HC-TT (V2)

The HC-TT V2 is one of the few instruments that treats a cassette tape like a playable instrument rather than a storage medium, letting you manually crank through pre-recorded audio the way you'd scratch vinyl. It's a genuinely tactile approach to tape manipulation that strips away the motor entirely, putting all control directly in your hands.

The device centers around two large knobs with metal cranks that rotate the cassette spindles independently, letting you move tape forward and backward without needing modified endless loops. The transport mechanism uses four ball bearings soldered into the case for smooth, responsive feel that gives real tactile feedback when the tape resists. A momentary touch mute switch lets you gate both the audio output and CV/Gate signals for rhythmic cuts and stutters. The preamp circuit includes a lo-fi tone control that cuts bass when turned fully counter-clockwise and boosts it when turned the opposite way, plus a gain knob that adds subtle coloration and warmth at higher settings. Both controls also shape the envelope follower response sent to the CV and Gate outputs. Two touch-sensitive feedback points on the left side create analog feedback within the preamp when you touch them simultaneously, with the quality changing based on how much skin contact you make and the positions of the tone and gain controls. Audio inputs via 1/4-inch mono jack let you process external signals through the same circuitry and feedback system, while 3.5mm CV and Gate outputs derived from tape movement and touch interaction make it a modulation source for modular systems. The unit runs on a 9V power supply and weighs just 360 grams.

Since its introduction, the HC-TT has found a dedicated following among experimental musicians and modular enthusiasts who appreciate it as both a sound source and a performance controller. The V2 iteration addressed the original's single transport limitation by adding independent forward and backward control, making it far more playable without requiring specially prepared tapes.