Anyone try making them? I figured it out in the last couple days, lol I stuck a wad of paper in the erase head to overdub a Boz Scaggs break over some Henry Mancini. I heard this is how Q-Tip, Prince Paul, Hank Shocklee, Large Pro, and Rev Run all started.

huh? what are pause tapes , sounds interesting but i dont understand:

youtubelink?

Pause tapes came out way back in the day (late 80s) when there wasn't any MPCs out. And the best equipment around was a double tape deck (A&B). You'd roll through the tapes with drum breaks on one side and have pause set to record on the other side. Then pause, and rewind and go back and record, then pause and go back. All to create a loop.
This was all before samplers. It was work to create a loop.

I have a new respect for loops, seeing how hard it was back in the day.

that's the way i used to do it- loop gangstarr interludes and rap over them with the kareoake machine.

I imagine that someone figured out timings based on tape speed, tape length, etc. But I know they would slow those machines down as well. There were some seriously creative cats back in those days.

I'll tell you what though, bouncing on the original 4-track cassette decks was awesome for the poor musicians that couldn't afford multi-track...talk about tape hiss!

I remember when I bought an ADAT deck, and the first recording was SOOOO CLEAN, it was hard to listen to with no tape hiss. Seriously. then they invent noise makers to bring back all the shiz.

i started this way looping jeru the damaja, you can also cut your own tape loops, so the tape plays forever, but this is very difcult.