About cassette-recorder

The transistor's
Tube's size(up) vs. transistors(left) & IC appearance (invented in 1947 by John Bardeen
May 23, 1908
January 30, 1991, Walter Houser
February 10, 1902
October 13, 1987 and William Shockley
February 13, 1910
August 12, 1989 from Bell Telephone Laboratories, New Jersey, USA) – has represented an essential moment in electronics; with this tiny piece, having semi-conductor properties, which has rapidly replaced the electronic tube
Tube's size(up) vs. transistors(left) & IC, all audio-video items (and not only) have reduced their dimensions, electric power consumption and increased few times their reaction speed; this technical event can be similar to the appearance - 12 years later - of the integrated circuit
Tube's size(up) vs. transistors(left) & IC, which represents the base of actual electronics and had a similar impact or maybe greater. One of the complete transistorized items was the cassette-recorder.

Thanks to the facility of listening and recording favorite music nearly anywhere and anytime, the cassette-recorder represented a very appreciated (and implicitly, sold) entertainment item worldwide, especially between 1970-1990. It quickly replaced portable open reel-to-reel tape recorders and record players (pick-ups), due to its increased handling (magnetic tape was closed into a small plastic box/cassette, easier to be placed into recorder) and its increased recording/listening time (60 -120 minutes/cassette).

The designation of "cassette-recorder" was used for the first time by Philips company. I found the word "cassette" for the first time engraved on a roll of a dictating machine type Grundig Stenorette R cca. 1962

[I want to mention that in this collection - I have considered as being a cassette-player any device which is playing from an audio support (steel wire or magnetic tape) fixed in a small removable, reusable and replaceable box; that's why I used this word also for older items than the Philips EL3300, considered by experts as the first cassette recorder in the world.]

Shortly after the appearance - in Germany – of the first "open reel-to-reel recorder", German engineer’s Carl Lorenz company launched Textophon
3rd variant recorder, which made recordings onto a new reusable support, more reliable and practical - a steel wire wrapped on 2 spools, permanently enclosed in a metal housing removable box. Its first variant occured around Olympic Games in Berlin, 1936, followed by few similar. The WW II’s start and its requirements made this idea was quickly taken by the Americans, who used it firstly for military purposes (eg. Cosmos Industries RD 11B
Military cassette recorder with steel wire
1944, approx. 1944, using the cartridge model MX-303/ANQ-1
). Few years later, the secret services of the cold war benefited from portable-transistorized devices (e.g. the item Minifon P55
Minifon P55) at first with wire, then with magnetic tape. According my searches, first domestic cartridge-recorder was launched in 1947 in USA = RCA MI-12875
1947
USA (with wire as audio medium and electronic tubes), then in 1951-1953 in West-Germany Tefifon First recorder using tape into cassette, 3rd variant
The second portable cassette recorder in the world, type 3 (non-magnetic band, played by needle) and Loewe Optaphon
1951 (first stand-alone recorder with magnetic tape in a box/cassette) followed soon by American products Mohawk Midgetape
(first portable recorder with magnetic tape in cartridge, 1955) and RCA CP-1
. At the end of 50’s last century, cartridges/cassettes were already used also in broadcasting studios, initially for recording & playing of the voice adverts, or for background/functional music; in this period, cartridges had non-standard sizes and were quite large, players being non-portable, but German producers "Saba"
Sabamobil TKR 15
First radio-cassette recorder; 1958 and "Protona Gmbh"
Minifon Attache
First European cassette-recorder with counter and keys - 1958 released portable items. Few years later, in 1962-63, the specialists of the Dutch company, Philips, have invented what was about to become the most sold cassette in the world ("compact cassette"), half the size of the American cartridges (due to thiner and narrower tape), and the device which will be widely recognized as the world's first cassette-recorder: Philips EL 3300
First world's "compact-cassette" recorder
1963; it was publicly shown in 1963' International Radio Fair in West-Berlin, Germany and marketed by the beginning of 1964. Completely transistorized, pocket size = being portable, the impact was major, the sales of this kind of item increased at high level (millions of items) during 1970 -1988. The vinyl disc records were "doubled" then gradually replaced by the professional pre-recorded compact-cassettes (in 1986 the number of sold cassettes exceeded the vinyl discs), until their disappearance from mass production, around of 1992.

