Remembering the Soviet reel-to-reel tape recorders. Soviet tape recorders The very first tape recorder in the USSR

In the 1980s, the tape recorder was the main attribute of the tough guy who could easily throw a party or take equipment with him on a camping trip. With a "cassette player" you could go out into the yard or walk around the area with friends. "The cassette player" was the dream of all the boys of those years ...

The tape recorder was the most important part of the non-state culture and non-state economy of the Soviet Union. State culture was heard through radio hotspots, "Record" televisions and "Aurora" electrophones.
The tape recorder, thanks to the possibility of re-recording, distributed what was not released on records and did not sound on TV - from Vysotsky with Galich to Arkady Severny and Pink Floyd, covering the entire spectrum of music not covered by Melodiya.
Household appliances were expensive. Not cheap - that's to say the least. The average Soviet family prepared for the purchase of a cassette tape recorder with no less trepidation than, say, for the birth of their first child.


Money for a shabby cassette player was put aside for months, during which all family members, without exception, were engaged in a painful and painful process, which I once described with the strange word "watching." This process boiled down to regular visits to stores with radio goods.
Although, the process is a bit of a different word that defines all the action that unfolded in these stores. If you think about it, it was not difficult for buyers of those years to make the right choice - the number of products offered at the same time never reached even a dozen.
Nevertheless, in the sales areas of stores, always and at any time, one could meet a crowd of sullen men who crowded together at the counter, silently looking at the angular radios, massive turntables and cassette decks.


As a rule, each of the men was mentally aimed at a particular product, which he came to look at every day. The whole process took 10-15 minutes, after which one "kind of buyer" was replaced by another. People came and went, but the crowd of curious people almost never ceased.
At this exhibition of unfulfilled desires dominated, of course, the seller. The sellers in the radio stores of those years were quite an interesting type: dressed in the latest fashion in one hundred-ruble imported jeans, they radiated around them a charge of grandeur, uniqueness and awareness of their own superiority over ordinary mortals.
Not paying any attention to the "stailers", the seller looked majestically through the crowd, looking at the fragments of trolleybuses, grain vans and panel transporters, barely visible over the heads of human beings, steadily making their way along the city streets


Of course, this was not always the case. From time to time the doors of the store were thrown open by yesterday's "stanzel", and he did it not cautiously and ingratiatingly, as usual, but in a businesslike manner, confidently and proudly looking at those around him. And immediately everyone around them understood that this man would certainly buy something now ...


Portable cassette monophonic tape recorder of the third class "Electronics-302"
Tape recorder "Electronics-302" produced until 1984. The main plant that produced this model is the Moscow "TochMash", the "Elektronika-302" tape recorder is designed to record and reproduce sound on a magnetic tape 3.81 mm wide placed in an MK-60 cassette.
It is developed on the basis of the unified model "Elektronika-301", differing from it by the use of a new dynamic head 1GD-40 instead of 0.5GD-30, sliders for volume and tone controls, and a more modern appearance. Due to the claims of the warranty workshops for the poor quality of the sliders, they were soon replaced with regular angle ones.
Over the years, the tape recorder has undergone many changes in the electrical circuit, transistors and a microcircuit were installed in the output stage of the amplifier, the whole circuit was corrected.


Portable cassette recorders "Electronics-321" and "Electronics-322.
The tape recorders are designed on the basis of the "Spring-305" tape drive mechanism. In the new tape recorders, the drive of the clutch of the receiving unit has been modernized, racks for small-sized cassettes and latches of the block of magnetic heads in the vertical direction are installed.
The "321" series tape recorder uses a built-in electronic microphone, manual and automatic recording level control, loudness control, and a 1GD-40 type loudspeaker.


Cassette recorders "Electronics-323/1" and "Electronics-324/1".
Novovoronezh plant Aliot. Models 1981 and 1987
Household Wearable Monaural Cassette Recorders "" Electronics-323 "" and "Electronics-324" "- designed for recording and reproduction of sound phonograms in any conditions. Built-in power supply unit, autonomous power supply from batteries or car battery makes tape recorders universal in use. Of the service facilities, the models have ARUZ and signal output.
In terms of the electrical circuit and general design, the devices coincide, the only difference is the absence of a built-in microphone in the "Elektronika-324" tape recorder.


Portable tape recorder "Electronics-211 stereo".
Novovoronezh plant "Aliot". Release since 1983.
Portable cassette stereo tape recorder "" Electronics-211 stereo "" designed for recording or playing sound programs from a microphone, receiver, pickup, TV or other tape recorder.
It provides for manual and automatic adjustment of the recording level, there is an auto-stop, a noise reduction device, separate tone controls, a linen consumption meter
you, two built-in microphones.


Tape recorder "Electronics-311-C"
Novovoronezh plant "Aliot" - Issued since 1977
Tape recorder "Electronics-311-S" provides tone control for high and low frequencies, automatic and manual control of the recording level of all inputs, a temporary pause of the tape movement, erasing the recording, the ability to visual and sound control of the recorded signal.
For high-quality listening and expanding the stereo base, the device is equipped with two external speaker systems. The tape recorder was produced in four configuration options: 1. With a power supply unit and a microphone. 2. Without power supply unit and microphone. 3. With a microphone but without a power supply unit. 4. Without power supply unit and microphone. In the complete set No. 1, the price of the "Electronics-311S" tape recorder is 289 rubles.


Portable cassette recorder "Vesna-202"
Zaporozhye Electric Machine Building Plant Iskra. Serial production of the model began in 1977.
Class II monaural cassette recorder " "Spring-202" "(UNM-12) in contrast to the manufactured cassette tape recorders of the second and third classes, it has an increased output power of a low-frequency amplifier, a noise reduction system, manual and automatic adjustment of the sound recording level.
The price is 200 rubles.


Cassette stereo tape recorder "Spring-201-stereo".
Zaporozhye EMZ Iskra. Model release since 1977.
Record player "Spring-201-stereo" works on its own loudspeaker as monaural, and on external speakers as stereophonic. The band of reproducible sound frequencies on remote speakers is 63 ... 10000 Hz. The nominal output power of the amplifiers for their own speaker is 0.8 W, for remote speakers 2x3 W.
In anticipation of the 1980 Olympic Games, from the beginning of 1978, the "Olympic" attribute was added to the name of the tape recorder. Accordingly, the cost of the tape recorder has also increased. Until 1978, the plastic case of the tape recorder on the sides and back upwards was pasted over with a decorative film imitating a tree, and since 1978 it began to be produced only in plastic, with the addition of an aluminum design.


