I found this interesting
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Been a few threads on these over the years. I used to have one of the machines and a few cartridges, Vinyldavid has it now.
FAB1
playing with the big toys
RCA invented the first audio tape cartridge -- who knew? Looks like a giant cassette tape - wonder how Phillips got that idea for Compact Cassette? :scratch2:
Did RCA ever market any pre-recorded tapes for the players?
Dad forgot to lite his pipe.
TheNLOwner
Analog Tape Addict!
It wasn't the inspiration for the Compact Cassette, the EL 3585 reel to reel was the inspiration for something smaller and battery powered. Remember, the Compact Cassette was meant for dictation when released.
FAB1
playing with the big toys
You cant tell me that Phillips didn't design their cassette off the RCA invention.
Just because RCA didn't succeed commercially with the tape cartridge they were the trailblazers, American ingenuity, no doubt.
Phillips had a good idea to miniaturize the original I will give them credit for that but it also decreased the sound quality didn't it? Even the best cassettes are good for auto stereo play, and I use them for that. Quarter inch tape and speeds above 1 7/8 are superior in bandwidth and frequency.
And historically speaking the RCA tape cartridge is infinitely more interesting than a toy video camera.
TheNLOwner
Analog Tape Addict!
Remember that the Compact Cassette was designed in the Netherlands. I don't think the RCA Tape Cartridge was released outside of the US/North America, so big chance that Lou Ottens never saw a RCA tape cartridge.
Dwartz
Iron Oxide Addict
FAB1 asked me to find my case of tapes. I had a quick look in the "storage room" and that may not be achievable in the near future. But I did find these two. A Bell Bellomatic which used the RCA carts, and a Garrard magazine tape deck meant for a console install. I also have a table top mini console called a Simon Ministrelle that has the Garrard tape deck in it.
1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
Bel Canto (which was owned by TRW, who also owned Bell Electronics) was the only label besides RCA, AFAIK, to offer prerecorded titles. And Bell was the only other manufacturer to offer the machines.
I'd have to disagree that the folks at Philips were unaware of the RCA cartridge; a simple necessary patent search would have turned up that format.
The Garrard tape cartridge was different than the RCA, and also died an early death. 3M/Revere/Wollensak also tried their own cartridge, totally different than the others. It also died quickly.
Happy trails,
Larry B.
Remember that the Magnetephon was a German unit, yet it's technology became known and deployed in the US quite quickly.
I imagine that Phillips was aware of existing efforts to create a simple tape loading system. They were unlikely thinking it would eventually be adopted for high fidelity reproduction.
and then there was this thing called ARPANET...........
I imagine that Phillips was aware of existing efforts to create a simple tape loading system. They were unlikely thinking it would eventually be adopted for high fidelity reproduction.
and then there was this thing called ARPANET...........
:smsex:
Damn! I Love this hobby/addiction/art - whatever the hell it is :thmbsp:
In large part because Bing Crosby got his hands on a couple of units while in Germany just after WWII, and he wanted to find a way to have more golfing time.
FAB1
playing with the big toys
Can't discuss the whole story now but an Allied solider actually brought back the first German tape machines to the US in pieces and reassembled them. Crosby caught wind of the invention and for the already stated reasons provided financing for what became the Ampex Corporation.
Do a search on magnetophon / Crosby / Nazi you'll find an article that goes into great detail starting with the late night broadcasts that mystified the Allied forces until they captured Nazi radio stations
FAB1
playing with the big toys
Supper was ready so had to break (some oysters) 
I couldn't find the article I wanted... this one covers the bases but not as colorful though.
Enjoy.
http://www.scu.edu/scm/summer2006/sound.cfm
I couldn't find the article I wanted... this one covers the bases but not as colorful though.
Enjoy.
http://www.scu.edu/scm/summer2006/sound.cfm
FAB1
playing with the big toys
Yes, Mullins shipped back two AEG machines and fifty tapes. If you haven't read the whole story I posted a link, pretty interesting.
eddisc
Super Member
I've been looking for/waiting for someone to post this attch. but nothing - so I found a few pix while surfing. My older bro had one & I remember The Mama's & Papa's; Peter, Paul & Mary; New Christy Minstrals - those kinda folkies...
IIRC it had an 8-trk type of cont. play
IIRC it had an 8-trk type of cont. play
