Ampex

Browse Ampex vintage audio equipment in the Vintage Technology Archive.

Amplifiers

• 620 — Ampex 620 portable tube amplifier-speaker combo, 65–10k Hz frequency range, used with 601/612 tape recorders, 1950s broadcast tool
• 6973 — A pair of tube-powered monoblock amplifiers using 6973 output tubes, built for the Ampex Crescendo Home Music System. Find production years here.

Reel To Reel

• 200 — Ampex 200A (1947–1948) — 240-lb professional reel-to-reel tape recorder with 30–15kHz response and 60dB S/N, the first US-made machine of its kind.
• 350 — Ampex 350 professional tape recorder (ca.1953–1960s). Introduced as a broadcast studio machine; praised for quick-action controls and remote capability; referenced as a quality benchmark by ABC engine…
• 351 — Ampex 351 professional 10½-inch reel-to-reel tape recorder. Over 10,000 units in use by 1961. Universal and 351-2P variants documented.
• 354 — Ampex 354 professional tape recorder (circa 1961–1970s). 10½-inch reels, 7½/15 ips, multi-track variants. Used by broadcasters and studios.
• 400-A — Ampex 400-A professional broadcast tape recorder from ca. 1952. Little documented; known from an Audio magazine ad featuring remote control and broadcast reliability.
• 440 — Ampex 440 professional tape recorder (1968–1974). Multi-track machine with Sel-Sync, used in recording studios. Little documentation survives beyond period magazine ads.
• 440-B (ca. 1970–1974) — Ampex 440-B professional tape recorder (ca. 1970–1974) — modular solid-state electronics, 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch tape, mono to 8-track. 1974 lease rates from $51.73/mo.
• 500 — Ampex 500 – obscure model with almost no surviving documentation. Period sources refer to 500 Series magnetic recording tape rather than a tape recorder or audio component.
• 601 — Ampex 601 monaural tape recorder (c.1958–1963). Little documented; known from period magazine photos and brief mentions showing military/educational use.
• A-122 — Ampex A-122 magnetic tape recorder-reproducer, c.1958–1961. Stereo playback, cast aluminum chassis, reviewed in Audio magazine. Original price ~$545.
• AG-350 (circa 1968–1980s) — Ampex AG-350 professional quarter-inch tape recorder, circa 1968–1980s. Half-track mono and AG-350-2 two-track versions, tube electronics, 7½/15 ips. Documented mainly via classified ads.
• ATR-102 (1976) — Ampex ATR-102 (1976) 1/2-inch 2-track mastering tape recorder with servo-controlled reel motors, four speeds to 30 ips, and a reputation for uncolored final-mix verification.
• MM-1000 (c. 1968–1973) — The Ampex MM-1000 (c. 1968) was the first mass-produced 16-track pro tape recorder — 8- to 24-channel on 1-inch and 2-inch tape.
• MM-1100 (circa 1972–1974) — Ampex MM-1100 professional multi-channel tape recorder, circa 1972–1974. 8/16/24-channel, 2-inch tape, sel-sync, 14-inch reels. UK price £8,150 for 16 channels.
• Model 200 (1948) — Ampex Model 200 (1948), the American tape recorder Bing Crosby's check helped fund. Thin documentation, landmark significance.
• Model 612 — Ampex Model 612 stereophonic tape phonograph (ca. 1956) — a complete tape-plus-speaker system in hardwood cabinets, rated 0.25% flutter and wow.
• MODEL-300 (c. 1949–1950s) — Ampex Model 300 professional tape recorder (c.1949–1950s). Broadcast-grade machine, 1950 design award winner, companion to the Model 200. Console $1,573.75; KOMO logged 18,000 hours.
• PR-10 (1961–1966+ or 1964–1967, sources conflict) — Ampex PR-10 professional tube tape recorder (1961–1966+). Compact 14-inch rack or portable design, two speeds, remote control, from $845.

Tape Recorders

• AG-500 — Ampex AG-500 studio reel-to-reel — 0.8 cu. ft. rack/portable deck, solid-state, modular channels, 3¾–15 ips domestic.
• ATR 700 — Ampex ATR 700 portable reel-to-reel — flat 40 Hz–18 kHz response, cast transport, broadcast-grade build. A rugged professional portable from Ampex's ATR series.

Tuners

• 008 — Ampex 008 (early 1960s) — rare tube AM/FM tuner with glass dial and mono multiplex capability. Kit-built metal chassis, minimal specs, high collectibility.

