Magnacord 1024 Tape Recorder

Two Parts

• The upper unit is the mechanical tape deck, it contains no electronics. It is based on a die cast main plate.  It has a two speed hysteresis drive motor and two permanent split-capacitor reel drive motors.  Some of the key specifications are:
• Tape Speed: 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 inches per second (Professional audio tape recorders could run at 15 inches per second and that may have been an option, i.e. either 7.5 or 13 ips).
  
• Flutter and Wow: 0.25% at 3 3/4 ips; 0.18% at 71/2 ips
• Timing Accuracy +/- 0.2%
• Reel Size: 5, 7, 8 1/4" E.I.A. hubs (the rubber push on reel holders are included, hard to see in the photo)
• Rewind Time: 1,200 feet in 80 seconds
• The row of control buttons are (left to right): Rewind, Record, Safety (must be pressed with Record), Stop, Cue, Play, Hi-Fwd.

The Cue function has the tape loaded but not driven to allow manual positioning of the tape.  You can use the marks on the top cover or remove the cover to get more exact.  This can be used for cutting and taping the tape for editing or just for cueing the next selection.
• There is an empty plug that could be used for remote control of the mechanics.
• The lower unit has the transistor electronics in the form of slide in printed circuit cards.
• The dual VU meters can be set to monitor: bias  (left meter above),  source, or tape
• Frequency Response 35 to 10,000 cps +2, -3 dB @ 3 3/4 ips, 45 to 18,000 cps @ 7 1/2 ips
• Signal to Noise Ratio: 48 dB at 3 3/4 ips; 51 dB @ 7 1/2 ips
• Selectable heads, 1/4 track erase, 1/4 track record, 1/4 track play (that is the order that they work)
• You can mix the 1/4" front panel Microphone input with the rear panel RCA jacks.  You can listen to the source or the recorded sound.  You can also feed the output from one channel to the input of the next, but there will be a slight time delay because of the distance between the record and play heads.

Tape Handling

The motors on the feed and takeup reels are constant torque.  For compliance there is a tape tension swing arm between each reel and the capstan that drives the tape.  The capstan has a massive flywheel attached to lower the Flutter and Wow.

The free standing tape recorders used with computers are optimized for the highest possible speed of access.  They can not afford the mass of the tape tension swing arms and have replaced both of them with a small elevator shaft like compartment where the tape hangs.  There's a control system that drives the reels to maintain the loop in the elevator compartments.

Adjustments

Manuals and documents

• "Magnacord Presents the incomparable Model . . . 1020 . . . 1024" sales brochure with specifications.
• My frequency response plots made using: Scotch 105, 111, 203 Shamrock 031, Kodak 31A12
• If I can find it you will get the original owners manual.

Patents

Related

Telephone \ Poulsen Telegraphone

Links