Studer C37 Valve reel to reel tape recorder

Built in 1960, told to be the best valve reel to reel ever made, it is said that Willi Studer saw one of the Ampex machines (probably an Ampex 300 or 350), he was so impressed with the recorder he set out to build a better machine. The C37 by far blows away the Ampex and any reel to reel of its time for build quality, though I have not had an Ampex 300 or 350 to listen to I could not personally say which really does sound better.

The recorder was a stereo version of the famous J37 which was used in the beetles recordings, the C37 was the first stereo professional reel to reel to come from Studer and it also marks the co-operation with EMT Wilhelm Franz and Studer, the recorder boasts a recording frequency of 20Hz to 17KHz +-2db on 7.1/2 or 15 ips, this one records 20KHz on 15ips with +-2dB though a world famous designer Tim de Paravicini can modify these machines to record 20Hz to 35LHz +-1dB with a S/N of 90dB! This is beyond CD quality as 90dB noise is not detectable and CD's frequency output is 20KHz (Half the digitized sample rate).

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Studer
• EMT
• Vintage
• Recorder
• C37
• Reel
• to
• reel

[RODALCO2007]

What an amazing well engineered machine.

Thanks for showing this detailed video.

[Seblington]

Thank you for your kind words. The C37 does not and never has had metering, it's metering wuold have been done at the desk.

[fimballs]

just looking at your website and saw the countess machine is this on youtube? if not please do a demo .thanks for your fantastic vids bythe way.

[Seblington]

Hello, sorry to say I dont have one of these, it went some time ago when I was trying to make the collection smaller.

[TVperson1]

So does this machine have XLR (or cannon) sockets on it?

Where do you get the valves from?

[Seblington]

Yes, its all XLR and the valves can be brought from all sorts of places, RS sell them new (Most of the ones in this machine).

[6A8G]

Thank you so much for the pictures & commentary. I can't see a record level indicator. Was this outboard equipment or am I missing something?

[LazarusLonger]

Where are the meters?

(I know next to nothing about R2R players)

[fknrdcls]

They just dont make em like they used to...

[b1aflatoxin]

Absolutely amazing!!!

The build quality is almost inhuman. The C37 is a masterpiece of machining and electrical engineering. I had no idea quality like this existed.

As a child of the age of the Integrated Circuit, I'm glad these megaliths of techno-wonder are being cared for and preserved for future generations.

Great share!!!

-b- KCMO

[gwamba]

this reminds me of a machine i saw in a FRANK ZAPPA home reel...very cool!

[djvladtepes]

nice

[c1ferrari]

Dear Seblington,

Your contributions are invaluable! Thank you ever so much...long live analogue tape :-)

Very best regards,

Sam

[teendude16]

Great machine, I bet it sounds live, when a recording is made?. Thank you for your great videos.