The Wonder Years - Realistic Micro 51 Microcassette Tape Recorder

For many, the period of the 1990's were the Wonder Years. Technological developments were making great strides, thanks in great part to the ultra miniaturization of electronic components and the use of IC chips. Tape recorders were also being adapted to the new advances during these "wonder years", including the amazingly tiny microcassette recorders.

From 1992 to 1996 Radio Shack sold a unique microcassette "desktop" unit using IC chips that was very popular at the time. Like many of the RS products sold under the Realistic name, it was a cleverly designed and uniquely featured machine with several useful functions. This video explores that machine inside and out.

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Microcassette tape recorders run in reverse of the standard cassette design (right to left instead of left to right) and are intended for voice recording. Their tiny amplifiers do not have the frequency response suitable for music, although their mechanical capstan drives often are stable enough for it. However they are very good for voice in many situations, and work especially well when the output is fed to a powered speaker system, as is demonstrated in this video.

This machine came from E-Bay and was well used by its previous owner. It has a few problems, most notably a very undependable tiny index counter belt which actually failed during the making of this video. Nevertheless, the other functions of the machine work well.

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Copyright Disclaimer:

This is an educational video, a critique, and report on an historic piece of vintage audio electronic equipment that is no longer manufactured or sold in stores. It is covered by the Fair Use Section of U.S. Copyright Law:

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

The music featured in this video is property of ClydeSight Productions, the theme to the Dream Angle Oracle dream/divination program.

http://www.clydesight.com/DAO

It is composed by neoclassical composer Tim Thompsonand performed by Tim Thompson and his XV Orchestra.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• clydesight
• realistic
• micro
• 51
• microcassette
• Realistic
• Radio
• Shack
• wonder
• years
• dream
• angel
• oracle

[coolbluelights]

Hey Clydesight, where can I get belts for these microcassette recorders? I just got a Realistic micro 10 and a regular cassette belt from my kit is too tight and too big around...

[clydesight]

@coolbluelights

E-Bay, Look up cassette recorder belts. They come in assortments.

[jrcstudios]

I have one of these!! I bought it at radio shack on clearance (back in '96 I suppose) for around half price. I used it for recording phone conversations for a while. It still works, but my counter is aslo intermittent. Thank you for the wonderful inside video!

[clydesight]

@jrcstudios

Thank for the nice comment. I've tried to find a belt for the counter, but there just doesn't seem to be any workable solution. Oh well.

[clydesight]

@Lachlant1984 I remember the radio/TV/cassette recorder combos, sure - JVC, GE and Emerson sold them. Some show up on E-Bay. I even saw one that had a STEREO micro cassette recorder built in! I didn't win the bid on that one though. I don't remember the Realistic ones, but I am sure if you say they made them,, they did.

[Lachlant1984]

@clydesight They sure did, do you remember any of their portable radio/tape/TV units they sold in the 90's? I do, those things were fantastic, and of course I love the realistic logo they used back then, it's a shame they don't use that logo now.

[howsthatsound]

i own one!

[clydesight]

Thanks!

[prokid2000]

Very nice machine, used to use these kind of machines to record from the radio using the external mic inputs

[clydesight]

Thanks!

I think Olympus (developer of microcassette format) did it to distance themselves from the competing Philips minicassette.