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When did recording off of the radio become possible?

posted 10 years ago by MyMovieTVRomance
4 replies | jump to latest

I am wondering if anyone knows when it became possible to record things off the radio, and when doing so, what technologies were used? That is to say, the people record with records, eight tracks, cassette tapes, what?

All I've ever known in this regard has been cassette tapes and later CDs. But, I wonder if people were able to record off the radio even before cassette tapes came along?

If anyone here knows the answer, please reply! I look forward to reading it! Thanks :-)

Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!

[–] PenTheater 10 years ago

for the home I imagine reel to reel was first
it was "cool" to have a big Sony or Akai reel to reel in your first "Hi Fi"
system. it could be used to record radio, and
I also guess you could plug into the head phone jack if the radio had one, other wise it would be "live" with a mic, so everyone needed to be quiet.

When the cassette/ radio in one came along it was sweet. (70's)
I used to have so many cool FM radio shows on Cassette

[–] artcurus-1 10 years ago

for practical purposes, 1940's with wire recorders. Wire recorders use thin gauge wire on spools.

[–] Speed_Daemon 10 years ago

Before (and during) the 1940s it was extraordinarily common to record direct to disk. While the equipment wasn't exactly tailored for home use, and a 78 RPM lacquer disk only recorded a few minutes per disk, it was certainly possible. Newer microgroove machines extended recording capacity to ~45 min. per side for a 12" disc, with sizes up to 16". Radio legend Paul Harvey used to use a disk lathe to record all of his radio shows into the 1990s!

Record lathes were used by broadcast radio stations and networks well before the first magnetic recorder. Of course back then every radio station had at least one qualified engineer, so there was no need for turnkey systems that any idiot could operate. Home hobbyist recording may have been possible for people like Bing Crosby prior to the 1960s, but gear that anyone could just walk into a store and purchase didn't appear until after the transistor was perfected c. 1960.

The technologies would be:

- A radio with an output jack
- A patch cable
- An audio recorder

Come to think of it, the first "radio recorders" probably recorded Morse code, not audio!

[–] artcurus-1 10 years ago

78 rpm cutter for home use, they also came with radios installed.

http://www.retrothing.com/2009/01/vintage-1940s-record-cutter.html

Even more common were wire recorders, there were some of these that had the record player/radio installed also.

http://michaelmesser.proboards.com/thread/3782/new-old-recording-technology

By the late 40's to early 1950's, 1/4 inch reel to reel tape was becoming more widely available, and easily affordable

Early 50's Silvertone

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-tubed-SILVERTONE-REEL-TO-REEL-TAPE-RECORDER-880-555-/301335183325?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item4628f9ffdd

I have one that's even older that sort of works.

My great grand dad used a mono Ampex unit to record the family talking during the 50's.