ID this vintage R-R machine?

[Greg Miller]

Can anyone here (an old-timer, probably) identify this R-R machine? It was shown as a prop in a 1968 episode of Mission Impossible, as seen in this screen capture. Tape motion (the machine was running in the show) was with the supply reel on the left and takeup reel on the right.

The machine looks pretty industrial, so I'm guessing it might have been used earlier in the studio sound department, then eventually relegated to prop status. Note the hold-down type spindles, which I normally associate with film reels, rather than mag tape. The three cables seen might be head cables, connecting to what appears to be an electronics bridge behind and above the transport ... nothing further is shown beyond what's in this photo.

Bonus points to anybody that can provide reference info or photos to support the identification.

Thanks in advance!

[Gary Nattrass]

Hmmm I think you may be right that it is actually a film sep mag machine as the centre tape guide mechanism is way over the top for quarter inch.

Having said that Technics used this type of design on their 70's and 80's machines but it looks more like a 16mm mag recorder as the closed loop allows a more robust contact with the record and playback confidence heads.

We had Sondor and Albrecht machines that used a similar closed loop system and it had gates to lock the 16mm mag tape to the sprocket wheels.

It might be worth asking these guys about it: Unique Items in the Collection - Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording

[Rick Reineke]

"Having said that Technics used this type of design on their 70's and 80's machines"
- One of the NY studios I worked for in the 80's, had a 1/4" tape, half-track Technics 1200, that had a similar closed-loop transport... a large capstan (about two inches in diameter as I recall) with two adjacent pinch rollers. The record and PB heads where on opposite sides of the tape loop.
The pictured machine appears quite older.

[Greg Miller]

Thanks for the response. I actually have a Panasonic iso-loop machine. Pretty sure the model number is 1502 (half track stereo record) and there was also a 1504 (quarter track stereo record). Both versions had two playback heads (and a switch) so could play either track format, but erase & record format was determined by the model number.

I'm also pretty sure 3M made an earlier iso-loop studio machine, although I never saw one in the flesh.

My hunch was that the mystery machine might have been made for 16mm fullcoat, BUT it's hard for me to imagine such a small-radius 180-degree reversing roller (at the bottom of the head block) for something as thick and stiff as fullcoat. Of course it would be fine for 1.5 mil recording tape.

Gary, I will check out the MMSR and try to post an inquiry there, that sounds like a good resource; thanks.

[Don Palomaki]

Can you find it pictured at: https://www.hifiengine.com/