About the Company
Consolidated Electronic Industries (CEI) — Australian Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Deck Manufacturer
Company: Consolidated Electronic Industries (CEI) (also branded with Cuemaster)
Country: Australia (Melbourne, Victoria)
Active Years (reel‑to‑reel): Early 1970s – late 1970s
Product Focus: Solid‑state consumer and professional reel‑to‑reel tape recorders
Market: Domestic audio, broadcast cueing and institutional installations
Consolidated Electronic Industries was an Australian electronics company based in Melbourne that built and branded reel‑to‑reel tape decks during the 1970s. These machines were primarily sold under the C.E.I. (or Cuemaster) name and were part of the final decade of local Australian tape deck production before Japanese imports became dominant.
Company Background
CEI formed: As Consolidated Electronics Pty. Ltd., established in the early 1960s through the amalgamation of several electronics and engineering firms in Melbourne.
CEI’s business encompassed:
Tape recorder manufacture and branding (Cuemaster)
Broadcast and reel cartridge systems
Import and distribution of international audio products
Custom engineering services for broadcast/industrial clientsAlthough CEI operated in audio and broadcast electronics from the 1960s into the 1980s, its reel‑to‑reel tape decks were produced chiefly in the 1970s.
Tape Deck Production — The Cuemaster Series
CEI’s reel‑to‑reel efforts centered on the “Cuemaster 77” series, which itself had roots in earlier Australian tape decks:
Cuemaster 77 Mk IV (1973–1977)
Brand: C.E.I. / Cuemaster
Manufactured: Australia (Melbourne)
Years: ~1973 to 1977
Electronics: Solid‑state (transistor) – a departure from older valve decks.
Format: Full‑track mono open‑reel recorder with IEC equalization.
Reel Size: Up to 7″ standard reels.
Head Type: Permalloy erase/record/playback head configuration.
Voltage: 220 – 240 V mains.
This machine represented a solid‑state evolution of earlier Australian designs and was considered robust enough for broadcast cueing, institutional recording, and general audio use.
How CEI came to produce the 77:
CEI purchased the rights to manufacture the “77” from Rola — another Australian electronics firm that had earlier taken over the design when it acquired the Byer company’s tape deck assets in the late 1950s.
Over decades, the “77” lineage had evolved from Byer to Rola and finally to CEI, maintaining continuity in Australian tape recorder heritage.
Later Models: Cuemaster 77 Mk V and 900 Series (1970s–1980s)
According to broadcast equipment records, CEI continued to update and expand the 77 line with newer versions such as the 77 Mk V and larger systems tailored for broadcast cue and library automation (900‑series units), showing that CEI’s involvement extended into tape automation technology beyond standalone reel decks.
Technical and Market Position
Electronics:
By the 1970s, CEI tape decks were solid‑state, reflecting industry trends away from vacuum tubes and toward transistorized circuitry.
Use Cases:
Consumer tape recording in homes and small studios
Broadcast cueing and playback systems (often integrated with cartridge libraries and automated playback racks)
Institutional audio systems for installations around Australia
Competition:
Japanese consumer and pro tape decks from brands such as Akai, Sony, and TEAC were entering (and increasingly dominating) the Australian market in the mid‑1970s.
End of Tape Deck Production
By the late 1970s, the demand for standalone reel‑to‑reel tape recorders declined sharply as:
Japanese imports undercut local production
Compact cassette formats supplanted open reel among consumers
Broadcast facilities transitioned to newer cartridge and digital systemsCEI maintained broader broadcast electronics activity into the 1980s and beyond but the Cuemaster reel‑to‑reel line ceased production around 1977.
Summary
Consolidated Electronic Industries (CEI) was an Australian reel‑to‑reel tape deck manufacturer active in the 1970s, best known for producing the Cuemaster 77 series in Melbourne. The company acquired rights to the 77 design from earlier Australian firms and updated it with solid‑state electronics for consumer and broadcast applications between about 1973 and 1977, before the rise of imported tape decks and newer media formats led to the end of its reel‑to‑reel production.