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We are providing the following information to give some perspective to the development of open reel or analog reel to reel tape recording, their manufacturers and references back to the specific equipment where we have data available. We will correct and add information as we receive additional information. Also included is a time line for Martin and Phantom Productions. Pictures may be clicked for larger view. We have attempted to be as accurate as possible and always appreciate receiving information that will help us update and maintain this page. Contact
Page dedicated to our microphone collection
1877 to 1959 PLEASE NOTE: Price listings by items reflect the original "list/retail" price (from best sources available).
Go to 1960 to 1979 • Go to 1980 to present
1837 Waterloo,Texas founded & 2 years later named Austin 1860 earliest audible record of recognizable human speech 1865 BASF Founded 1867 AGFA founded 1876 The Dessau Hall opens in Austin, Texas and becomes a popular venue for Polka Dancing. Later big bands like Guy Lombardo, Glenn Millerand Tommy Dorsey perform in the 1030's and 1940's. Later Hank Williams, Pasty Cline, Earnest Tubb & Elvis perform. It is now seeing more Tejano music. 1877 Edison Cylinder Phonograph Invented
records "Mary had a liitle lamb" Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes sent troops in violent national railroad strike. 1878 Recording process described by Oberlin Smith The first music is put on record: cornetist Jules Levy plays "Yankee Doodle." 1883 AEG Founded 1887 Emile Berliner is granted a patent on a flat-disc gramophone, making the production of multiple copies practical. 1888 Edison introduces an electric motor-driven phonograph 1891 Alexander graham Bell demonstrates a stereo telephone transmission in Paris
Pres. James A. Garfield shot in Washington, DC, July 2; died Sept. 19. 1894 Stromberg-Carlson 1895 Marconi achieves wireless radio transmission from Italy to America. 1896 John Philip Sousa composed “Stars and Stripes Forever” on Dec. 25. 1897 First Klondike gold arrived in San Francisco July 14 1898
The magnetic recording was demonstrated in principle as early as 1898 by Valdemar Poulsen in his Telegraphone. 1898 in Denmark, when Valdemar Poulsen developed a device to record sound on a steel wire.
U.S. battleship Maine blown up Feb. 15 at Havana; 260 killed.
1899 First multi-track? The Columbia Phonograph Company sells a 3 horned cylinder phonograph using 3 separate tracks on the cylinder for $1,000
Pianist Scott Joplin's “Maple Leaf Rag” was published, popularizing ragtime. 1900
Eastman Kodak Co. introduced the Brownie camera, popularizing picture-taking. Poulsen's of the Telegraphone at the Paris International Exhibition of 1900. 1901 The Victor Talking Machine Company is founded by Emile Berliner and Eldridge Johnson Texas had first significant oil strike, Jan. 10. 1902 Pres. McKinley was shot Sept. 6
Helen Keller autobiography appeared in serial form.
1903 Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Co., June 16
1st successful flight in heavier-than-air mechanically propelled airplane by Orville Wright
American Telegraphone Company formed in Washington, D.C. 1904 Edison cylinder player St. Louis hosted first Olympics in U.S., July 1-Nov. 23 1905 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, Apr. 18-19 Lee DeForest invents the triode vacuum tube, the first electronic signal amplifier. 1907 Bell & Howell incorporated Financial panic and depression started Mar. 13. 1908
Edison ad Henry Ford- Model T- $850 1909 Adm. Robert E. Peary claimed to have reached North Pole 1910 Enrico Caruso is heard in the first live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, NYC 1911 New Edison Disc Phonograph First transcontinental airplane flight Austin, TX symphony founded 1912 In October 1912 the Edison Diamond Disc Record was introduced
1913 The first "talking movie" is demonstrated by Edison using his Kinetophone process, a cylinder player mechanically synchronized to a film projector.
16th Amendment, authorizing federal income tax, ratified Feb. 3.
1914 Panama Canal opened First passenger on regular airline 1915 Presto Products Company founded (later became Presto Recording company in 1932) British ship Lusitania sunk May 7 by German submarine
First transcontinental telephone call
Thomas Edison lobbied for folks to answer phone with "hello." Alexander graham bell was lobbying for "Ahoy, Ahoy"1916 Edison does live-versus-recorded demonstrations in Carnegie Hall, NYC
The Society of Motion Picture Engineers (SMPE) is formed.
Gen. John J. Pershing entered Mexico to pursue Francisco (Pancho) Villa
U.S. bought Virgin Islands from Denmark
1917 The Scully disk recording lathe is introduced. First jazz releases on cylinder kept the format going for awhile longer
US declares war on Germany April 6th
1918 More than 1 mil American troops were in Europe by July
Influenza epidemic killed an estimated 20 mil worldwide
1919 Brush Development Company founded Garrard Engineering, a subsidiary of the British Crown jewelers, commenced manufacture of precision clockwork gramophone motors.