Portable cassette recorder "Vesna-202-1"
Zaporizhzhya Electric Machine Building Plant Iskra. The production of the tape recorder began in 1983.
Monaural cassette recorder "Spring-202-1" "type UNM-12 has increased output power, noise reduction system, manual and automatic recording level adjustment. The level is controlled by a pointer indicator, and the consumption of the magnetic tape is carried out by a three-decade mechanical counter.
The operating sound frequency range of the tape recorder is 63 ... 12500 Hz. The tape recorder is powered by 6 elements 373.
The price is 195 rubles.


Portable cassette tape recorder of the 2nd class "Spring-207-stereo"
Zaporozhye Electric Machine Building Plant Iskra. Issue 1982 g.
The tape recorder has a switchable noise reduction system, automatic transfer of the LPM to stop mode when the power is turned off and at the end of the tape in the cassette or due to a malfunction of the cassette.
Provides automatic level control when recording. Includes peak overload indicators, electret microphone, tape meter with memory device, tape type switch.
The device is powered by 6 batteries 373, 7 - A-343 or from a 220 V network. through the built-in rectifier.


Cassette stereophonic tape recorder of the second class "Spring-211-stereo". Zaporozhye Electric Machine Building Plant Iskra. Graduated from 1978.
A tape recorder similar in appearance, design and parameters under the brand name "" Russia-211-stereo "", has been producing since 1979 the Chelyabinsk PO - "Flight" ".
The tape recorder is developed on the basis of the "Spring-201-stereo" model and differs from it in its external design and in the presence of such operational conveniences as; full auto-stop, as well as control of the recording level by peak indicators, on LEDs. There is a noise reduction device and a tape consumption meter.
The tape recorder can operate on the built-in loudspeaker "2GD-40" or on the remote loudspeakers "6AC-503", each of them has 2 heads of the 4GD-35 type. Power supply from the mains or from eight elements 373.


Portable cassette recorder "Vesna M-212 S-4"
The release has been established since 1989 Zaporozhye tape recorder plant Vesna and the electric machine building plant Iskra.
The tape recorder was also referred to as "Spring-212-4S" and "Spring-212 S-4"... It allows music and speech programs from various sources of sound programs to be recorded on magnetic tape and played back through the built-in speaker.
It has a hitchhiking when the tape ends in a cassette or its jamming, control of the recording level by pointer, as well as peak indicators, control of the supply voltage by a pointer indicator, a switchable ARUZ system, there is a tape type switch, a three-decade tape consumption meter in a cassette, with a device memory, switchable noise reduction system and a device for expanding the stereo base, which improves sound quality. The tape recorder is powered from the mains or 8 elements 373.
Price RUB 365


Cassette stereo tape recorder "IZH-303-stereo"
Izhevsk Motorcycle Plant (Axion JSC). Graduated from 1986.
In a tape recorder "IZH-303-stereo" provides for manual and automatic adjustment of the recording level, auto-stop when the tape breaks and ends in the cassette, there is a tape consumption meter with a memory device, dial indicators of the recording level, a noise reduction system.
External speakers and TDS-9, TDS-6 headphones can be connected to the device. Power supply is universal: from 6 elements А343 Salyut-1 or from the mains. Rated output power - 2x1 W. The working range of sound frequencies is 63 ... 10000 Hz.
Price 285 rubles.


Portable cassette tape recorder for p / p "Elegia-301"
Voronezh plant Electropribor. Graduated from 1986.
In a tape recorder "Elegy-301" there is a built-in electret microphone, ARUZ system, switchable noise reduction system, tone controls for low and high frequencies.
According to the same electrical circuit and design, but with slightly different design of the front panel, different factories of the country produced tape recorders of the brands "Agidel-301" and "Legenda-301".
The price of the "Elegy-301" model is 184 rubles.


Portable cassette recorder "Tom-303"
Tomsk Radio Engineering Plant. Serial production since 1982.
In a tape recorder "Tom-303" a switchable noise reduction device is provided to reduce the noise level during playback.
The "Tom-303" tape recorder allows recording and playback while moving when carrying and during transportation. This ensures that basic electrical parameters and sound quality are maintained.
The tape recorder is powered from the mains, through the built-in power supply unit, or from batteries. Since 1985 the plant has been producing the "Tom M-303" tape recorder with a different front panel design and a wide range of colors for the case.


Cassette recorder "Belarus-301"
Record player "Belarus-301" allows you to record phonograms from a microphone, from a receiver, TV, broadcast line, pickup, electric player or other tape recorder. The recording level is controlled by a dial gauge.
An external amplifier with a speaker system or a small-sized speaker system with an impedance of about 4 ohms can be connected to the tape recorder.
The range of recorded and reproduced frequencies is 63 ... 10000 Hz. The rated output power when driving an external speaker is 0.8 W. Duration of work from a set of elements - 15 hours. Power consumption from the network is 5 W.


Portable cassette recorder "Karpaty-202-1"
Precarpathian Radio Plant. PA "Karpaty". Ivano-Frankivsk Production of a tape recorder has been established since 1977
Class 2 monaural cassette recorder "Karpaty-202-1" "(UNM-12) was produced simultaneously with the "Spring-202-1" model and according to its electrical circuit and design, nothing from
it is not different.
In turn, both tape recorders are the modernization of the "Vesna-202" and "Karpaty-202" tape recorders differing from them only in the loudspeaker grill and minor changes in the electrical circuit. The range of audio frequencies of the tape recorder at the linear output is from 63 to 10000 Hz, and those reproduced by the loudspeaker is 100 ... 10000 Hz.
The tape recorder is powered by six elements 373. The nominal output power of the amplifier is 1 W, the maximum is 2 W.
The price is 200 rubles.


Portable cassette recorder "Karpaty-205-1"
Precarpathian Radio Plant. Manufactured since 1987.
The tape recorder was produced on the basis of the "Spring-205-1" model and, with minor changes to the circuit, is completely similar to it.


