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Unusual/Unique Recording Items |
"Phantom Productions" is the registered trademark of Phantom Productions, Inc. Copyright 2008 • All pictures and content on this web site are the property of Phantom Productions, Inc.
This is a list of our vintage reel tape recording collection for Unusual/Unique Reel Tape Recording Items As time permits we'll be building links to more pictures, a bit of history about our items, catalog listings and some recent pricing information. PLEASE NOTE: None of the Phantom Vintage Museum pieces are for sale. This listing is provided to reflect our collection.
Great publications
Phil Van Praag's book "Evolution of the Audio Recorder" and Tascam 30 Years book
Please note none of these items are for sale on our site!
NOT for sale on our site!
Here's a link to a review of the "Evolution of the Audio Recorder" book
NOT for sale on our site!
NOT for sale on our site!
click for larger picture
1959 Comments regarding tape recording's future in the November
1959 Tape Recording magazine 1958 Chronology of Tape Recording
Story of Nipper - Click on the images below for a larger image
Last Dance
These are some of the last in
a line of reel tape recorders
from major manufacturers
Akai GX-747 more
Ampex ATR800 more
Fostex F16 more
Pioneer RT909 and RT 707 more
Limited edition picture of RCA Nipper from Harrod's, London
Birth of the German Magnetophon Tape Recorder 1928 to 1945
Brush Sound Mirror BK401(wood cab)
This is one of the first commercial reel tape recorders on the market. See 1947 ad from the Saturday Evening Post dated October 11, 1947. This unit has a date stamped on the main board dated Jan 22, 1948. Here's movie of the recorder running. The tape that came with the recorder included the Joe Louis and Jersey Joe Walcott fight in the late '40s.
Play realPlayer video • get RealPlayer FREE!
Professional Battery portables
Here are some of the serious on-location battery recorders (5" +)
Nagra III 1958 More info on You Tube
Sony 510-2
Sony 772 (1969) 24 lbs - $750
'68 ad '69 Review '69 Sony 770 ad
'70 Sony 770 ad '70 catalog listing
click on image for larger view
Tandberg Series 11-CP '69 - '73
7" reel portable $699.00 view RealPlayer movie
'69 ad $449 • Pro version 11-P $699
73 Directory Listing $699.00
takes 10 "D" cell batteries
Miles Reproducer Co., Inc. WALKIE-RECORDALL • recorded on sonobands cello tape - 12 tracks • Large unit no longer in collection
Magnasync Nomad unknown year & price
Label on back states "Magnesync film recorder, Magnephonic sound systems, made in North Hollywood, Calif U.S.A."
Unit has XLR microphone and 1/4" line inputs. Cool unit!
The only place we've found a reference to this machine is at this link that includes the quote "collect old odd film sound recorders of the era -- including a Perfectone, Stellavox SM-5 with Rangertone, Nagra II (spring-wind with tube electronics), Nagra SNNs (which I use), Sony EM2NS, Magnasync Nomad, Maihak springwind, and many more."
Magnecorder M30, M33 • 1952-1954 $499.95
Interestingly, this recorder was initially acquired by Phantom to be provided to the movie company making the new Howard Hughes film Aviator (2003). They went with a Brush Sound Mirror recorder instead.
Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 08:41:22 -0500
To: <phantom@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Motion picture propsHello,
My name is Montgomery Pollack. I own a Motion Picture prop house in Los Angeles Ca. We are working on a new film to be directed by Martin Scorcese, starring Leonardo DeCaprio. It is called "The Aviator" It is about Howard Hughes love of flight. There is a scenethat has Hughes using a reel to reel tape recorder in 1947. The director has requested a Rangertone or a Magnecord, Magnetophon or a Ampex 200A. I need to purchase this items. Do you have or know of anybody who might have such an item. It needs to work and be in very good condition. I can be flexible in my timeline. I can use any reel to reel recorder from 1947-1950. If I cannot find such a beast we will just use a Webster wire recorder. Any information would be extremely helpful.
Thank you
Monty
Berlant Concertone 20/20 recorder in portable cases and Edison cylinder player
Magnecord PT6-AH and Recording Amplifier
Note ad for Magnecord looking for the oldest working record er. We were told by the seller that this specific equipment was used to record traveling bands such as Whoopee John back in the 1940's and 50's.
Crown 3M
Factory matched pair of Ampex microphones • Early Brush professional recorder • Case of Blank Edison Cylinders from Ford Museum
Items of interest from the 1977 Accurate Sound catalog
wire recording - late 1940's to early 1950's (haven't found wire ads after 1951)
Pentron Astra Sonic
1949 $149.50 '49 Allied cat '49 Lafayette cat
Sold as an Allied Knight product in '51 Allied cat
Splicing recording wire from Webster Chicago 288 manual
A Unique AkaiStereo Terecorder
Akai produced over 100 models of reel to reel tape recorders. This is one we had not seen previously. When stereo came along, it looks like Akai created their first stereo recorder by adding a 2 track head, stereo outputs and a second smaller unit to house the second channel electronics and speaker. This unit has a switchable head to go from Full track to two channel Half track (stereo). Pretty cool unit. Interesting styling.
