1948 AEG Magnetophon K8 tape recorder

Demo of my AEG K8 Magnetophon playing Flat Foot Sam by Elmon Mickle (a very rare Elko blues 45rpm by the way). This rare machine is in great working order and uses German Telefunken vacuum tubes (EF12, EF14 etc.). It runs at 76cm/s (30ips) and is full track mono.

I'm looking for old AEG Magnetophon machines, if you have one please let me know.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• AEG
• Telefunken
• audio
• tape
• reel
• recorder
• recording
• magnetophon
• magnetophone
• magnetic
• player
• K1
• K2
• K3
• K4
• K5
• K6
• K7
• K8
• T1
• T2
• FT2
• FT3
• FT4
• AW1
• AW2
• studer
• revox
• nagra
• kudelski
• stellavox
• stereo
• mono
• basf
• bande
• Berlin
• RRG
• WWII
• WW2
• historic
• Neumann
• german
• allemand
• Weber
• Tonbandgerat
• Bandmaschine
• sound
• music
• early
• first
• carbonyl
• iron
• Fe2O3
• Fe3O4
• eisenoxid
• acetate
• head
• tonkopf
• 1934
• 1935
• 1936
• 1943
• 1944
• wire
• disc
• tube

[videogamehistorian]

You're quite right. 15ips is the speed most often used in studios but 30ips is used for highest quality in the treble. This speed doesn't give better bass, quite in the contrary. The main reason of the original 77cm/s speed (which the Americans rounded to 30ips when building their own machines) is due to the much larger head gaps of the time (40 microns for the record head, 20 microns for the playback head) and also the larger size of the particles of the magnetic oxide.

[mkkiani]

Amazing machine (we must note that Germany invented the magnetic tape and the tape recorder) and feel great seeing it in action. You have done a great presentation, many thanks. M Kiani

[videogamehistorian]

@mkkiani Thanks for your comment. A minor correction though: magnetic tape is not a German invention. It is Danish: Poulsen Telegraphones existed in all forms in 1900: steel wire, metal tape and disc. However, the magnetic tape as we understand it nowadays (i.e a plastic tape coated with an iron oxide) is a German invention.

[berndpfe]

These were used at broadcasting stations and also in classic Recording studios I think since it is a Professional Equipment...

[videogamehistorian]

Yes but the studio versions weren't exactly same. They were housed in specific cabinets and the model numbers were different and started with letter R, like R26 for example (which, as far as I recall, was the studio version of the K8).

[RODALCO2007]

Beautiful machine.

The way the heads are set up it looks that the magnetic side of the tape is facing outwards.

Amazing high speed 76 cm sec.

Very smooth braking too.

Thanks for showing

[videogamehistorian]

Indeed, the original German design had the tape oxide outwards, like audio cassettes, VHS and many digital tape formats. This format is still used nowadays in broadcast services, so much than if you purchase NOS tapes from Germany, they will be wound oxide out. The other format, with the oxide innards, is called International format and is used in most countries. I still happen to find old radio tapes recorded in France with the oxide out. Just flip the tape and you're ready to listen !

[technikfans]

Great video and a really interesting and amazing recorder... I really would like to hear this...

[bob7872]

Nice machine & great that it still works!

[BobWXXI]

30 ips? That was four times the typical tape speed used for standard broadcast recording, whether stereo or mono. Sometimes you'd use 15 ips for critical music recording for broadcast purposes. but you didn't NEED it for decent sound on either AM or FM stereo broadcast appplications.) I think 30 ips has only been used commonly for master recordings in the music industry--sounds marginally better and itt's easier to find the exact spot for edits in the old razor-and-splicing-tape method.

[freethoughtmusic]

What a great old machine. So who needs stereo anyway ;-)

[gonchujam]

Nothing like Analogical Sound

The machine sounds GREAT!

[meloni53]

BELLISSIMO !!!!!!

[Marantzguy]

Nice! What a chunk of electronics that is! BTW, how much money did this machine cost in 1948? Did AEG develop a special bias the way that Ampex engineers did when they brought back the captured Magnetophones after the War?