Cassette recorder "Parus-201-stereo"
Saratov plant "Znamya Truda". Production started in 1983.
Record player "Parus-201-stereo" has the following functions: recording and listening to stereo and mono programs through an external amplifier in stereo and mono modes, or through a built-in monitor speaker in mono mode; the ability to connect stereo phones and an external loudspeaker or speaker; built-in noise suppressor; hitchhiking of all modes; three-decade tape consumption meter.
The tape recorder has a universal power supply: from a 220 volt network through a built-in power supply, from an external 12 volt direct current source or from 8 A-343 elements. Frequency response: 40 ... 14000 Hz; The maximum output power of the amplifier is 2.5 W:


Cassette stereo tape recorder - "Parus M-213S". Saratov plant "Znamya Truda". Manufactured since 1991.
Record player "Sail M-213S" it can work in a stand-alone version as monophonic for reproduction of phonograms through its own built-in speaker, or in a stationary version as a stereo one with two speakers. The range of recorded and reproduced sound frequencies on chromium oxide magnetic tape is not less than 63 ... 14000 Hz.
The nominal output power for its own speaker is 1 W, for remote speakers 2x1 W the maximum output power is 2x3 W.


Portable cassette recorder "Proton-401", "Proton-402" and "Proton-402MT". Kharkov Radio Plant "Proton" Production since 1980.
In a tape recorder "Proton-401", "Proton-402" and "Proton-402MT" provided by ARUZ, auto-stop at the end of the tape in the cassette, a dial indicator of the recording level and a built-in microphone. Powered by 6 A-373 elements and a network, in this case the output power doubles.
The device has an automatic recording level system, a tape-type switch, high-frequency tone control. The range of operating sound frequencies at the linear output is 40 ... 12500 Hz, at the loudspeaker 200 ... 7000 Hz. The rated output power is 1.2 watts.
Since the beginning of 1985, on the basis of this tape recorder, a two-speed, four-track tape recorder of the "Proton-402MT" type has been produced. It is intended for the reproduction of phonograms "" The Talking Book "" for people with vision loss. The electrical circuit and design of the model, except for the track switch and the second speed - 2.38 cm / s - are similar.


Tape recorder "Proton M-412"
Kharkov Radio Plant Proton. MG release since 1988.
Class 4 portable cassette recorder "" Proton M-412 "" assembled on transistors and microcircuits. It is designed for recording or reproducing phonograms on magnetic tape A-4207-3B or similar in standard MK-60 cassettes. The number of recording tracks is 2.
The range of sound frequencies effectively recorded and reproduced through the LV is 63-10000 Hz, the frequency range reproduced by the internal loudspeaker 1GDSH-3 is 150 ... 7000 Hz. Power supply is universal, from a 220 volt network or from 4 A343 elements. Rated output power 0.5 W. Power consumption from the network is 8 W.
The price of the model is 125 rubles.

Portable cassette transistor tape recorder class 4 - "Legenda-404" Arzamas instrument-making plant named after 50th anniversary of the USSR. Graduated in 1981
"" Legend-404 ""- portable cassette recorder class IV with universal power supply. The tape recorder can be used as a voice recorder. The range of recorded and reproduced sound frequencies at a higher speed is 63 ... 10000 Hz, and at a lower speed 80 ... 3150 Hz. The supply voltage is 9 volts from 6 A-343 batteries or from the mains through a separate power supply.
The nominal output power of the amplifier is 0.5 W, maximum 0.8 W. The tape recorder has a built-in electret microphone, an ARUZ system, connectors for installing a special radio cassette operating in the LW or only MW range and allowing you to turn the tape recorder into a radio tape recorder.
Since 1989, the tape recorder has been produced under the name "Legend M-404". In general, the model was a long-liver, the release of the tape recorder was completed in March 1994.
The price of the "Legend M-404" tape recorder is 139 rubles.




Portable cassette stereophonic tape recorders "Vesna M-310S", "Rus M-310S", "Rus M-310-1S", "Vesna M-310S1"
Zaporozhye plant Iskra ("Vesna M-310S", "Vesna M-310S-1")
Ryazan Instrument Plant (Rus M-310S "," Rus M-310-1S ")
Release of models "M-310S" since 1987, "M-310S-1" since 1990.
All tape recorders have the same design and are based on the model " "Spring-310-stereo" "... The difference is in the external design and minor changes in the electrical circuit.
The tape recorder has the ability to: automatically stop the tape recorder at the end of the magnetic tape in the cassette or a cassette malfunction; automatic adjustment of the recording level; control of the recording level by peak indicators on LEDs; stereo balance adjustments; separate tone control for high and low frequencies; the use of magnetic tapes of two types; automatic switching of the type of tape.
The noise reduction system ensures that the level of noise during playback is reduced. Nutrition; from 6 elements 343 or from an alternating current network through a remote power supply unit. The body of the tape recorder is made of impact-resistant polystyrene. The set includes 2 cassettes of the "MK-60" type.


Portable cassette recorder "Rus-207-stereo"
Ryazan State Instrument Plant. Serial production of the device began in 1985.
Cassette recorder "" Rus-207-stereo "", was produced on the basis of the model "Spring-207stereo" "1982 release. Different factories of the USSR, according to the same design and electrical circuit, then
similar cassette recorders were produced with the following names:
"Tarnair-207-stereo" and "Ritm-203-stereo" ".
Playback in monophonic mode through the built-in speaker, in stereophonic mode - through an external UCU and external speakers The operating frequency range at the line output is 40 ... 14000 Hz, when using a magnetic tape - A-4312-3B. The rated output power of its own speaker is 1 W, the maximum is 2 W.
Retail price 265 rubles


Cassette recorder "Sonata-211"
Velikie Luki software Radiopribor. Graduated from 1980.
The model has ARUZ and separate controls for the treble and bass tone, tape consumption meter, dial indicator of the recording level
and power status, built-in electret microphone, pause mode. For the first time in domestic tape recorders of this class, a tape-type switch was used, and the possibility of recording on a chromium dioxide tape was provided. The tape recorder is equipped with a retractable carrying handle.
The speaker model is equipped with a 2GD-40 loudspeaker. An external speaker with a resistance of 4 Ohms can be connected to the device. Power is supplied from the mains, through the built-in stabilized power supply unit, or from batteries.
Rated output power - 0.7 W, when operating from the mains or from an auto-accumulator 1.5 W. The operating frequency range at the linear output is 63..12500 Hz, when recording on a chromium dioxide tape 63 ... 14000 Hz. The frequency range reproduced through the loudspeaker is 100 ... 10000 Hz. The power consumed from the network is 10 W.
The price is 260 rubles.