This is the incredible 4 track reversing audio recorder with a built-in black and white video recorder.
Jerry Lewis pictured with Roberts 1000. '69 ad • Ad for Roberts 1050AW (note the Rheem Manufacturing address)
Akai • Roberts • Rheem • Califone
Roberts provided good solid reel tape recorders in the semi-pro class during the late 1950's, 1960's and early 1970's. They had an interesting evolution including this original Roberts logo (right) which we photographed on one of our earliest Roberts models. The logo very much resembled the Rolls Royce logo. Here's the first Roberts tape recorder ad we've come across from 1958 using that RR logo. This one was soon replaced by the crown over the name Roberts. We've seen various stories about the styling of early Akai/Roberts that closely resembles the Ampex 600. One source speculates that Ampex engineers had joined with Akai and Rheem/Roberts. Others relate that it was just a popular functional style that was copied. The Akai > Rheem > Roberts > Califone story has many interesting and intriguing versions. Our collection includes a few of the Roberts/Akai twins (recorders that were virtually identical, but tagged differently). The name "Roberts" allegedly came from Robert Metzner and Robert Margolis who worked together. However, Robert Metzner owned the Roberts company and its Educational Products Division was named Califone. These companies were bought by Rheem Manufacturing (which interestingly does not mention tape recorders on its history/about page). A friend of ours briefly worked at Rheem's NY HQ, but was unable to find any records regarding their tape recording years. This may have been because the recorder component of Rheem was based in CA.. The Roberts Akai relationship allegedly arose from Akai turntable motors that came to the attention of Califone and the relationship evolved into Akai manufacturing the Roberts components. Please note the story from Billboard below which details an agreement allowing Akai to market their recorders along with Roberts in the US in 1971. Prior to that time Akai was not available for sale in the US due to the Akai Roberts distribution agreement with Roberts/Rheem (also note Akai ad below from June 1,1971.) See also.
We provide some of the many versions of the Roberts/Rheem/Califone logos below.
Yes...this Rheem Califone 73-T really is from the Rheem Manufacturing Co. At some point Rheem bought Roberts and distributed the Akai built tape recorders.
Califone International Inc., 1145 Arroyo Avenue, San Fernando, CA 91340. Founded in 1946 as the educational products division of Robert Metzner’s Roberts Electronics with reel to reel tape recorders.
Other references - Billboard July 3, 1971 - "Akai America will introduce a full line of tape players Sunday (27) at the Consumer Electronics Show, The Califone-Roberts division of Rheem Manufacturing Co. has entered into an agreement with Akai Electric Co., Ltd. of Japan that will allow certain tape products to be sold in the U.S. under both the Roberts and Akai brand names. Under terms of the agreement, Roberts will continue to market the major part of the Akai made products under the Roberts lab on an exclusive basis. "The benefits to both parties this new agreement are numerous and mutually desired,." said Roberts president C.R.Phillips (from 1974 to 1985, Mr. Phillips was Executive Vice President and Director of Akai America, Ltd., a consumer electronics company. Prior to that he was President of Califone-Roberts Division of Rheem Manufacturing Company. Mr.Phillips received a B.A. from Pepperdine College, Los Angeles, California with emphasis on Business and Speech Education, in 1956.). The agreement enables Akai America, the U.S. subsidiary Akai Electronics, to market tape equipment which has been denied under a previous Akai-Roberts contract. Akai has been limited to marketing its 1/4 inch videotape player.
1929 Akai founded, audio manufacturer of reel-to-reel tape recorders, tuners, audio cassette decks, amplifiers, video recorders, and loudspeakers
Last reel tape recorder the GX-747 was produced 1981 to 1983
1984 Akai Professional division founded to manufacture electronic musical instruments
MG1212 – The world's first integrated 12-track recorder/mixer
AX80 – Eight-voice analog synthesizer with unique user interfaceHere's some units sharing the same configuration and different name and model number.
Roberts 770X • Akai M-8
'67 McGEE catalog listing $349.95
'67 Lafayette catalog listing $359.95
'68 catalog listing $349.95
Akai X-300 • Roberts 5000X
This recorder was produced in 1967 under the Akai, Rheem and Roberts names. In the above picture, that's our Roberts on top and the Akai below.
Roberts 400 1963 • Akai 345
Roberts 4000X 1965 $795 • Akai X-355
Roberts 333X 1970 - 1973 $549.95
Roberts 333 reel, cassette and 8 track unit. Movie of Roberts 333X working - RealPlayer Ad 71 catalog listing
Akai X-2000SD $549.95
1973 catalog listing On sale $495
Here's the Akai version of the Roberts 333X
Not in collection
Speaking of Roberts...how about this conversion of a Roberts 997 to play an iPod by W. B. Morton
(summary from ebay listing used with permission from W.B. Morton) Here is a Roberts Model 997 Reel to Reel deck that has been repurposed to play music files via a universal iPod docking station. Past meets present! Plays loud enough for a small office, dorm room etc. I played an iPod and CD player through the mic inputs and everything sounded fine although there is some distortion if the volume is turned all the way up.
