These aren’t retro gadgets, exactly, but that doesn’t make them less tubular, or alternately, wicked. These Get Reel CD-ROMs from Bass Boy pack tons of interactive data about reel-to-reel tape recorders from as far back as 1940 to as recently as 1977, with thousands of pictures, circuit diagrams, owners manuals, vintage advertisements, and more. The first two CDs cover a variety of players, while the last focuses on the Tandberg series of tape recorders. Each CD is available for around $33, shipped.
Steve Schoenherr tells a great story, too, when he details (in the second link) how Bing Crosby himself adopted the reel-to-reel technology to pre-record his own shows, leading to the first edited radio broadcasts and the first laugh tracks, and eventually mutated to become videotape.
Read – Get Reel Product Page [BassBoy]
Read – Der Bingle Technology [ACUSD.edu]
