Frustrated by the early days of sound recording

[Saturlight]

I am not talking about early talkies here!

No, I mean making recordings on a tape recorder for personal use. My older bruv had a reel-to-reel tape machine from the mid 1960s. I loved it as a kid. It looked so professional, like a BBC machine.

Then I got my first tape recorder on which me and my mate would tape the Radio 1 top 40. In those days, we all had to keep quiet as either I or him, put the mircophone to the radio speaker. The best way was to put both radio and tape machine in a different room, and leave it alone, with the "sound proof" bedroom door was shut.

But although Brad (my mate) was quite content with the result, I hated it. I got frustrated by the sound quality, with the harsh "esses" - so instead of "she's my girl" it sounded like "ssssheseshess my shirl!"

Grr....lol.! It wasn't until the early 1980s when more affordable tape recorders and radios were combined into one package. And the sound improved a lot.

Today, "the kids" don't know what it was like, in those early days...

 

[spiney]

If it was "essy", you had some sort of fault. Note there was no "standard" tape, ac bias and record level were pre-set for a particular brand!

(if working properly, the sound from ac bias tape recording was - and is - excellent).

1st British tape recorder was the BTR1, 1st domestic machine the Ferrograph. Then Brenell, Truvox, etc .....

The excellent Grundig TK series was extremely popular.

Then, all the mainstream brands followed, eg Philips, Ferguson .... then the Japanese models (Sony started off by making the 1st Japanese tape recorder).

The Philips compact cassette, originally 1963, was a dictation machine! However, convenience meant it got used for music, and later Dolby B made the sound quality "reasonable".

(I had a TK20, still got a (broken) Truvox, and a working early Amstrad
cassette deck, with Dolby, no ics entirely disctete components!).

There's lots on Web, but a bit scattered, for example see:
http://www.taperecorder.co.uk/links.htm .
http://www.ferrographworld.com/ .
http://www.rolaa.de/sehensw/radio/tonband/tape_ove.htm . (German, inc Grundig).

 

[Llew]

Still got my Grundig TK5, bought it in late 50's, used to cart it around the local clubs to record the skiffle group I played tea chest bass with (what'a a skiffe group, dad? O-Ha ).

Unfortunately I dropped it out of my bike basket one day, but they had an excellent chassis - no valves broken, just a scuff on the leatherette covering.

I've also got a Nakamichi 700, trying to find a replacement driveband ATM, otherwise it's in excellent condition, superb sound.

Llew

 

[Saturlight]

SPINEY WROTE: "If it was "essy", you had some sort of fault. Note there was no "standard" tape, ac bias and record level were pre-set for a particular brand!"

It was cheap, more like, not faulty. My mum and dad were paying the mortgage off, so luxeries like buying me a decent tape recorder, didn't actually fall from the trees.

The one I wanted was a Phillips (this is the one with the compact tapes, not the reel-to-reel (that was perfection), but that cost in 1976 around £19.99, a lot of money in those days.

So mum bought me a Zaxaron tape recorder for £10, that's the one with the hard esses. Thanks for the info', lads, always great to read.

 

[Saturlight]

Still got my Grundig TK5, bought it in late 50's,

Llew

Reel-to-reel, surely...

 

[Milkybarkid]

I remember when I was a young kid my older brother bought a Peto Scot reel to reel tape recorder. It had a green flickering light on it a bit like a spirit level. I think this was around 1961.

 

[Channel Hopper]

It had a green flickering light on it a bit like a spirit level. I think this was around 1961.

A Magic Eye

Lots of different types around in the late 50's

http://www.akh.se/tubes/eyes.htm

 

[Milkybarkid]

Is there anywhere that has pics of Peto Scot reel to reel machines ?

 

[Saturlight]

I remember when I was a young kid my older brother bought a Peto Scot reel to reel tape recorder. It had a green flickering light on it a bit like a spirit level. I think this was around 1961.

My bruv's was like that, with a green spirit level. Well, one of them was, he had two. And both of them were in a case, you could lock.

Great sound, almost perfection, but I remember getting the brown off the tapes on my clothes and hands.!

Very James Bondish.

 

[ShaunSat]

Well i have an AKAI Reel-To-Reel recorder/player

*Walks around with big head*

 

[Saturlight]

Can you still buy them new? Hmm, I didn't know that, unless yours is old...

 

[ShaunSat]

Can you still buy them new? Hmm, I didn't know that, unless yours is old...

Well mines from the 70's i think, got given it from my grandad.

Funnily enough he was saying yesterday that a lot of people dont think you can still buy AKAI stuff, but you can.

Edit: here's the site for AKAI: http://www.akai.com/index.asp

 

[Channel Hopper]

Well mines from the 70's i think, got given it from my grandad.

Funnily enough he was saying yesterday that a lot of people dont think you can still buy AKAI stuff, but you can.

Muchos kudos, my living room setup is still the Akai 313 system, multiple inputs, remote control, linear turntable, and still able to power decent speakers.

 

[Saturlight]

I think if one can buy them new, I'd prefer an old one. It's like these radios made in 2006 that resemble 1950s radios, with a big DIGITAL tuning dial, and CD!!

Not quite 1950s!

 

[spiney]

sorry, bad post (problems with the "public access" computer I'm using).

 

[spiney]

Ah, the fake Bush tranny? Looks nice, but only very ordinary inside!

The real ones had very early transistors, either GET or even "red spot", and all the if stages had to be individually neutralised. I expect the copy is basically just 1 big ic, with a few trannies and coils.

 

[Saturlight]

The naffest retro replicas are the Jukeboxes sold on the likes of QVC and Ideal World. Embarrassing but seemingly endorsed by DJ Mike Read.

 

[spiney]

There were also these:

_http://www.mancini99.freeserve.co.uk/Nagra_SNN.html .

They were sometimes seen in spy films, eg James Bond etc (as the Minox cameras also were!), but used most in film recording, where the small size and weight were extremely useful.

Still made - and still used, sometimes as digital backup - an analogue sound recording is still "more secure" than digital, important in making films where "time is money".