Meanwhile in USA - thanks to a large market – until the massive intruding of compact cassette, many years beginning with 1962 were used few types of endless cartriges ( Fidelipac
, Echo-matic
, 8-track
Cassette with 4 stereo tracks (8-track) - endless
1964, etc.), bigger than cassettes, of which those named 8-track cartridge
(invented by Bill Lear and imposed by the RCA/Radio Company of America) were the most sold. They used reel-to-reel tape without end. A couple of years after Philips innovation, the German producer Grundig tried to impose his own model of cassette – (DC international
) with an increased speed of playing (5.1 cm/sec in comparison to 4.75 cm/sec of Philips cassette) and a slightly bigger cassette; it was the people who set the standard, by opting for the Philips cassette. An important reason for its huge distrubution was its free of charge production license.

Japanese companies, led by Sony (which later became the world's biggest producer), have distinguished themselves through high originality, but firstly by essential contributions to the miniaturization of the cassette (micro-cassette
, DAT
, NTC
) and of the device (Sanyo M35
Sanyo M35
, Sony TC-50
Sony TC-50
1968, Sony NT-1
Sony NT-1
1992, Sanyo G-2615
Sanyo G-2615
), as well as the introduction of digital electronics in this area (DAT, DTRS).

During 1936 - 1995 have been produced and marketed at least 50 models of audio cassettes, with steel wire or magnetic tape, the vast majority being marketed to the general public, as follows:

No.	DESIGNATION	YEAR	DIMENSIONS (mm)	TIME LENGTH (min)	SPEED (cm/s)
1.	Textophon BW1, BW4 - with wire - Glogowski & Co. and C. Lorenz AG. - wire cartridge Germany	1936-1944	385 x 125 x 45	approx. 60	>38
2.	Cosmos Industries MX-303A/ANQ-1; with steel wire; only for military use USA	1944-1945	206 x 110 x 86	60	>38
3.	RCA MI-12877 - with steel wire USA	1947	150 x 105 x 45	2x20	61
4.	Tefi Schallband – non-magnetic vinyl tape played by needle Germany	1951	114 x 97 x 49	24, 48, 60 (endless)	19
5.	Loewe Optaphon - first magnetic tape into a cassette Germany	1951	approx. 370 x 15 x 170	2 x >30	19
6.	Peirce Model 360 - wire cartridge USA	1951?	210 x 86 x 35	30 / 60	>19
7.	Mohawk Message repeater cartridge USA	1953-4	approx. 70 x 70 x 13	200 s endless	9
8.	Mohawk Midgetape RL - tape on overlapped reels USA	1955	40+40+50+60	2 x 30	2,2
9.	for Dictaphone Dictet - magnetic tape USA	1957	149 x 79 x 11	2 x 30	6,35
10.	(Ariola) Saba TKR-15 Germany	1958	202 x 85 x 18	2 x 20	9,5
11.	RCA Sound Tape Cartridge (Camden) - 4-track magnetic tape USA	1958-9	182 x 125 x 11	2 x 30	4,7/9,5
12.	Fidelipac (Muntz Stereo-Pak) Muntz Electronics USA	1959?	130 x 100 x 20 175 x 150 x 20 210 x 190 x 20	5-60 (endless)	9,5/19
13.	Protona-Minifon Germany	1959	110 x 79 x 10	2 x 30/15/6	4,76
14.	Vity cassette Nippon Electronics Japan	1962	83 x 79 x 13	2 x 20	4,7
15.	Orrtronic Tapette JHO Electronics, USA	1962	168 x 130 x 23	<20 (endless)	9,5
16.	Crouzet-Jaeger steel wire cartridge France	1962	cca. 100 x 38 x 18	30/45	19
17.	Reditune endless cartridge Redifussion Ltd. UK	1962?	202 x 171 x 21	5-60 (endless)	9,5
18.	Cousino Echo-matic Cousino Electronics, USA	1962-3	129 x 86 x 23	<15 (endless)	9,5
19.	3M (Scotch) type 270 USA	1963	95 x 95 x 13	96/ 2x48	4,7
20.	Philips compact-cassette Holland	1963	103 x 64 x 11,5	2 x 30/45/60	4,7/9,5
21.	RCA 8-track = Stereo8 LearJet Co; RCA; USA	1964	134 x 100 x 21	5-30,endless	9,5
22.	Sanyo Magazine with parallel reels, Sanyo Electric Co. Japan	1964	70 x 65 x 27	2 x 22	4,7
23.	Grundig DC702 for Grundig EN3 Germany	1964	134 x 60 x 15	2 x 22	4,7
24.	Scotch 700 Cantata big overlapped reels; 3M, USA	1964	approx. 190 x 190 x 30	approx. 2000 (700 songs)	2.4
25.	Nippon Memo-Call micro-magazine Nippon Electronics, Japan	1965?	60 x 62 x 8	endless	4?
26.	Grundig DC (Doppel Cassette) International Germany	1965	120 x 77 x 11,5	2 x 30	5,1
27.	8-track professional, not marketed to public USA	1965?	144 x 128 x 19	5-15, endless	9,5/19
28.	Playtape, Sears Co. USA	1966	82 x 68 x 10	8 - 24	9,5
29.	Muntz Stereo Pak Mini-Twin MT-E-106; Muntz Electronics, USA	1967?	approx. 90 x80x15	5 – 40 endless	9,5
30.	Philips minicassette™ LFH0001 Holland	1967-8	55,5 x 33 x 7	2 x 15/30	2,3
31.	Grundig DeJ614, Mini format Germany	1968	54 x 38 x 7	2 x 10	2,4 ?
32.	Olympus microcassette™ Japan	1969	50 x 33 x 8	2 x 15/30	1,2 / 2,3
33.	Sanyo Tape Cartridge Sanyo Japan	1970?	ca. 113 x 68 x 11,5	2 x 30	4,7 ?
34.	HIPAC Pioneer Electronics Corp, Japan	1971	84 x 69 x 11	8 – 40, endless	4,7
35.	Continu-Sound Intl Audio Visual inc., USA	1971?	58 x 58 x 8	17 (endless cartridge)	4,7?
36.	Grundig Stenocassette™ Germany	1973	64 x 45 x 8	30	2,3
37.	Assmann Memocord MT-570 Germany/Austria	1974	97 x 54 x 8	2 x 30/45	3,5
38.	Endless Compact-cassette (TDK, Sanyo, Pfantone) Japan	1975 ?	103 x 64 x 11,5	0,5/1/3/6/12	4,7
39.	Elcaset™ Sony Japan	1976	151 x 106 x 17	2 x 30/45	9,5
40.	Philips MDCR220/LDB4401 – first Digital Mini-cassette Holland	1980	55,5 x 33 x 7	2 x 15 / 20	2,7 / 4,5
41.	U-matic Mastering audio cassette Sony, Japan	1981-2	220 x 138 x 30	60	854 (rotative head)
42.	Betamax (digital) Sony Japan	1983	252 x 144 x 25	60?	584 (rotative head)
43.	Nagra JBR Nagra-Kudelsky, Switzerland	1984	95 x 60 x 8	max 120	2,38
44.	Sony DAT (Digital Audio Tape) Japan	1987	72 x 53 x 10	90/120/240	1,22
45.	Dictaphone-JVC dictassette (pico-cassette) USA-Japan	1987	35 x 25 x 4	2 x 15	0,9
46.	Pocket Rockers USA	1987	38 x 32 x 11	5 (endless)	4?
47.	Philips DCC = Digital Compact Cassette Holland	1991	100 x 64 x 9	90/120	4,7
48.	Sony NTC – Non-Tracking Cassette Japan	1992	30 x 21 x 5	2 x 30/45/60	0,63
49.	DTRS™ = Digital Tape Recording System Japan	1994	94 x 62 x14	110	1,59
50.	ADAT = Alesis Digital Audio Tape USA	1993-4	185 x 103 x 25	66	2,3 / 3,3

