Anyone out there ever tried triggering a drum machine or sequencer from a click track on tape, and found the rhythm a little lazy? Seems to drag behind the beat? Try this, though the tape you're triggering from needs a spare track.

Physically turn the tape over in the machine so it's running backwards, and monitor the syncing click track which you've already put down. Feed that click through a very short delay (say 20mS, but you may have to experiment) and record just the delayed signal onto the spare track. This has put the click some 20mS behind the original. But once you return the tape to its original position (don't get giddy on me) it will be 20mS IN ADVANCE of the original. Thus, when you now trigger the drum box or sequencer from that signal, it will pull the rhythm forward, tighten it up, and take out the laziness.

A crisper bass drum sound required? Program the drum machine as usual, and slow the tempo. Record it on your Portastudio, or whatever machine you're using, but take the tape speed down low. Play the tape back at the normal speed and the rhythm should have speeded up to what you want, but the sounds will all be shorter and snappier.