Ampex 600 (1954–1955)

A portable reel-to-reel tape recorder made by Ampex for broadcast and field use. It captured high-quality audio in a compact case.

Overview

The Ampex 600 was a portable reel-to-reel tape recorder introduced in the mid-1950s, built for professional and broadcast work. Ampex Electric and Manufacturing Company made it in San Carlos, California. It was meant as a compact, high-fidelity machine for field and studio recording. It was a 2-track, single-channel monaural system that took 7" RMA reels and ran at a standard speed of 7 1/2 inches per second. The design was based on earlier Ampex audio recorders. The 600 became a workhorse in radio broadcasting, and stations like KYOS used it as their main production machine. About 80,000 units were made.

Specifications

Product type	Portable Tape Recorder
Tape format	Reel to reel
Track system	2-track, single channel, monaural
Reel size	7" RMA maximum
Tape speed	7 1/2 inches per second
Power input	117V
Production year	1954
Original price	$545

Context

The Ampex 600 came along after Ampex's work on the Model 500 instrumentation recorder for the U.S. Navy. It was marketed as meeting the performance standards of the Ampex 350 series, and it put professional-grade audio fidelity in a more portable package. Radio stations and field engineers adopted it, and it had a reputation for reliability and sound quality. With 80,000 units produced, it was one of Ampex's widely distributed early portable recorders.

Market

The Ampex 600 is still sought after by vintage audio enthusiasts. Complete recorders have sold for as much as $1,200, though prices vary a lot with condition and configuration. Individual parts, such as playback heads, list for as low as $49.99. That points to a market with both restoration projects and working units in circulation.