Portable cassette stereo tape recorder "Sonata MP-213S". Velikie Luki software Radiopribor. The release of the set-top box tape recorder began in 1989.
Stereo up to line out set-top box tape recorder "" Sonata MP-213S "" intended for recording and playback of stereo and monophonic phonograms. In stand-alone mode, the model operates on the built-in loudspeaker as a monaural one, and when connected to stereo phones or a stereo amplifier with speakers as a stereo one.
The tape recorder is powered from six A-343 elements, or from the mains, through a built-in power supply. The first releases of tape recorders were named as - "" Sonata-213-stereo ""

Cassette portable monophonic tape recorder - "Romantic-306"
Gorky plant named after Petrovsky. Model production since 1979.
The model was also produced for a short time by the Petropavlovsk plant named after. Kirov, but without the index "" M "". The carrying handle was either rigid, made of duralumin and plastic, or like a shoulder strap.
The operating frequency range at the linear output is 63 ... 10000 Hz, the loudspeaker is 100 ... 10000 Hz. Rated output power 0.5 W, maximum, when operating from the mains 4 W.
In 1985, the Petrovsky plant began production of a modernized model - "Romantic M-306-2"

Once I remembered about VCRs in the USSR, and now I remembered the seemingly forgotten wiping of the pickup head with cologne on simple tape recorders.
My first (or rather not mine, but my father's tape recorder) was a reel-to-reel stereo tape recorder "Mayak-203". His father bought it in 1979 before the Moscow Olympics, and it had Olympic symbols on it. When I grew up and became interested in music myself, I was very dissatisfied with this tape recorder. First, he weighed 12.5 kg. and it was rather inconvenient to carry it to friends for re-recording.

And secondly, it was horizontal, which was not considered cool, unlike the vertical "Jupiter", "Orbit" or "Saturn" (not to mention the semi-professional "Olympus"). And to them without fail (to give greater steepness) relied on speakers, an amplifier and color music.

By the way, Olimp provided almost studio quality recording and reproduction of music, and many of the now famous performers and groups in the early 80s recorded their music and songs on Olimp. And then we listened to these recordings: "Aquarium", "Zoo", "Time Machine", etc., and were not at all surprised at the poor sound quality, attributing it to the twentieth or thirtieth re-recording of the film.

Therefore, in 1984, I still begged my father to buy a real Japanese Sharp GF 9191 cassette recorder for my personal use. This cassette player was bought by a second-hand one from a foreign seaman and was roughly the same age as Mayak-203 (1980). 700 rubles, it seems my father gave it for him: and to hell with them - I later gave more.
The owners of good reel-to-reel tape recorders treated cassette tape recorders with contempt (they say the sound quality is not the same), but compare Sharp GF 9191 "with" Mayak-203 ", and agree that this is heaven and earth. Moreover, this miracle of Japanese electronics both recorded and reproduced music, as for me, so perfect.
And I will say without false modesty - with this Sharpe I was cool, although I had the sense not to wear him with the music on on my bent arm or on my shoulder, dancing. By the way, that Sharpe worked for me until the mid-90s, and is still alive (lying somewhere with his parents). The tape heads there, of course, have worn out, but you can still listen to the receiver.

Unlike rock musicians, for whom high-quality recording of music was very important, domestic bards: Galich, Vysotsky, Vizbor, etc., quite themselves recorded their apartment owners on cassette tape recorders. Imported, of course, because the domestic industry has not mastered high-quality cassette tape recorders, although there were successful brands. First of all, of course, it is a series of different models and modifications of the portable cassette recorders "Vesna" and their clones "Rhythm" and "Sonata".

First of all, these cassettes were appreciated for their lightness and reliability - they could be easily carried with you to the beach, to parties, to the yard or to a construction brigade. And secondly, through the amplifier and acoustics, they reproduced quite good sound. But the quality of re-recording on these tape recorders left much to be desired - almost all domestic cassette recorders gave a dull sound when recording. And one more detail - for some reason, the cover of the cassette receiver almost always quickly flew off the "Spring".
Soon these tape recorders will become the same rarity as gramophone and radio tape recorders, but not so much time has passed - in many car brands, even before 2003, an autoradio tape recorder was installed without fail. Not many years have passed, but it already seems that these tape recorders were in a completely different life ...

Music in the USSR was considered something optional for the everyday life of a citizen, a kind of permissible surplus (except, of course, songs performed in chorus - on the pioneer lineup, in the military ranks, etc.). Therefore, devices for playing and recording music were interpreted more as a thing closer to luxury goods than everyday use.

Buying a tape recorder in the Soviet years was a very serious undertaking! First, in relation to salaries, they were extremely expensive. For example, this handsome cassette tape recorder "Spring 211-1-stereo" together with speakers cost 365 rubles! With a regular salary of 120 rubles! Three monthly salaries for an ordinary cassette player! And some top-class reel-to-reel tape recorders could cost much more.

Secondly, it was a big problem to buy a model that would not break in the first month of work, which happened quite often. "Soviet material is a soft thing," said one of Platonov's heroes, and this was fully applicable to Soviet tape recorders.

However, in fairness, I must say that by the mid-80s in the USSR they learned to produce pretty good reel-to-reel tape recorders. They broke infrequently and produced a good sound. However, who wanted a reel-to-reel tape recorder in those years? They were bulky, not transportable, even the process of filling the film itself required a certain skill. And most importantly, bobbins by that time were rapidly being replaced by cassettes. In general, in adolescence among the reel-to-reel tape recorder was considered a hopeless archaism. Or at least a thing for electronics fans.

But with cassette tape recorders, the situation was tight. Okay, they were terrifying designs (see the picture above - isn't it how elegant this Spring "suitcase" is?). Worst of all, they were outrageously unreliable to operate. The normal operating mode of the Soviet cassette recorder is from one repair in a service center to the next.

This fact speaks volumes. The manufacturers indicated in the warranty that if in the first year of operation the product is repaired at the service center a certain number of times (either five or six), then the buyer will be able to exchange it for a new model free of charge. That is, the manufacturer initially assumed that his product could break five times in the first year! And many of my friends used this right - their tape recorders broke just the right number of times.

