Ampex 400-A (ca. 1952)
Almost nothing is documented about the Ampex 400-A. The record is thin: one period advertisement and a few contemporary references that may or may not describe this model. Here is what can be said with confidence.
Audio (April 1952, p.7) ran a full-page ad for the "advanced Series 400-A" from Ampex Electric Corporation of Redwood City, California. The ad copy plays up remote control ("WITH REMOTE CONTROL" in bold display type). It also pitches savings from less wasted tape and uninterrupted broadcasting. The taglines are "SAVES TAPE" and "MONEY BY STAYING ON THE AIR." That makes the 400-A a professional broadcast tape recorder, aimed at radio stations.
The "NEW PRODUCTS" column (Audio, March 1952, p.50) may refer to the 400-A. It describes a recorder with frequency response within ±4 dB from 30 to 15,000 Hz at 7½ ips, and within ±2 dB from 50 to 15,000 Hz. The column does not name the model, so the attribution stays uncertain.
Beyond these fragments - the "Series 400-A" designation, the remote control feature, the broadcast-market positioning, and a likely 1952 introduction - the sources reviewed hold no specifications, circuit details, production quantities, pricing, or mechanical descriptions.
Known facts:
- Type: Professional tape recorder, likely for broadcast use
- Manufacturer: Ampex Electric Corporation, Redwood City, California
- Advertised circa: Spring 1952
- Key advertised features: Remote control, low tape waste, broadcast reliability
- Designation: “Advanced Series 400-A” (suggests a series or model family)
If further documentation — a service manual, a brochure, or a verified review — surfaces, this page will be updated. For now, the 400-A remains one of Ampex’s less-documented early broadcast recorders.
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