ATTN: Cassettes number 16 is not yet included in the collection presented in the gallery

Besides the fact of being accessible for large public and thanks to its features (reliability, small sizes, easy handling and relatively low costs), audio cassettes in various sizes and shapes were also used in other fields like: IT (for storing files), education (teaching foreign languages, audiobook), aviation (for flight recordings - “black boxes”), answering machines, spying (discrete recorders), games for children and so on. Must also be mentioned the great success the cassette recorder had as auxiliary equipment for cars, where the reel-to-reel tape-recorder or record-player were never integrated.

Working principle is based on the electromagnetism theory - for playing action - a pre-recorded tape is passing (with constantly speed) on the surface of a playback head
a tiny copper wire wrapped on a magnetic metal (a tiny copper wire wrapped on a magnetic metal); following this action, is born an electric current, amplified and filtered by following circuits; for the recording way, the mechanical action is similar, but the electrical operation is reversed: external electric signal (from radio, record-player, etc) is registered / ”printed” on the tape with the same head (the advanced recorders has a separate head for each function: erasing, recording, playing). Mechanical construction permits to search the preferred songs, fast forward/rewind rolling the tape , pause, continuous listening, automatic reverse, etc (see the different constructive variants from collection). Its technique had constantly developed, the sound quality (the most common indicator of it being the “frequency range”) becoming in many cases similar or superior by comparison with domestic reel-to-reel tape recorders. In my opinion, the most important moments of the technical evolution of this device were as follows :