I will clarify that we were not talking about some minor breakdowns like a falling off button. Such a trifle was corrected at home. It must be said that the mechanical control buttons were probably designed by engineers specifically for the purpose of occupying the leisure of the consumer. They constantly fell out, fell, fell off, etc. Moreover, they were a very clever design of springs, transmission levers, pulleys. Sometimes I wondered what an engineering thought could reach in an effort to complicate a simple thing!

Probably the breakdown champion was the nightmarish hybrids of tape recorder, radio, and turntable. These bulky monsters had much more bottlenecks than conventional tape recorders, and therefore brought a huge amount of trouble to their owners. But one of the more or less reliable models of the middle class was the line of tape recorders "Mayak".

These cassette decks cost without speakers, if I'm not mistaken, about 200 rubles. Probably, it would be wrong to say that they did not break. Of course, they broke! But compared to many other models, they, how to say, were more amenable to repair with folk remedies - for example, kicks on the body. Or a simple method worked: disassembled, reassembled and everything works. Sometimes it was necessary to resort to more sophisticated methods.

For example, it was often possible to see in houses how the tape recorder stands at an angle, because something was placed under its leg. It turned out that he could only work in such a tilted position (the tilt angle was calculated empirically). Or, on the contrary, the tape recorder only started working if a heavy stack of books was loaded on top of it. But the most striking design I saw was from one comrade.

He had to put a spoon under the cassette, and put a weight on the spoon to make it heavier. Only with such crutches the manitophone worked. But nevertheless, if "Mayak" could somehow work with all these ridiculous methods, then the aforementioned "Spring" died completely and did not react to any poultices.

Well, the height of desire, of course, were Japanese tape recorders - Sharp, Sony, Panasonic. They stood proudly on the shelves of consignment shops, flaunting mind-boggling price tags. They differed from their Soviet counterparts a mile away by their catchy design, and most importantly, many of them were double-cassette - an extraordinary rarity for Soviet technology, which was very much appreciated in the years of dubbing from cassette to cassette.

By the way, Soviet cassettes were a curiosity much worse than Soviet tape recorders. More unfortunate things were hard to find.

Oddly enough, but in the USSR, tape cassettes were not in short supply. It was a rare occasion when a product that could potentially be in short supply was sold everywhere, but at a price that would rule out any hype. In any Radiotovary store, the shelves were filled with imported cassettes of various brands. They all cost exactly the same regardless of the manufacturer - nine rubles for a 90-minute cassette. The price by today's standards, of course, is completely absurd. The monthly salary of an engineer of 120 rubles could have been chicly poured into as many as 13 cassettes!

However, it was possible not to glamor, but to modestly buy home-made cassettes - at four rubles per piece. But what a cassette it was! Song, not cassettes! If in the State Planning Committee a certain sent Cossack was wound up, who would directly order the cassette manufacturers - "Make such a cassette so that by its very existence it would defame the Soviet industry" - he would have to be extremely pleased with what happened. Because it turned out not even "as always", but much worse.

When the Soviet cassette was lying on the counter next to its imported counterparts, it gave the impression of not even a poor relative, no! Rather, some podzabornogo bogey, quietly adjoining the tail of a decent company. Start with the title. Imported cassettes were called by the resounding names of manufacturers - Basf, Denon, Sony, Toshiba, TDK, Agfa. The Soviet babe was named without the slightest glimpse of imagination - MK, which meant nothing more than a tape cassette. It is strange that it is not a KM - a magnetic tape cassette.

The appearance of this namesake of Moskovsky Komsomolets was terrible. Imported cassettes were packed in bright plastic wrappers, under which were the same colorful inserts. Their Soviet cousin was sold without a wrapper at all, and the design used mainly gray, red and brown tones. Apparently the aforementioned Cossack girl sent personally controlled the design.

The insert (a piece of paper in a cassette box for recording song titles) in imported cassettes was made of pleasant glossy paper. It is very convenient to write on it with a pencil, and if necessary, it was easily erased with an eraser. In Soviet cassettes, the insert was made of cardboard and newspaper rough paper. It was still possible to write on it once, but when you tried to erase the inscription with an eraser, the paper turned into a dirty mess.

However, this circumstance was just a trifle. Who could have needed to erase song titles and write new ones if the tape itself was, in principle, poorly adapted for re-recording? For the tape in the cassettes matched everything else. She could provide only a very modest recording quality, and when she tried to re-record often, she quickly failed.

But the tape recorders really liked this tape! They chewed it with great pleasure whenever possible. This case was foresightedly provided by cassette manufacturers, and therefore screws were often missing on the case. All imported cassettes were collapsible, that is, they were subject to minor repairs - for example, to straighten the film. Many Soviet cassettes were glued, they honestly tried to accompany the playback with a creak and whistle, but, alas, they did not lend themselves to repair. If the tape was jammed in the cassette, then the cassette could be thrown away immediately. Better yet, don't buy at all.

But didn't someone buy them? We bought it. Either completely unassuming consumers, or completely miserly. In any case, in school, to flash with an MK cassette meant condemning oneself to true ridicule. However, given that now you can find memories of Soviet times, kept in the most rosy tones, I would not be surprised if someone writes that Soviet cassettes were significantly superior to imported counterparts, worked perfectly and in general still serve someone regularly. ... I will not be surprised at all.

No, this is not a story about a ridiculous Soviet stage. And not about how cops chased hippies to cut their valuable trade hair. Here are just memories of what antediluvian audio equipment we had to coexist with. And about the smuggling of music, of course.

Oleg "Orange" Bocharov

Quick reference

First, a little systematized information so that you can easily navigate without using your brain.

60s in the USSR: mono sound, black and white TV, tube equipment, vinyl players, reel-to-reel tape recorders.

70s: stereo sound, gradual transition to color TV and transistor circuits, vinyl players, reel and cassette recorders, antediluvian reel-to-reel video recorders.

80s: everything is the same as in the 70s, plus consumer VHS video, and by the end of the decade - CDs and digital circuitry.

