[78-L] recording times

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> Judging from your description of the speed problem, this machine was 
> probably a rim-drive machine, not a capstan machine.  They worked like a 
> wire recorder with the take up reel providing the forward motion.  The 
> revolution speed of the take-up reel was constant, so as more tape wound 
> onto the reel the tape speed would increase by a great degree, possibly 
> a factor of 4 times or more.  There are color pictures of three Aiwa's 
> of this type on pages 342-43 of Phil Van Praag's "Evolution of the Audio 
> Recorder."  I have one of those type of machines (cheaper brand, 
> however) in the next room with a tape on it I've been meaning to dub off 
> for years.  I got it in 1962.   It was around $20. 
> 
Yup...that were IT! $19.95 at K-Mart, IIRC...and they had a further
complication as well. They used a battery-powered  DC motor...and
its speed was more-or-less related to the voltage provided by the
batteries...! Thus. playing back anything that required fairly accurate
pitch required that one use the SAME machine...with its batteries in
the SAME condition...?!

No wonder it quickly disappeared from the market...?!

...stevenc