The World’s First Practical Tape Recorder

On January 3, 2015 - TV History

Picture Parade #4…The World’s First Practical Tape Recorder

Here are two prototype models of the AEG Magnetophone which was developed in Germany in the early 1930s. This is the K1 model which soon came down to a more manageable size. Captured Nazi machines were sent back to the US and was what Ampex based it’s early work on. At this link is an amazing live recording from April, 1935.

Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee


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7 Comments

  1. David Fell January 5, 2015

    I’ve been reading a lot on this subject lately. Most of Germany’s Magnetophone’s didn’t sound like much, except for a couple of experimental models that added AC Bias. Learned that in a book I just read and enjoyed very much, “Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music.” http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030CHEYU/

  2. George Wolff January 4, 2015

    Didn’t they start with wire recorders, Bob?

  3. Andy Snavley January 4, 2015

    Love this

  4. Gary Donahue January 4, 2015

    That is really cool! It is fascinating to see how pioneers of technology can come up with unique products like this. It would be interesting to see the stages of development from Edison’s wax cylinder to this…and also what inspired Edison to come up with the wax cylinder.

  5. Wally Roper January 3, 2015

    The fidelity of that recording is quite astounding..

  6. Carl Melvin Bennett January 3, 2015

    And vinyl tape!

  7. Kerry Manderbach January 3, 2015

    I’ve always wondered why the original developers of this technology didn’t sue Ampex. Was it because Germany was defeated and “To the victor belongs the spoils”? Is that an actual legal thing?