End of quick reference

To begin with, radio equipment and electronics in the USSR were divided into classes according to state standards. Moreover, in order to understand what social class a tape recorder or TV belongs to, it was not at all necessary to search for a description on the Internet. The first number in the name of the device usually indicated its level. Let's say "Vega 108" is clearly a first-class player. And "Legend 404" is clearly the fourth. The first class of "Vega" is, as they would say, the premium segment, and the fourth class of "Legends" is the starting budget. “Olimp-004”, therefore, is not even a premium, but luxury, that is, the highest class.

Of course, we, ordinary consumers, wanted to have a device of a higher class, but in Soviet reality there was always an element of chaos. The people loved some brands for their unpretentiousness and stability, and they avoided some as much as they could, even if they were stuck on labels of the first or second class. Indeed, all these class designations were based only on the passport data of the device, and not at all on its real reliability and suitability.

A spontaneous purchase of an unverified brand, without consulting professional friends, usually ended up with you carrying this unfortunate tape recorder for repairs for the rest of your life. And what is especially sad, I would have watched that the workshop is littered with exactly the same broken apparatus as yours!

Why do all former children of the USSR still fondly remember the "Elektronika-302" or "Mayak-205" tape recorders? Not at all because they were somehow especially high-quality, beautiful or cheap. In fact, they had none of these three qualities! But on the other hand, they were indestructible, they ate any film, they were included in the nastiest power grid. And as a bonus, they also played some kind of music.

Was it possible to buy a good stereo recorder with one worker's salary? Theoretically, yes, there were good second-class models for 200-250 rubles, but it must be borne in mind that these were mainly so-called "decks", they are also "prefixes", that is, an apparatus that only twisted cassettes / coils, but it was necessary to was cut off a separate stereo amplifier and two speakers. In general, it was already necessary to talk about three salaries.

Few people know, but the lion's share of popular Soviet turntables, tape recorders and even speakers were copied from some Western (mostly Japanese and German) hit models. Outwardly, it happened that the resemblance was successful. We will politely keep quiet about quality.

Reel loaders (they are also reel loaders) were still able to rewrite sound in a human way. But still, that's what you had to go through to listen to one record.

1. Take the spool out of the box and make sure that the side of the tape you want to listen to is ready. If not, rewind the entire reel to empty. 2-4 minutes.

2. Load the spool by passing the tape between the cloud of rollers with your hands and winding the colored tape tip (leader) onto the empty take-up spool. 1 minute.

3. Turn on the tape recorder and amplifier. Launch the tape. At every second launch, it turned out that the sound was completely dull. It was necessary to stop the playback, remove the tape, wipe the head with a cotton swab with alcohol or vodka. Charge everything back. 1-2 minutes.

4. With cassette tape recorders, it was often required to adjust the head with a screwdriver for recordings made on other tape recorders. This was done on the fly, in the course of playback.

The most common hazards:

1. Chewing the film into the mechanism. On reel-to-reels it was rare, on cassette tape recorders it was so constant that it was equated with the norm of life.

2. Film break. He was treated with a tedious procedure with trimming and gluing with tape. If the recording was made at low speed, then a small gap appeared in the music at the place of gluing.

3. We have already written about the permanent contamination of the head just above. The reason for this, as a rule, is filthy Soviet tape. Among the reels, the Svema brand was especially terrible. Tasma is neither fish nor meat. "Slavich" is already quite good. OrWo produced by the GDR - very good. Well, the bourgeois ones are just fine, but they were cosmically worth it.

4. If tape reels made by the USSR could somehow be used, then the legendary Soviet MK-60 cassettes were a real curse of the whole country and were universally considered unusable.

Over time, and rather quickly, the tape recorder wore out the reproduction heads (replacement was required). The rubber belts were also stretched (the sound began to float).

Mind you, we don't even consider what a nightmarish quality the recordings themselves were. After all, even on the most first-class devices, the loss of sound during dubbing was noticeable. The most expensive three-head tape recorders made it possible to compare the original and the resulting recording right on the go, the system was called "pass-through".

“Why did you endure such torment? - the youth will be surprised. - Well, okay, you in the USSR did not have money for a branded iPod. But you could have played vinyl! "

This is even more interesting. Almost every house had records of Alla Pugacheva, as well as the ensemble of Paul Moriah, Boni Em and ABBA #. This is a little of popular music that Melodiya has honestly and a lot released. True, for "Boney Em" would have to stand in line. And it was useless to wait for the license plate of the ensemble "Uriya Hip" in the store - it was necessary to go to the speculators right away. This, by the way, is the only capitalist hard-and-heavy group published in the USSR before perestroika.

The quality of Soviet vinyl was somewhere on the world average. It was worse than English, Japanese or Dutch records, but still much better than that of the Bulgarians or Poles. According to legend, the highest quality editions of Melodiya were pasted over with a black apple label in the center of the disc. Next came blue and then red (as in the photo above). The worst are pink and white. I must say that black and blue labels really looked richer.

The worst of all for the workers of the all-Union recording company "Melodia" were the covers: everything was horrible, from mutilated pictures to dull colors and loose thin paper.

But even such records had to be searched for a long time and persistently. In the constant assortment and without queues there was a children's repertoire, pop and classical music, which was not the most popular. Most of all there was on the shelves of disks with speeches of general secretaries, collections of the best party speeches and audio stories of the heroic Komsomol.

Soviet vinyl was inexpensive, usually from one and a half to three rubles. What is especially gratifying, in the Soviet Union for some reason they knew how to make good vinyl turntables, which are still collectible and are in working order. Everyone especially loves to remember "Corvette", however, and it cost several monthly salaries.

Now this can be bought by an ad on the "Hammer" or "Avito", but, given the purely mechanical nature of the device, over the years it has worn out and requires careful refinement.

It's time to remember that they are not at all sinless radiant carriers of music, as they are now being written about in audiophile forums and near-music magazines. Let's list all the troubles associated with listening to vinyl in those days, and even now.

1. Damage to the record from everything: bumps, scratches, liquids, the sun, improper storage.

2. Wear of the plate.

3. The worn out of the turntable needle (the most advanced expensive diamond needles still require regular replacement).

4. An abundance of discs with factory defects: crooked, faulty, sandy. Moreover, many of these defects cannot be checked upon purchase. And they are typical not only for Soviet, but even for bourgeois firm plastic.

5. A characteristic strong drop in sound quality on songs that are closer to the center (since the speed of writing / reading information decreases, and the density of information increases).

6. Capriciousness of technology. If you actively dance and stamp your feet at a party, then the needle on the records will jump.