First transatlantic flight
1920 First regular licensed radio broadcasting begun Aug. 20
19th Amendment ratified Aug. 18, giving women the vote
1921 AC bias Joint congressional resolution declaring peace with Germany, Austria, and Hungary
The first commercial AM radio broadcast is made by KDKA, Pittsburgh PA
University of Texas receives its first radio license 1922 The first electrically recorded 78 rpm disks appear. 1923 record business became seriously depressed due to radio
First sound-on-film motion picture, Phonofilm, shown at Rivoli Theater, New York City, beginning in April.
1924 Dr Kurt Stille (1873-1957) develops a dictation machine using similar principles to the Telegraphone, recording on steel wire. It is manufactured by Vox Gramophone Company. First US Coast to Coast radio broadcast from Chicago to 4 million listeners Law approved by Congress June 15 making all Native Americans U.S. citizens.
Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) changes its name to International Business Machines (IBM 1925 Rheem Manufacturing Company (Roberts Recorders, Califone)
The first electrically recorded 78 rpm disks appear
Bell Labs develops a moving armature lateral cutting system for electrical recording on disk. Concurrently they Introduce the Victor Orthophonic Victrola, "Credenza" model. This all-acoustic player -- with no electronics -- is considered a leap forward in phonograph design.
George Gershwin wrote Rhapsody in Blue.
wire recorder telephone answering/dictation machine called the Dailygraph
Ford Motor Company bought out the Stout Aircraft Company and began construction of the all-metal Ford Trimotor, which became the first successful American airliner.
RCA works on the development of ribbon microphones
1926 O'Neill patents iron oxide-coated paper tape.
Congress established Army Air Corps July 2
1927 Dual turntables Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh left Roosevelt Field, NY, May 20 alone in plane Spirit of St. Louis on first New York-Paris nonstop flight.
The Jazz Singer, with Al Jolson, demonstrated part-talking pictures in New York City Oct. 6.
1928 Magnetophon founded
Amelia Earhart became first woman to fly across the Atlantic, June 17 1929 Akai founded The "Blattnerphone" is developed for use as a magnetic recorder using steel tape “St. Valentine's Day massacre” in Chicago Feb. 14; gangsters killed 7 rivals
Stock market crash Oct. 29
1930 Brush Development Company is making crystals for phonograph pickups ‘30s - ‘60s Scully dominated record lathe Bell Telephone Laboratories initiates a major research effort in magnetic tape recording 1931 British Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company purchases the U.K. rights to the Stille patents
Turner Microphones founded Empire State Building opened
Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt elected president 19-month-old Charles Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped 1933 Marconi & BBC Magnetic recording on steel wire is developed commercially.
All banks in the U.S. ordered closed
Prohibition ended
Congress passed New Deal
Tennessee Valley Authority
Gold standard dropped by U.S.
Threadgills opens a gas station and a place for musicians to play.
1934 Toschreiber b introduced 1934-35
See Page 13 - also BASF 6.35mm plasticized-paper tape with iron-oxide coating.
Securities and Exchange Commission created 1935 TDK Founded Brush DevelopmentCorp created
The first Tape Recorder was shown off at the Radio Exhibition 1935 in Berlin. The "Magnetophon K 1" was made by AEG
Boulder Dam (later renamed Hoover Dam) completed
Social Security Act
Huey Long shot
1936 BASF makes the first tape recording of a symphony concert during a visit by the touring London Philharmonic Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham conducts Mozart. Margaret Mitchell published Gone With the Wind. 1937 The Marconi-Stille Brush BR25
Electro Voice 630, V-2 & V-3
Hindenburg exploded May 6 landing at Lakehurst, NJ.
Golden Gate Bridge opened, May 27.
Amelia Earhart, aviator, and copilot Fred Noonan lost July 2 near Howland Island, in the Pacific. 1938 Pioneer founded
Bruno Velotron A
Electro Voice 630, V-2 & V-3
Orson Welles radio dramatization of Martian invasion, War of the Worlds, Oct. 30, caused scare Seabiscuit beat War Admiral in match race of the century, at Pimlico track, MD, Nov. 1. 1939
Brush Development Company develops steel tape and coated-paper tape recorders Marvin Camras design for recording head Shure 55 C Independently, engineers in Germany, Japan and the U.S. discover and develop AC biasing for magnetic recording. Albert Einstein alerted Pres. Roosevelt to A-bomb possibilities in Aug. 2 letter. 1940 Presto "G,""J" & "Y" disc recorders
Speak-O-Phone
Electro Voice 630, V-2
Electro Voice 640
Shure 55A,B &C
U.S. okayed sale of surplus war materiel to Britain
First peacetime military draft in U.S. history approved, Sept. 14.