• (I) the release of the first deck cassette recorder in 1968 (first in the world were Philips N 2500
  first world stereo cassette deck
  Philips 1968 & Sony TC-125
  – see attached in photo gallery), which prepared the market for the high-fidelity cassette-recorder in 1971 (first in the world was UHER CR-124
  First Hi-Fi cassette-recorder
  ); its main improvements were the electronic motor speed control, signal/noise ratio of min. 50 db; the built-in noise filter, a more extended frequency range (at least between 30 - 12.500 hz), all of these to improve the sound quality; the decks were the best constructive variants of the cassette recorder, satisfying the highest requests, until the CDs appeared;
• (II) The release of the first auto-reverse cassette-recorder which allowed the continuous listening of more cassettes (first in the world was Philips N 2401 S
  Stereo cassette recorder with auto-reverse
  Philips 1969, in 1969 - it had a built-in slider which facilitated the successively cassettes positioning for playing); later on, right at the start of '70s Uher CR-124
  1971 was using a 4-track head and double capstan system which allowed the tape’s movement in the opposite direction;
• (III) The release of the digital cassette-recorder, first launched in 1982 by Matsushita Electric (Technics SV-P 100), followed by Sony Corp. Japan (U-Matic audio
  and then, around 1987 the DAT
  Digital audio tape
  Sony, Japan 1987 Digital Audio Tape, for example Sony DTC-690
  Japan, 1991). Few years later (in 1991), Philips also released its own digital model, named DCC
  DCC
  Netherlands, 1991 (Digital Compact Cassette), which could play both digital cassette and the old compact cassettes; their audio performances represented the best audio quality a magnetic tape could offer (ex: frequency range = 20-22.000 Hz !!), being near equivalent with the compact discs and with professional equipments (the only problem remaining was the mechanical ensemble, more complicated than those of the CD’s).

The main advantages of the cassette-recorder comparing with its "enemy" – the open reel-to-reel recorder - were obvious especially at portable and HIFI (deck) devices and on a smaller scale on professional appliances; shortly, they were: a) a very good ratio performance / dimensions; b) easy handling (fast introduction and change of the cassette, without need to rewind/forward, ergonomic controls); c) higher tape protection offered by the cassette (resistance to impact, moisture, dust, hanging, entangling) both on stop and especially during operation; d) easy and recommendable connection with other portable devices (radio, CD) or combined stand-alone/table devices (tuner, record-player, CD, power amplifier); e) good ratio quality/price (lower costs at equal sound quality); f) greatly/significant reduced size, which made him very easily transportable, much appreciated in vehicles and easily adaptable to other areas: intelligence, answering machine, storing data files, for aviation’s flight recorders, teaching foreign languages, medicine, multiplying tapes, etc.); g) can be made with special design (ex. Bang & Olufsen).

Most important producers: Philips (Netherlands), Sony, Matsushita (National, Panasonic, Technics), Sharp, Akai, Pioneer, Nakamichi, Teac, Otari (Japan), Grundig, Telefunken, Blaupunkt, Uher, ITT-Schaub Lorenz (Germany), General Electric, RCA, Northern Electric (USA), Studer-Revox (Switzerland-Germany) developed all types of cassette-recorders, until digital technique of today, which is above the cassette-recorder possibilities.

In Romania, the first cassette-recorder was produced in 1975, under Polish license Unitra; the production continued until around 1995, including radio-recorders, decks, 3 in 1 audio-systems, data recorders; it was located in 4 factories.
The CD's appearance in 1982 - invented by Philips, with a small contribution of Sony - has represented a new reference moment in audio area, thanks to the increased sound quality. Primarly, the laser was also used by Philips for making the video laser disc = DVD’s greater predecessor; the item was VLP 600
VLP 600 = Video Long Play, launched in USA, 1978). Gradually, digital technique conquered also the cassette-recorder’s area, as shortly mentioned above, but however it was eliminated from the domestic market by the CD.
The cassette-recorder was marketed as individual item until around 1996, when the CD’s competition determined a large scale achievement of domestic combined audio-systems (radio + CD + cass-rec); after this year, the interest for this item declined constantly, and around 2006 the main producers (Philips, Sony, Panasonic) excluded cassette recorder from their new models, even combined with other items; it was removed by CD player and it’s extended variant: MP3, (which can store about 3-7 hours of music), the item’s dimensions being determined just by the possibility to handle them with only one finger!

A. Sandu 2009-2014

Bibliography:

• Wikipedia - "Sound recording"
• Herbert Juettemann - Das Tefifon
• Producers' catalogs, technical manuals, electronic reviews (e.g.: HiFi-Jahrbuch, Allied Electronic, Stereo review) 1947 - 2009 (separate collection)
• Cassette recorder - Operation and Repair - eng. S. Lozneanu and Co., Ed. Tehnica 1985, Bucharest