7. Spinners with cheap or worn-out needles spoil the plastic. Sometimes one listening is enough to cause irreparable troubles on the record.

8. Decline in sound quality as the circulation of the album increases (as the stamping matrix wears out at the factory).

In fact, the list of vinyl troubles is far from complete; in a fit of inspiration, an experienced vinyl user will make a catalog of claims for five hundred items.

Overseas records were smuggled into the country and cost the corresponding smuggled money. In port cities like Murmansk, the price is lower, and in Moscow, where the demand is greatest, the prices were accordingly not childish. 70-80 rubles for an imported record was the usual price, which is more than a student's scholarship. Relevant and popular albums - 100-150 rubles apiece, it's like the salary of a researcher or civil servant. That is, it was almost unrealistic to be listed as a fan-music lover and to support a family. Although many collectors got involved in this business and had a stable illegal income.

The victorious procession of tape recorders began during the Second World War. And after the war, the first household tape recorders appeared, including in the Soviet Union.
Studio tape recorder "MAG-2". VNAIZ, Model 1947
It used the first domestic magnetic tape of the "ML" type. For less wear of the magnetic heads during recording or playback, the tape was loaded in different ways. The speed of pulling the magnetic tape is 45.6 cm / sec. The range of operating sound frequencies at the linear output is 50 ... 7000 Hz. Harmonic distortion 1%. In the Soviet Union, the first household tape recorder "Dnepr" was released in 1947. But then, due to the shortage and high cost, few could afford such a luxury at home, mainly different organizations owned tape recorders. This tape recorder had very modest (from today's point of view, of course) characteristics, was single-track, with a very high tape consumption due to its high speed.
By 1950, recording on magnetic tape already existed, but for the common population of the country it was not available due to the high price. The first attempt to make magnetic recording more accessible was the release of the "MP-1" tape recorder in early 1954. It was simple in design and could work in conjunction with any type of radio equipment for playing records. Since 1950, the "Elfa" plant, however, has already mass-produced a similar model as part of the "Elfa-6-1" radio gramophone, but it was very expensive and had a significant drawback - the speed of the tape was inconsistent and depended on the size of the roll take-up coil. The "Volna" tape recorder, like its predecessors, combined the simplicity of design and electrical circuitry, had a number of advantages and disadvantages, but most importantly, the speed of movement of the tape was already constant.

Tape recorder MP-2, 1950s
On the left is an electronics unit, in the center is a mechanism with magnetic heads, on the right is an MD-41 microphone. It was used in conjunction with an electric player, at a speed of 78 rpm, it provided a tape speed of 19.05 cm / s.


Tape recorder - "Volna" (Sound recorder). Beginning of production 1955
The set-top box did not have an electric motor; a turntable disk was used to drive it, with which the set-top box was operated. The circuit contained one radio tube, which served as an erasure and bias generator, a recording correction amplifier, and a signal preamplifier. All other functions were performed by the basic device, to which the set-top box was connected through a special connector. Such a connector could be installed on the device itself, it was attached to the set-top box, and some serial devices already had similar connectors, for example, the radio "Estonia-55", "Kazan".
Recording on the tape is two-track, it is carried out by turning over and rearranging the coils. The range of recorded / reproduced sound frequencies of the set-top box at a speed of 78 rpm. is 100 ... 7000 Hz, at 33 rpm - 100 ... 3000 Hz. The set-top box did not have its own power supply, therefore, through the connector, it received the necessary anode voltage and filament voltage also from the base device, consuming a power of about 1.5 W. There were no rewind modes in the console. The tape recorder cost 300 rubles at the 1955 exchange rate (that is, 30 rubles in post-reform prices).


But progress does not stand still. After the first "Dnepr" there were subsequent modifications, with much better characteristics, with standard belt speeds.
Reel tube tape recorder "Dnepr-3", 1952
The tape recorder is designed for single track recording. The tape recorder has one-way fast rewinding of the tape. The speed of the magnetic tape is 19.05 cm / sec. Recording time, with a coil capacity of 500 meters, 44 minutes. The recording frequency range is 100 ... 5000 Hz. The relative noise level is -35 dB. SOI 5%. The size of the device is 518x315x330 mm. Weight 28 kg.


"Dnepr-3" view from the inside.


Tape recorder "Dnepr-9"
"Dnepr-9" had already become a two-track, had a very good acoustic system in a wooden case. Subsequent models of this family for a long time were the dream of the then music lovers, as they had very good characteristics at a relatively low price.
One of the first Soviet two-track tape recorders. I used standard coils "number 18" with a volume of 350 m (tape on an acetetic base, 55 µm thick), which provided a recording time of 30 minutes at a speed of 19.05 cm / s. Frequency range 70-8000Hz, output power 2.5 Watt. Weight 28 kg, price 120 rubles.


Reel tube tape recorder 2nd class "Melody MG-56", 1956
The tape recorder "Melody MG-56" is intended for recording or reproducing sound programs on a magnetic tape of type 2 with reels No. 18. Two-track sound recording. Broaching speed 9.53 and 19.05 cm / sec. The frequency range of the recording-playback channel at a higher speed is 50 ... 10000 Hz, at a lower speed - 100 ... 6000 Hz. Nominal output power on two 2GD-3 loudspeakers is about 2 watts. The tape recorder has a recording level indicator, similar to it in design, an indicator of the footage of a magnetic tape, a pause button, bass and treble tone controls, a shutdown device at the end of a roll of tape. All kinds of switching in the tape recorder are carried out using relays and electromagnetic clutches. Control of the device is push-button. Dimensions - 420x420x210 mm. Gross weight 24 kg. The price of a tape recorder after the 1961 monetary reform is 290 rubles.

Tape recorder "" Melody MG-56 ""


Disk special tape recorder "MAG-D1" (P-181). Model 1957
Disk rotation speed during recording and playback is variable from 35 to 100 rpm. Recording time at maximum speed is about 1.5-2 minutes. The operating frequency range is variable and varies from 300 ... 5000 Hz at the beginning of the disc to 300 ... 3000 Hz at the end. The point of using a disc is to provide quick access and replay of any place in the recording.


