Analog Tape Magic: Transforming Drums with Vari-Speed

Welcome back to EchoShack — today we’re diving into one of my favorite analog tape recording techniques: Vari-Speed.

In this video, I’ll be using my Otari MX5050 to record two different drum breaks — one at 7.5 IPS and one at 15 IPS — then adjusting playback speed and fine-tuning the Vari-Speed control to show how it completely transforms the vibe, groove, and tone of a drum recording.

We’ll explore:
🎚️ How Vari-Speed changes pitch and tempo
🎧 How tape speed affects tone, warmth, and low-end
🥁 Two unique drum breaks recorded through vintage RCA ribbon mics, API 312 preamps, and a Sennheiser 421 / SM57 combo
⚙️ Why this classic tape technique still matters in 2025

And if you love the sounds you hear in this video, you can grab the Vari-Speed Drum Pack — a curated sample pack of analog drum breaks recorded with real tape speed variations.

🟢 Get the pack here (50% off for the first week):
👉 https://www.erikscattmusic.com/produc...

💸 Use code VARISPEED at checkout to get it for just $4.99 (normally $9.99).

🎬 Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:01 What is Vari-Speed
02:21 Mics and gear used
02:57 Recording process explained
03:47 Recording Drum Break #1
04:11 Recording Drum Break #2
04:33 Playing back Break #1
05:57 Playing back Break #2
07:14 Sample Pack Promo
07:46 Other creative uses for Vari-Speed
08:27 Outro


If you dig this kind of content, make sure to:
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💬 Drop a comment if you’ve tried Vari-Speed before
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