The Roberts 997 tape transport and record/play heads were in terrible shape, so the following was done to put the separate right and left single ended amps to work (and make the resulting case look better):
1. Removed the reel motor and associated drive wheels.
2. Remove forward/reverse link mechanisms.
3. Keep the play/record and forward/reverse switches in place for any future experimental tinkering.
4. Kept the link arm connecting the play/record switch to the sliding switches on the separate amps (again for any future experimenting).
5. Lock the amp sliding switches in place in order to fix the amps into the 'play' position. This can be easily undone if the link arm is to be enabled again.
6. Removed the 6267 (preamp) and 6AR5 (bias oscillator) tubes - not needed for current purposes.
7. Replaced the 12AD7 dual triodes in each channel with 12AU7 tubes. The original dual triodes were bad anyway and the 12AU7's work just dandy.
8. Pulled all of the exterior textured vinyl covering off (no easy task) and covered the exterior with linoleum for a smooth surface.
9. Painted the exterior and body panels with black wrinkle-finish paint.
10. Painted the interior of the cover with regular black spray paint.
11. Added a hinged fold-down shelf to the front of the chassis (where the reels were). This is where the iPod dock is placed when in use.
12. Added a 3-prong power receptacle and moved the fuse to the back panel.
13. Added a double throw switch to allow earth grounded operation or to simulate historical 2-prong operation. The 'up' position connects earth ground and power, the 'down' position connects only power, the center position disconnects both power and ground. The 'down' position will avoid ground loops depending on what other equipment may be used as a source and how that equipment is connected to earth ground itself.
14. Installed a duplex wall socket inside the chassis to accommodate power connection to the iPod dock via its USB power adaptor and to apply power to the amps.
15. Kept the internal speakers in place. Just for fun.
16. Kept the external speaker connection plate on the right side of the chassis. Just for more fun.
17. Kept the external doors for the internal speakers in place as the cavity behind each door is just large enough to hold the iPod dock and remote control when the unit is not in use.
18. Attached an iPod holder to the inside of the cover (the white thing inside the cover in the pictures). The sides of the holder are adjustable to securely hold various iPod models.
19. The front cover door is detachable just as it was when the unit was originally built.The lucky winner of the auction will receive the repurposed player, a universal iPod dock (Apple part number MB125G/B including USB power adaptor, various cradle adaptors, remote), power cord, and coax cables to connect the 1/4" speaker out jacks to your speakers. For the input connections, RCA to 1/4" jack adaptors are included. I will also send the two 6267 tubes (tested marginally ok, each has a rubber damper) as well as the 6AR5 tube just in case further experimentation will be done. by W. B. Morton
R2D2 Replica (complete with sounds). Teac 80-8 was used to record the sounds of R2D2 and 3CPO in the Star Wars movie
Webcor store sign (working) • Webster Chicago control unit for wire recorder • Webster Chicago amplifier
Heathkit Speedwinder SR-1 • Heathkit AD-22 1965 $149.00 very similar to the Ampex 600 and was mounted in a samsonite case (note head cover record button and layout). '65 ad
Speedwinder handles 10.5" reel; has two motors (one for fast wind and one to provide drag on the other reel); and auto cutoff.
Electro Voice 664 (unique in that's it's brand new in original box) NOT FOR SALE
Sony CR-4 wireless microphone $250 1960 '60 ad '62 ad '60 ad #2 Manual Specs
Sparta radio station broadcast console
Sony store sign with working rotating color tape
Sony 555-A with matching speakers '58, '59 $595.00
'58 picture '58 Ad '59 ad $595.00
Ampex tape splicer (by Robins) & Ampex microphone (by Electro Voice)
Bell & Howell 2297 '68 - '70 $264.95
Unique in that it loads tape using a vacuum motor. An engineer visiting Phantom's studio said, "I can just imagine the Bell lab techs sitting around discussing placing a vacuum cleaner motor in a reel tape recorder."
'68 Directory '68 ad '70 Directory view brief RealPlayer video clip
Robins Head Demagnetizer with Concertone taper counter • Concertone tape timer in original wooden box • '61 info • Robins tape timer
Radio in form of a Roberts tape recorder - view video • classic microphone (center) and tape recorder radio in miniature attaché - view video
Poster for the public auction for the Armadillo World Headquarters
Ampex black satin jacket logos
RCA studio label & cup
Bell & Howell Cassette recorder in round container
picture of Crowncorder briefcase recorder with radio
Click here to see more about the Akai500 and watch a movie of the "reverse!"
Unique Format Ad
Garrard Tape Load Magazine
Please note none of these items are for sale on our site!
Thanks again for looking!
PLEASE CLICK ON A LETTER TO GO TO RECORDERS BY MANUFACTURER
PLEASE NOTE: Price listings by items reflect the original "list/retail" price (from best sources available).
A B-D E-K L-O P-R S T U-Z For Sale Prices Unusual & Unique By Year
