About the Company
Casian — Brief Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck History
Brand: Casian
Manufacturer: Casian Ltd. (based in London, United Kingdom)
Production period: Circa 1960–1962
Market segment: Battery portable / consumer reel-to-reel recorders
Technology: Transistor (solid-state) portable tape recorders
Origin: United Kingdom production and/or marketing for a specific portable line in the early transistor era
Casian was not a major manufacturer with a full product lineup like Akai, TEAC, or Braun. Instead, it appears to have been a small British importer/brand that marketed a couple of Trav-ler portable reel-to-reel tape recorders in the early 1960s. The brand’s footprint in the tape market was very short-lived and primarily associated with these portable consumer products.
Historical Context
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the advent of transistor technology enabled lightweight, battery-powered reel-to-reel recorders. A number of small brands in the U.K. and Europe — including Casian — marketed such units to consumers who wanted portable recording without the bulk of full-size hi-fi decks.
Key Models and Features
Casian Trav-Ler (c. 1960–1962)
Brand: Casian Ltd., London
Type: Portable battery reel-to-reel recorder
Electronics: Transistorized (solid-state)
Speed: 3¾ ips (standard consumer speed)
Format: Half-track mono
Max reel size: Up to 7″
Features: Built-in speaker, battery power, portable size
Performance: Frequency response roughly 150 – 5000 Hz (rough rating) — typical for portable units of the era
Market: Consumer portable recorder for general audio capture and playback
Casian Trav-Ler Professional (c. 1960)
A follow-up or higher-spec variant marketed soon after the original Trav-Ler, sometimes described as Trav-Ler Professional.
Advertised with improved specifications such as 7½ ips speed, AC/battery operation, and better frequency response compared to the basic model.
These machines were modest in performance compared with full-size hi-fi decks but were compact and designed for portability and mobile recording — a niche segment at the time.
Brand Origins & Corporate History
Casian Ltd. was located at 27 Grafton House, Golden Square, London W1.
The Trav-Ler products were manufactured or sourced from Italian OEM production, then marketed in the U.K. under the Casian name.
By December 1960, the rights for manufacture and distribution of the Trav-Ler design (or its successor) were reportedly sold to Aerialite Ltd. in Cheshire, indicating the Casian brand’s tape deck presence was very short lived.
After about 1962, the Casian Trav-Ler and related models had largely disappeared from the U.K. market, and the name faded as a reel-to-reel brand.
Market Position and Legacy
Not a major manufacturer: Casian was a small U.K. brand rather than a large tape deck producer. Its presence in the reel-to-reel arena was limited to a few portable units rather than a broad product line.
Portable focus: The Trav-Ler units were among early portable transistorized recorders, offering battery operation and modest audio fidelity useful for general recordings (speech, field use, etc.).
Short market life: The brand’s reel-to-reel products were limited to about 1960–1962, after which the rights changed hands and the Casian name disappeared from tape deck listings.
Collectibility: Today, Casian units are rare vintage flashpoints among collectors of battery-portable reel-to-reel recorders, illustrating a niche segment of early solid-state tape technology.