SalemSoundwavesNov 1

I'm taking on a very ambitious task - I guess my first time building a prop from something?? Pics are first day of design and this will definitely take a while.

It's the Harmon Wowshi W02 Tape Player from #discoelysium and I'm like really thrilled about the skill set I'm going to flex with it.

Taking inspo from LMNC's stepper motor driver tape machines (shooting for good enough to play tapes, not much else) with some additional features that will make it a more useful object in day to day life.

Goals are:

- Plays 1/4" tape in mono with possible upgrade path for stereo
- 5" reels, 5" speaker w/ 1" tweeter
- Good sound? The in-game description says it doesn't sound good but I'd like it to be fairly decent.
- Fabric speaker cover. Never done this but I have lots of real examples to help guide me
- Bluetooth - might just be built into the amp board.
- Recording function that allows for digital audio to be sent to the tape, and then played back so a simple tape loop can be used to give it the desired effect. This one's a doozy.
- *Mostly printable on my Ender 3 S1 Plus. 300mm bed size is JUST big enough to make that happen with the modular design I've been building, and I've been getting some really good prints off it lately.
- TO SCALE. This mf is big. Boombox big. I need it to be the correct size.

Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 1
not exactly true bc I built some pip-boy models from a kit that we used several years back for halloween costumes. I knew so much less then...
Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 1
The tape transport is going to be based on a really gorgeous Technics design that feeds from the center. Since I won't need an erase or record head at first, I can make it much more compact to fit the very limited space I'll have.
Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 1
No I am not a mechanical or electrical engineer but I am very observant and own lots of tape machines that I can learn from.
Show threadSalemSoundwaves
Hoping the belt drive system I've devised works out. Finally going to try printing my own drive belts with TPU, which was the final straw that got me to dive into 3D printing in the first place. The insides of this thing are looking more like a functional player every day...
Nov 3 at 9:48amWeb
Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 3

Used the very low res screenshot from the fusion app to get this but you get the idea. Using M8 hardware to hold the platters, which will hold bearings. This is the level of cobbled together bs I'm operating on 😅

I will take critique (assuming anyone wants to lol) but it's meant to be supremely simple so I can reasonably build everything at home.

Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 3
Last night I made a test print of the tape mech housing to check that my bed could handle the largest component of this build, and that it was level enough to succeed... took two years of adjustments and part swaps to get there but hoo boy the results were very promising.
Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 3

it's wild how quickly this has evolved into a plausibly functional object.

some thoughts

I feel like using 3" reels would make it easier to fit all of the bits in place, but if I'm going for some level of accuracy then 5" reels make the most sense.

I might downsize to 3" speakers though, as I have a decent bookshelf pair currently collecting dust in my basement. I'd likely be able to double up and end up with a dual speaker (still not stereo) arrangement. Pre-fab amp boards are almost all 2 channel anyway....

I'm most anxious about the motor control aspect of this. Haven't done it before and it involves microcontrollers which are scary to me for some reason.

I wish I had a lathe to make the pulleys and stuff... would be pretty cool....

Show threadSalemSoundwavesNov 5

The second thoughts demon has reared its head.

culminating in the redesign of the tape drive mechanism

simplifying it big time