Unknown

• 1200 — Ampex 1200 (Fine Line) four-track stereo home tape recorder circa 1962-1963. Little documented; surviving ads cite professional tape guidance and a free-tape promotion.
• 1800 — Little is documented about the Ampex 1800 as a standalone model, because it wasn’t a piece of equipment—it was a blank recording tape stock.
• 2000 — Ampex 2000 stereo tape recorder, mid-1960s. Known from period ads in High Fidelity, Audio, and Studio Sound. Three heads, rigid block suspension.
• AX-300 — Ampex AX-300 automatic-reverse open-reel stereo tape deck (1971–1972). Three-speed, built-in preamps, stereo echo effect. $650 with case.
• AX-50 — Ampex AX-50 (1971) stereo reel-to-reel tape deck. 4-track, 2-channel, 3 heads, three speeds. Original price $250. Little documentation survives.
• C-60 — Ampex C-60 blank cassette tape, priced at $0.59 in 1986-1987 Mix Magazine listings. Little documented. Find when it was made here.
• C-90 — Ampex C-90 blank cassette tape, 90-minute compact cassette sold 1973–1987. Documented in period ads at 95¢ to 69¢, used for archival interviews and 1969 live concert bootlegs.
• F-4460 — Ampex F-4460 tape recorder, circa 1964, from the F-44 series. Only known documentation is a High Fidelity lab test measuring NAB playback frequency response at 7½ ips.
• TAPE-406 — Obscure Ampex 406 mastering tape, documented only by a 1979 Audio classified ad listing 7-inch reels at $2.25.

Videotape Recorder

• VR-2000 — Ampex VR-2000 (1964) — second-generation broadcast quadruplex VTR with high-band 7.06–10.0 Mc recording and built-in Intersync.