1941 Shure 55 C • 42 minutes on 1st tape (wire recorder used to copy phonographs)
• Ampex Electric Company - Made electric motors for airplane radar systems
Lend-Lease Act signed Mar. 11 provided $7 bil in military credits for Britain. Lend-Lease for USSR approved
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 7:55 am Hawaiian time, Dec. 7; called by Roosevelt “a date that will live in infamy”; 19 ships sunk or damaged, 2,300 dead. U.S. declared war on Japan Dec. 8, on Germany and Italy Dec. 11.
1942 Electro Voice 630, 640, V-1, V-2
Shure 55A &C
The first stereo tape recordings are made by Helmut Kruger at German Radio in Berlin. Battle of Midway June 4-7 was Japan's first major defeat.
U.S., Britain invaded North Africa Nov. 8.
First nuclear chain reaction
1943 Shure 55 C
Oklahoma! opened Mar. 31 on Broadway.
937 Magnetophons sold by 1943-44
Race riot in Detroit June 21; 34 dead, 700 injured. Riot in Harlem section of New York City Aug. 2; 6 killed. 1944
The name AMPEX consists Poniatoff's initials, with "EX" for "excellent" to form the unique name. more
• Tom Dowd - Worked on Manhattan project using wire recorders U.S., Allied forces invaded Europe at Normandy on “D Day,” June 6
Battle of the Bulge, failed Nazi counteroffensive
1945
Bill Mullin with US Army Signal Corps ships 2 German Magnetophons and 50 reels of tape back to US. Pic #1 Pic #2 Pic #3 Pic #4 Pic #5
Brush BK-401
• Ampex Military contracts
• Magnetaphon Germans
Empire State Building struck accidentally by Army B-25 bomber, July 28, killing 13.
Yalta Conference
Marines landed on Iwo Jima
Pres. Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, GA, Apr. 12
Germany surrendered May 7; May 8 proclaimed V-E Day.
First atomic bombs
Japan agreed to surrender Aug. 14
Victory Grill opens in Austin, TX and becomes a famous Blues bar with folks like the Gray Ghost and W.C. Clark
1946 First licensed wire recorders manufactured by Pentron, Pierce Wire Recorder Corporation, and others. The company that became Pierce Wire Recorder Corp. began as Radiotechnic Laboratories of Evanston, Illinois. Brush Development Corp. builds a semiprofessional tape recorder as its Model BK401 Soundmirror.
Ampex incorporated as Ampex Electric Corporation
• Bill Mullin demo in San Francisco for Crosby
3M introduces Scotch No. 100, a black oxide paper tape.
• Webster Chicago Wire recorder 180
baby boom began
Philippines given independence
Winston Churchill employed the phrase “iron curtain.”
1947
3M Corp introduces a line of sound recording tapes
International Radio and Electronics Corporation (CROWN)
Webster Wire 80 $149.50
Shure 556 $49.98
Bing Crosby uses Mullin's recorders to record radio show. Thanks to James Reed for clip & pics
Ampex Model 200A audio recorder demonstrated at Radio Center, Hollywood, Calif
• KVLF Radio Station created in Alpine, TexasAir Force Capt. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier
Marshall Plan
1948 Sony Corporation begins its efforts to design a tape recorder
Early Ampex ad
Webster Wire 78 $99.50
Webster Wire 80 $149.50
Model 83 Control Box $29.95
Magnecord introduces its PT-6, the first tape recorder in portable cases. Bing Crosby with early Ampex 200s
• Ampex # 1 2 - $4,000 stainless steel machined 14” reel, 30ips,
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is formed in New York City.
Berlin Airlift
Organization of American States founded
Truman defeats Dewey
Austin's Skyline Club opens. It is one of the last venues where Hank Williams played.
1949 Bell RecordOFone RT-65 $113
Pentron Astra Sonic ad $149.50
Electro Voice 611 $19.11
Turner S33D ad $15.88
Turner 22X ad $11.76
Ampex 300 Ampex introduces its Model 300 professional studio recorder.
NATO established
Federal minimum wage raised from 40¢ an hour to 75¢
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
1950
Concertone 401 $295
Bell RecordOFone RT-65 $113
Pentron Astra Sonic ad $149.50• First Ampex 300 - Sold several thousand - began using molded plastic, $2,000
Guitarist Les Paul modifies his Ampex 300 with an extra preview head for "Sound-on-Sound" overdubs.
