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Audio Recorders

Audio Recording formats, encompassing both stereo and multitrack configurations, are essential tools in the creation and preservation of audio content. Stereo recording formats capture two audio channels, typically left and right, providing a simple yet effective method for reproducing sound with spatial accuracy. Stereo formats are commonly used in music production, broadcasting, and consumer audio devices, offering immersive listening experiences across various media platforms.

Multitrack recording formats, on the other hand, enable the simultaneous recording of multiple audio channels or tracks onto a single medium. This allows for the independent manipulation of each track during the mixing and editing process, offering unparalleled flexibility and creativity in audio production. Multitrack formats are widely used in professional music studios, film and television production, live sound reinforcement, and podcasting, enabling artists and engineers to craft complex arrangements, add effects, and achieve precise control over the final audio product.

Both stereo and multitrack recording formats have evolved over the years, from analog tape-based audio recorders to digital technologies such as hard disc recording, solid-state recording, and computer-based digital audio workstations (DAWs). These advancements have democratized audio production, making high-quality recording accessible to a broader audience while pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the field of sound engineering and music production.

Released in 1981

Revox PR 99 Stereo Recorder

The Revox PR 99 is a Swiss-engineered professional reel-to-reel recorder designed for broadcast, mastering, and editing use. Based on the Revox B77 but upgraded with balanced XLR I/O, full logic transport, and precise editing features, it offers outstanding tape handling, low noise, and high fidelity. Used widely in studios and radio stations, the PR 99 remains a respected classic for its reliability, precision, and enduring sound quality.
Revox PR 99
Released in 1982

TASCAM 244 Portastudio 4 Track Recorder

In 1982, Tascam introduced the Tascam 244 Portastudio, revolutionising the recording world, especially for home musicians. This four-track cassette recorder made high-quality multi-track recording more accessible and allowed musicians to create complex demos from home. It also impacted professional studios by enabling artists to pre-produce tracks more efficiently, marking a turning point in music production history.
Tascam 244 Portastudio
Released in 1982

Sony PCM-3324 DASH Multitrack Digital Recorder

The Sony PCM-3324 stationary-head 24-channel digital audio recorder, when used with the optional RM-3310 synchroniser/auto locator/remote control, offers an ideal combination of digital performance and convenience, in addition to all the prime functions of analogue recorders.
Sony PCM-3324
Released in 1983

TASCAM 234 Syncaset Recorder

The TASCAM 234 Syncaset 4-channel cassette deck was a groundbreaking audio recorder based on the Portastudio transport, that was introduced in 1983. It failed to achieve the wide acceptance of the all mighty Portastudio however.
Tascam 234
Released in 1983

Studer A810 Professional Tape Recorder

The Studer A810 Recorder was a compact, modular, and digitally controlled professional tape recorder designed for high-end studio use. With programmable audio parameters, precision tape transport, SMPTE time code capability, and full remote integration, it offered unmatched flexibility, reliability, and sound quality for multi-role recording, editing, and synchronisation tasks.
Studer A810
Released in 1984

Fostex B-16 Multitrack Tape Recorder

Upon its release, the Fostex B-16 Multitrack Tape Recorder gave smaller project studios access to a 16-track tape machine that delivered both performance and affordability for the first time. This marked a significant milestone in home and project studio recording, as the B-16 offered professional-grade multi-tracking capabilities at a fraction of the cost of larger studio machines. With its compact design and reliable sound quality, it allowed independent musicians and producers to create more sophisticated recordings without relying on expensive commercial studios, contributing to the rise of home-based music production in the 1980s.
Fostex B-16
Released in 1985

Studer A721 Cassette Tape Recorder

The Studer A721 is a professional cassette recorder with superb audio performance, reliability, and convenient operating concept, including a four-motor tape transport mechanism and modular audio electronics with automatic record parameter calibration.
Studer A721
Released in 1987

Sony DTC-1000ES Digital Audio Tape Recorder

The Sony DTC-1000ES Digital Audio Tape Deck was the world’s first DAT machine, and although it was a consumer machine, it proved to be very successful in the professional world too, perhaps even more so as DAT never really made it in the consumer world.
Sony DTC-1000ES
Released in 1987

Sony PCM-2500 Digital Audio Tape Recorder

The Sony PCM2500 DAT Recorder took over from the Sony PCM-1630 Series Recorders and kept the DAT format alive for years to come in the studio, (with many successful albums having been mastered to it) but DAT as a format, failed to succeed in the domestic market.
Sony PCM-2500
Released in 1987

Sony DRD-100 Digital Audio Tape Duplicator

Sony DRD-100 DAT Duplicator is a real-time rack-mount system offering master-quality copying of digital audio and subcode data in up to fifty linked units operating as master or slave with split-use capability.
Sony DRD-100
Released in 1987

Akai MG14D 12 Track Recorder

One of the most unusual tape recorders released during the golden period of the 1980s, is without a doubt, the Akai MG14D, a tape based analogue recorder that offered excellent sound quality in a relatively compact chassis, released hot on the heels of a wave of digital multitrack recorders.
Akai MG14D
Released in 1987

Akai MG614 4 Track Recorder

The Akai MG614 Recorder was a high-end cassette multitrack recorder and mixer offering four audio tracks plus a dedicated sync signal on track 1. With a six-channel mixer, twin parametric EQs, dbx noise reduction, dual tape speeds, and a built-in auto locator, it delivered professional features for serious home recording. Designed for seamless MIDI integration and efficient workflow, it was a powerful tool for musicians committed to four-track production.
Akai MG614
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