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The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
In this highly nostalgic article, the author remembers the great gear he used as a local radio news reporter in the 60s, 70s and 80s. I don't recall the exact type of Sony cassette machine he refers to, but we used another one that was similar. It was very portable, usually with a strap so you could hang it around your shoulder if there was action to chase. The thing was a workhorse and survived a lot of bumps, bruises and alligator clips.
It looked something, but not exactly like, the one below.
My favourite memory of this machine came during an infamous recording one of our reporters was doing with the president of a drug company. The medication his company made was being given to expectant mothers and was believed to be causing birth defects in newborns. She placed the recorder on the floor of his office as she talked to him and when he didn't like the questions, he surreptitiously kicked the mic cord out of the machine, thinking it would spoil the interview. What he didn't know is that it had an internal mic, which still caught the one on one, including the moment when she realized what he'd done and called him on it.
He thought no one would ever hear their confrontation. But boy was he wrong! We enhanced the audio and played every second back as part of her report. I can't quite recall if he lost his job, but he likely should have.
The Golden Era of Local Radio News
I also recall using an old Nagra machine (like the one below) that actually used reel to reel tape. It was an odd looking contraption but boy, did it produce good sound.
- the original hank
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Re: The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
back in my early days, i remember our news department buying a sony deck as well as a marantz pmd - 222. both decks were workhorses.
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Re: The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
I worked with the old Ampex reel to reel machines back in my earliest days. They weren't portable and I believe they weighed a few hundred pounds. So you had to be sure where you wanted them put because they were going to stay there for a long time. But boy did they last!
And we also had Studers for a while. Another great r-to-r floor model make. Very dependable and they never chewed up your tape.
I once worked at a station that had the old noisy teletype stuck in a closet, to reduce the clickety-clack they always made.
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Thread Starter- splunge
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Re: The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
RadioActive wrote:
I worked with the old Ampex reel to reel machines back in my earliest days. They weren't portable and I believe they weighed a few hundred pounds. So you had to be sure where you wanted them put because they were going to stay there for a long time. But boy did they last!
And we also had Studers for a while. Another great r-to-r floor model make. Very dependable and they never chewed up your tape.
I once worked at a station that had the old noisy teletype stuck in a closet, to reduce the clickety-clack they always made.
RA you have just destroyed my years of therapy trying to forget those ampex and studer machines. Now where's my razor blade...... 
- RadioActive
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RA you have just destroyed my years of therapy trying to forget those ampex and studer machines. Now where's my razor blade......
Hopefully to cut tape - and not your wrists!
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Thread Starter- Radiowiz
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Re: The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
WOW! The last time I saw reel to reel was @ 1480 CKAN (before the CKDX days)
"Energy 1480", & yes it was in use.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Fitz
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I have used reel to reel machines at home from the early 1970's until now. There was a gap from the mid 1990's to 2014 because one of my kids got to a machine and I switched to cassettes, VCR and the computer to record audio.
Back on it now and I use the two machines below. I record many of the audio samples I post on the first machine below and play them back and record to audacity on the second. You have to take good care of them but these units are well built and fun to use. Granted that recording straight to computer probably makes the most sense now but analog media still has a place for me.
Cool Airchecks and More:
- Glen Warren
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Re: The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
How popular were Revox B77s ? Remember seeing regular ads for these machines in the various Canadian Broadcast magazines...
- Fitz
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Re: The Vintage Tape Recorders Of Radio Newsrooms Past
How popular were Revox B77s ? Remember seeing regular ads for these machines in the various Canadian Broadcast magazines...
Among hardcore tapeheads that one continues to be revered and I would think it sold a fair amount back in the day.
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