A cassette recorder is an electromechanical device. It is designed to record various sounds, songs, concerts on magnetic media. They can be tape or wire, drums or discs and others. Tape recorders are divided into audio (those that are designed to record sound) and recording video signal. The latter are called VCRs. This article provides information on cassette recorders in the USSR. What were they like?
Portable cassette recorder Electronics-302
This tape recorder was produced in the USSR until 1984. The main plant producing the device was the Moscow TochMash. The USSR cassette recorder was designed to record and reproduce sound using magnetic tape. Such a tape was most often contained in special cassettes, thanks to which the device got its name.
The tape recorder "Electronics-302" is an improved model of "Electronics-301", differing from its "ancestor" in slightly different sliders and improved appearance. The device was not so light, its weight was 3.5 kilograms, which did not prevent the Soviet youth from going crazy over it: after all, the machine could be taken with you on a picnic and listened to your favorite songs for a long time.
Cassette recorder "Spring"
At the Kommunist plant in the early 70s of the last century, a good portable cassette recorder was prepared for production. However, for some reason his release was in no hurry to begin. And then in 1971 Zaporizhzhya Electric Machine-Building Plant Iskra began to produce a more simplified model called Spring-305. The following year, its successor, Spring-306, was put into circulation. From its predecessor, the first cassette recorders of the USSR “Vesna-306” differed only in a two-speed tape, while on the 305th model it was single-speed.
The advantages of the "Spring" was the low consumption of current motors, which allowed to save electricity. Also, this tape recorder could switch the speed of the tape electrically. Thus, the mechanism of operation of the device was simplified. Also in the "Spring" models the tape drive worked better and more stable. The Soviet residents loved the cassette recorder so much that when they were going on the road, they would definitely take it with them. On campaigns, on picnics and on the river, he accompanied his hosts with cheerful and perky music.
Cassette recorder "Romantic"
This tape recorder got a compartment for cassettes only in the 80s. It was considered very honorable to have such a device in those days: basically, it was used to listen to music in the yard. The owner of the "Romance" automatically became the star of the yard, everyone wanted to be friends with him in order to be able to ask him to put on his favorite song.
The very first cassette recorder in the USSR from this series is Romantic 306. This device weighed 4 kilograms of 300 grams and was distinguished by its strength and reliability. But his successor “Romantic-201-stereo” weighed 6.5 kg, but was distinguished by a very high-quality speaker system. It was put into production in 1984. The last "Romantic" was released in 1993.
Reliable Lighthouse
Soviet cassette recorders "Mayak" came off the assembly line of the Kiev factory of the same name. The Beacon-233-Stereo model was very popular. Its production was started in 1988. The model was distinguished by its beauty and convenience. The front panel of the device was made of thick aluminum, the tape recorder had metal buttons. The Mayak boasted a power amplifier, which made it possible, by connecting speakers, to achieve acoustic sound. He knew how to work with three types of tape, and when he finished listening to the tape, he automatically stopped.
Cassette recorders in the USSR were very popular among teenagers and youth. This is no wonder - because they could listen to music anywhere by simply taking the device out onto the street. And although tape recorders are already a thing of the past, a piece of a happy carefree childhood has always remained in our memory.