Other Models

• 1250 — Surviving information on the Ampex 1250 is thin, and almost all of it comes from Ampex's own advertising for the "Fine Line" 1200 series of reel-to-reel.
• 1260 — Little is documented about the Ampex 1260, the portable version of Ampex's Fine Line 1200 tape recorder series (c. 1962–1963).
• 31321 — Ampex 31321 alignment tape — the 7½ ips NAB full-track standard used to calibrate tape machines, cited by Audio magazine in 1963 as the most widely used test tape at that speed.
• 31321-01 — Ampex 31321-01 — the full-track 7½-ips calibration test tape that 1960s audio magazines used to measure every reel-to-reel deck.
• 352-2/4U — Ampex 352-2/4U: professional two-and-four-track tape recorder, listed in 1961 at $1,640 unmounted. A little-documented pro deck.
• 352-U — Ampex 352-U professional tape recorder, listed unmounted at $1,195 in 1961. A little-documented model in Ampex's pro line.
• 407 — The Ampex 407 is a recording tape, not a recorder. It arrived in 1972 as part of the new Ampex 406/407 mastering tape series, and the trade announcements.
• 600 — A portable reel-to-reel tape recorder produced by Ampex for broadcast and field use, known for high-quality audio capture in a compact design.
• A-122-SP — Ampex A-122-SP Caprice portable stereo system — 0.25V sensitivity, 20-20,000 cps, under 1% distortion, $850 new. A three-case package system from Ampex's home audio line.
• A692 — Ampex A692 speaker-amplifier: the powered companion to Ampex portable tape systems, sold in matched pairs and $100 used in 1968.
• ACR-25 — Ampex ACR-25 broadcast video cassette recorder — 24-cassette random access, 200ms lock-up, 1971 NAB debut.
• AG-350-2 — Ampex AG-350-2: an obscure two-track Ampex tape recorder, documented through 1968–1983 classified ads. Prices, history.
• AG-440-4 — Ampex AG-440-4 four-track half-inch reel-to-reel — the working studio's utility multitrack, bought and resold through the era's classifieds.
• AG-440B — Ampex AG-440B professional reel-to-reel — capstan servo kit, ±0.08% speed accuracy, four tape speeds. A studio transport workhorse.
• AG-500-2 — The Ampex AG-500-2, a professional two-track studio and location recorder documented in period trade listings and studio inventories through the 1970s and into 1983.
• ATR-104 — Ampex ATR-104 4-track professional tape deck — used in broadcast, scoring and post rooms. Specs, history and used-market notes.
• AVR-1 — Ampex AVR-1 quadruplex VTR — 39 kg, £2,670, 25 Hz–5 MHz video, BBC's first European delivery in 1970. The automated quad deck that defined broadcast recording.
• F-4470 — Ampex F-4470: the $695 flagship portable of the F-44 Fine Line Series, a four-track stereo deck with built-in amps, speakers, and its own factory test record.
• FR-1100 — Ampex FR-1100 dual-track quarter-inch recorder — a Minitrack station data logger, 1⅞–15 ips, often found today with 350-style electronics.
• Grandmaster — Ampex Grandmaster professional open-reel mastering tape, most known as the 456 formulation; period ads claimed 74 dB S/N and same bias setup.
• MICRO-52 — Ampex Micro 52 stereo cassette deck (1969–70), $149.95, walnut case, built-in mic/line mixing, ±3 dB 50–10k Hz. A serious cassette deck for component systems.
• MICRO-85 — Ampex Micro 85 compact stereo cassette system, $199.95 complete. Reviewers measured response to 9500 Hz and 54 dB S/N — well past its own specs.
• MM-100 — Ampex MM-100 16-track two-inch tape machine — rare, poorly documented, and priced at $10,750 used in the late 1970s.
• Model 1200 — Ampex Model 1200 — a broadcast tape transport documented mainly through 1960s Schafer automation listings. Scarce technical data; buy on condition.
• Model 351 — Ampex Model 351 — tube-type mono full-track recorder in console. Its tube electronics were later modeled in a Waves plug-in.
• Model 354 — Ampex Model 354 reel-to-reel: a 7½/15 ips portable 2-track that served as the studio workhorse of the 1960s–70s. Period listings and studio directories.
• Model 601 — Ampex Model 601 stereo tape system: 7½ ips, stacked stereo heads, 40–15,000 cps, under 0.17% wow and flutter. The deck Radio Monte Carlo bolted into a Citroën.
• Model 910 — Ampex Model 910 (1958–1961): monaural-record, 2/4-track stereo-playback tape deck, $399.50 new. An obscure Ampex sibling of the 960.
• Model 970 — Ampex Model 970 — a 1959 domestic tape recorder that shared its number with UREI's 1978 Vidigraf video bar-graph display. Two machines, one badge.
• MODEL-1461 — Ampex Model 1461 (1968) four-head auto-reverse stereo portable reel-to-reel with nested cube speakers, $429, 50-15,000 Hz at 7½ ips.
• MODEL-2010 — Ampex Model 2010 matching amplifier-speaker for the Model 960 deck — 10W (20W peak), 8-inch die-cast driver, 31 lbs. Companion unit, not a standalone receiver.
• MODEL-350 — Ampex Model 350 two-speed quarter-inch tape recorder — the broadcast standard that convinced radio to abandon disc. Full-track and half-track, 15 ips, 70 dB S/N.
• MODEL-401 — Ampex Model 401 professional tape recorder — known only from 1950s broadcast classifieds: rack-mount and portable, 10-inch reels, 7½–15 ips full track.
• MODEL-600 — Ampex Model 600 — 28-lb professional portable reel-to-reel with third-head monitoring, $545 new, paired with the 620 amp-speaker.
• MODEL-620 — Ampex Model 620 amplifier-speaker — 10W companion to the Model 600, 60Hz-10kHz, $149.50, 25 lbs.
• MODEL-960 — Ampex Model 960 stereophonic recorder/reproducer — 30-20,000 cps at 7½ ips, under 0.2% flutter and wow, universal mono/2-track/4-track playback.
• PR-10-1 — Ampex PR-10-1 monophonic reel-to-reel — 44 lb studio-grade mono recorder, 30–15,000 cps at 15 ips, built-in mixer, $845 new.
• PR-10-2 — Ampex PR-10-2 compact professional stereo reel-to-reel, PR-10 series priced from $845, 14-inch rack footprint, front-panel alignment access.
• PR-10-4 — Ampex PR-10-4 four-track stereo version of the PR-10 pro tape recorder, introduced 1964; High Fidelity listed it at $1,295 in 1966.
• VPR-2 — Ampex VPR-2 one-inch C-format VTR: a workhorse video deck whose audio chain was so compromised Dolby built a dedicated module to fix it.
• VPR-3 — Ampex VPR-3 — the one-inch Type C VTR so widely used in post houses that its serial protocol became an industry standard. Period-press history.
• VPR-6 — Ampex VPR-6 one-inch Type C VTR, announced 1984 — the post-house workhorse trusted for its audio and emulated by hard-disk editors.
• VPR-80 — Ampex VPR-80 one-inch broadcast VTR with AST tracking and TBC-6 corrector — viewable pictures at 30X play speed, three audio channels.
• VR-1000 — Ampex VR-1000 (1956) — the first commercial videotape recorder, spinning heads at 14,400 rpm to capture an hour of broadcast picture on 2-inch tape.
• VR-1100 — Ampex VR-1100 — transistorized transverse-scan broadcast VTR, under $35,000 new, 15 and 7½ ips, three hours at slow speed.
• VR-1200 — Ampex VR-1200 quad videotape recorder — the broadcast workhorse of the VR-1200 series, with third-party headwheel and audio-card support.
• VR-303 — Ampex VR-303 (1965) — 95-lb fixed-head videotape recorder, quarter-inch tape at 100 ips, 50-min reels, $3,950. Withdrawn after one year.
• VR-7000 — Ampex VR-7000 one-inch helical-scan videotape recorder — heavy-duty industrial VTR with two audio tracks, a ~$500 1967 color-conversion kit, and its own 147 Series tape.
• VRX-1000 — Ampex VRX-1000 (1956) — the first commercial videotape recorder, $50,000, rotary quad heads at 14,400 rpm, and the end of live TV.