Brink's robbed of $2.8 million
North Korea invades South Korea
US military advisers to South Vietnam
Peanuts comic strip started
1951
Magnecord PT6-BN $884 Stereo
Bell RecordOFone RT-65 $113
Pentron Astra Sonic ad $149.50
Stereo kits became available adding a 2 channel head and an additional amplifier to create stereo in mono tape recorders
• Ampex 350 - many thousands made
Rosenberg trials
Transcontinental TV
Catcher in the Rye
1952
Go to adsMagnecorder PT6J-AH $330
Magnecorder PT6-J $260
Magnecorder M30,M33 $499.95
Bell RecordOFone RT-65 $113
To create a "stereo effect" the Cook Disc System had 2 concentric grooves and the player had 2 side-byside tone arms and pickups. Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952
Nixon “Checkers” speech
1953
Go to adsBell RecordOFone RT-65 $113
Magnecorder PT6J-AH $330
Magnecorder PT6-J $260
Magnecorder M30,M33 $499.95
Ampex 450 for background music - 8 hours of continuous music on 14" reels
• Ampex - 4 track instrumentation recorder
Ampex introduces the first high speed reel-to-reel duplicator as its Model 3200.
Rosenbergs executed
Korean War ends
1954
Ampex 350 $1,315
Berlant Concertone 20/20 $445.00
Crown 3M
Magnecorder PT6J-AH $330
Magnecorder PT6-J $260
Magnecorder M30,M33 $499.95
• Ampex 600 - 80,000 25 lbs $540 - specs almost same as 350
The first commercial 2-track stereo tapes are released.
Ampex Series "A" Stereo models A121, A122, Later called 960 & Mono models A111 & A112
Army-McCarthy hearings
Racial segregation ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court
Condemnation of Sen. McCarthy
Ernest Hemingway - Nobel Prize
1955
Ampex 350 $1,315
Ampex 600 $545
Crown 3M
Magnecorder PT6J-AH $330
Magnecorder PT6-J $260
• Ampex - 1/2 sales telemetry to government
Ampex develops "Sel-Sync" (Selective Synchronous Recording), making audio overdubbing practical.
Ampex Series "A" Stereo models A121, A122, Later called 960 & Mono models A111 & A112
U.S. agrees to train South Vietnamese army
Supreme Court ordered “all deliberate speed” in integration of public schools
Rosa Parks
AFL-CIO created
1956
Ampex 350 $1,315
Ampex 600 $545
Ampex 601 $545
Ampex 601-2 $995
Berlant Concertone 20/20 $1,095
Crown 3M
Magnecorder PT6J-AH $330
Magnecorder PT6-J $260
• Ampex - Consumer division Moved to Chicago
Ampex Series "A" Stereo models A121, A122, Later called 960 & Mono models A111 & A112
Les Paul makes the first 8-track recordings using the "Sel-Sync" method.
interstate highway system
First transatlantic telephone cable
My Fair Lady opened on Broadway
4-Channel CinemaScope introduced
IBM First RAM
1957
Crown 3M
$269.95/$169.95
Electro Voice 623 $57.00
Electro Voice 664 Gray Chrome $49.98
Congress approved first civil rights bill for blacks since Reconstruction, Apr. 29, to protect voting rights.
Little Rock students
“direct link” between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.
The Continental Club opens in Austin, Texas. In the 1970's it hosts Stevie Ray Vaughn & Joe Ely.
Martin in ham shack, Alpine, Texas KN5YCJ
1958
note the Rolls Royce style logo for Roberts (later changed)
Ampex 601-2 $995
Ampex 960 Caprice $650
Crown 3M
Crown Prince $480
Magnemite 610 $335
$465.75 '58
Norelco "Continental" $279.50
Pentron NL-3 $269.95
Sony 555-A $595 '58
Webcor Regent $209.95
Wollensak T-1515 $229.50
Calrad 500C $4.95
Electro Voice 623 $57.00
Electro Voice 664 Gray Chrome $49.98
Chronology of Magnetic Recording up until 1958
Stefan Kudelski introduces the Nagra III battery-operated transistorized field tape recorder, which with its "Neo-Pilot" sync system becomes the de facto standard of the film industry
First U.S. earth satellite to go into orbit
First domestic jet airline passenger service in U.S.
David Forchheimer in Martin's ham radio shack (Alpine, Texas Central school out window). Martin's friendship with David who was a classmate that worked at Alpine's KVLF radio station also peaked an interest in radio, recording and the music business.
1959
Ampex 601-2 $995
Crown 3M
Sony 555-A $595 '58
Calrad 500C $4.95
Electro Voice 623 $57.00
Buddy Holly died
Ritchie Valens died
The Big Bopper died
Ampex stock listed on N.Y. and Pacific Stock Exchange
Tape Recorder Magazine, Feb, 1959 " Best estimate places the number of (tape) recorders sold at over 2,000,000. Since 1954 the sale of tape recorders has gone up a steadily 20% a year."
Alaska admitted as 49th state - Martin had to quit saying that Alpine was the largest city in Brewster County which was the largest county in the largest state - TEXAS (:-(
Khrushchev in US
quiz show scandal
1877 to 1959 Go to 1960 to 1979 • Go to 1980 to present
Go to page dedicated to our microphone collection • Reel to Reel Tape Recorder Company Histories
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