat, causing each repeat to sound different from the last. Like if you take a copy machine and make a copy, then make a copy of that copy, and so forth.. Eventually the copies look way distorted compared to the original

If you run this into a delay, the delayed signal does not run back through this circuit with each repeat, thus the subsequent repeats are not affected by this circuit and the result is that it does nothing to make the delay more tape like

Likewise when you run this into a guitar amp, I am really hesitant to say it will sound like a guitar that is recorded to tape. It will add a little filtering and distortion, which is generally already happening to a larger degree with your amp and speakers

This schematic also has a block diagram at the input which doesn’t really tell you anything about that actual part of the circuit unless there is more detail

This thing would be cool to build for its intended purpose, but I’m afraid it doesn’t seem great for a stompbox

However I have built a DIYRE project and I think they’re pretty cool so I’m glad you’re looking at their stuff