Also, portable tape recorders with autonomous power supply (reportage) were developed. In order to save batteries, they were set in motion by a spring crank (like gramophones)
Reporter tape recorder - "MIZ-8". Model 1953.
"MIZ-8" "is the first domestic reportage portable, self-powered tape recorder with a spring drive," gramophone type ". The tape recorder uses two heads, erasing and universal, for recording and playback. The apparatus is assembled on three radio tubes. Power is supplied by two batteries (compartment on the left). The range of recorded and reproduced frequencies at the linear output is 200-5000 Hz. The speed of broaching the CVL is 26 cm / sec. Single track recording time - 15 minutes. The dimensions of the tape recorder are 350x246x177 mm, weight is 7.2 kg

In 1954, the Kiev Equipment Plant launched the production of a portable household tape recorder "Dnepr-8", created on the basis of the "MIZ-8" model. In the household model, smaller coils were used, containing 100 meters of magnetic tape, the speed of its advance was also reduced


Table lamp reel tape recorder "Gintaras". Vilnius Electrotechnical Plant "Elfa". 1960
The "Gintaras" (Elfa-19) tape recorder is designed for recording and reproducing two-track phonograms at a speed of 19 cm / sec. With a coil capacity of 350 meters, the recording / playback duration is 2x30 minutes. The operating frequency range of the tape recorder at the linear output is 50 ... 10000 Hz, and those reproduced through the 1GD-9 loudspeaker installed in the acoustic system of the device is 120 ... 8000 Hz. The output power of the LF amplifier is 1 W. There is a fast rewinding of the tape in both directions. The dimensions of the tape recorder are 385x346x180 mm, its weight is 15 kg.

Desktop reel-to-reel tape recorder "Aydas" (Elfa-20). The tape recorder was produced from 1962 to 1966.
"Aydas" in translation from Lithuanian means "Echo". The "Aidas" tape recorder uses a two-track type 2 or 6 tape recording system. The tape speed is 19.05 cm / sec. The tape recorder is completed with cassettes No. 15 with a capacity of 250 meters of tape, the duration of the recording on
two tracks about 45 min. The range of frequencies recorded and reproduced by the tape recorder along the electrical path is 40 ... 12000 Hz when working with a tape of type 6, on a tape of type 2 - the range is somewhat narrower and is - 50 ... 10000 Hz. The nominal output power of the amplifier of the tape recorder is 1 W, with a distortion factor at the linear output of no more than 3%, at the equivalent of a loudspeaker 6%. The noise level is not worse than 40 dB, detonation is 0.4%. The dimensions of the tape recorder are 400x300x186 mm, weight is 12 kg. V
In 1965, the electrical circuit and LPM of the tape recorder were modernized, and in 1966 it was modernized into "Aidas-9M".

In 1960, the Velikie Luki Radio Plant mastered the production of the most affordable "folk" tape recorder "The Seagull" - its price in post-reform rubles was only 105 rubles! Only the Note and MP prefixes were cheaper.
Tape recorders "Chaika" and "Chaika-M". Manufactured from 1960 and 1964 respectively. Externally, the models are identical.
LPM speed 9.53 cm / sec. The reels hold 240 meters of magnetic tape. 2-track recording, recording duration 40 minutes. When using tape type 2 or CH, the amplifier reproduces an audio frequency band of 40 ... 6000 Hz. The output power of the bass amplifier on the 1GD-18 loudspeaker is 1 W. The tape recorder is assembled on 4 tubes. The cassette of the tape recorder is made of bent plywood and lined with synthetic plastic. The dimensions of the tape recorder are 340x270x180 mm, weight is 12 kg. The "Chaika-M" tape recorder, produced since the beginning of 1964, has insignificant differences in the electrical circuit and design compared to the basic "Chaika" tape recorder, the sound quality is slightly improved, when using type 2 or CH tape, the tape recorder reproduces the frequency band 40 ... 10000 Hz.

Tape recorder "Yauza-10"
"Yauza-10", the first Soviet stereophonic tape recorder (which cost almost 400 rubles in the 60s - a considerable amount at that time). Especially for this model, nodes were developed that were not previously used in domestic household appliances: tape meter, double regulators, switch Unfortunately, the fate of this model was not very successful: due to the high price and the lack of high-quality stereo signal sources in the mid-60s, by 1968 the production of Yauza-10 was discontinued: there was no reason for the consumer to buy such an expensive device, the possibilities which he couldn't use.
The recording was carried out on two tracks (left and right channels), in addition, monophonic recording was allowed, which made it possible to use four tracks on one reel of tape (250 meters). At a speed of 19.05 cm / s with a frequency range of 40-15000 Hz, the recording duration on one track was 22 minutes. It was completed with two external speaker systems (right and left channels), in addition, it had two built-in speakers. The weight of the tape recorder is 14.5 kg, the speaker systems are 4.5 kg.

The Vesna tape recorder, released in 1963.
Portable handheld device, operated both from batteries (10 pieces of type 373), and from the AC mains through an external rectifier. The speed of the tape was 9.53 cm / s, reels of "number 10" with a volume of 100 m were used, which provided 17 minutes per track. Frequency range 100-6000 Hz. Weight with batteries 5.5 kg, price 150 rubles.


Portable tape recorder "Mriya". Released 1967

Tape recorder "MAG-8M11"
Semi-professional single-track tape recorder released in 1953. Coils with a capacity of 500 m were used, at a speed of 19.05 cm / s, the recording duration was 43 minutes. Operating range 50-10000 Hz, output power 2.5 W, weight 52 kg, price 365 rubles.

Tape recorder "Mayak 201" mono
The tape recorders of the "Mayak" family (in addition to the first mono model 201, later stereophonic 203 and 205 were produced), "Jupiter", "Rostov", "Orbit" became widespread, and already in the early 80s, semi-professional models "Electronics TA-001 "And his" relative "in the class" Olympus ". These devices provided almost studio quality and allowed the use of tape on reels up to 22nd number and were the dream of "underground" musicians of the late 70s - early 80s. Many well-known performers and groups later on “wrote” exactly to “Olympus”.


Tape recorder "Jupiter-201-stereo"
A class II stereo tape recorder, providing a frequency range of 40-16000 Hz at a speed of 19.05 cm / s, had a built-in two-channel amplifier with an output power of 7 Wt per channel, and was equipped with two two-way speaker systems in a wooden case. Weighed 15 kg.

And some more photos of old reel-to-reel tape recorders.