About the Company
A British firm that did produce reel decks, though not as widely known as the major hi-fi brands.
Clarke & Smith — British Reel-to-Reel History
Company: Clarke & Smith Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Country: United Kingdom
Founded: 1946 by Major J.F.E. (Frank) Clarke and Sargent Alex Smith
Production Location: Wallington, Surrey, England
Active Period: Late 1950s – 1990s (with significant tape deck production in the 1960s)
Primary Markets: Consumer, education, institutional, and specialised audio systems
Product Types: Reel-to-reel tape recorders, talking book systems, radio and hi-fi equipment
Clarke & Smith was one of the smaller but historically interesting British electronics firms that manufactured tape recorders and related audio equipment, particularly for schools, universities, and special niche markets rather than broad consumer hi-fi.
Company Origins & Growth
1946: Clarke & Smith was founded after WWII by two servicemen — Major Frank Clarke and Alex Smith — initially repairing radios, then designing audio systems.
The company expanded beyond radio repair into radios, amplifiers, and eventually tape recorders and complete hi-fi systems.
They secured contracts in education and public address systems (e.g., schools’ equipment) that kept the company busy for decades.
Clarke & Smith also worked on audio systems for the blind, producing specialized tape-based “talking book” players long before compact cassettes became standard.
Reel-to-Reel Tape Decks — Key Models & Features
TR634 (c. 1964–1967)
Category: Consumer/education reel-to-reel deck
Electronics: Solid-state (transistor) circuits
Speeds: 3 3⁄4 and 7 1⁄2 ips
Heads: 2 (permalloy) stereo configuration
Mechanism: 3 motors (often with Wright & Weaire or similar British transports)
Performance: ~50 Hz–15 kHz frequency response and ~0.16% wow & flutter at 7½ ips — modest but respectable for its class
Use Cases: Consumer, education halls, and PA linkage
The TR634 was sometimes touted as one of the first all-transistor “professional” recorders of its kind, featuring a built-in amplifier capable of driving a small loudspeaker — unusual for UK machines of that era.
Clarke & Smith decks were often not marketed as audiophile hi-fi units, but rather utility decks for institutions and external systems (e.g., public address, education, and special audio installations).
Broader Product Range
Beyond the TR634, Clarke & Smith’s audio lineup included:
Talking Book Players: Early tape-based readers designed for the visually impaired, predating later cassette “talking book” systems. These used proprietary cartridges and multi-track tape formats.
Tapete System: A tape cartridge format for talking books and long-duration recordings, supported through adaptors and evolving formats into the late 1960s.
School Radio & PA Gear: Amplifiers, receivers, and audio distribution systems designed for institutional use.
This diversification helped the company survive longer than many British analog tape makers, because it was not solely dependent on home hi-fi sales.
Technical & Market Position
Engineering Style:
Clarke & Smith reels were solid-state when many British rivals still used tubes, particularly in the mid-1960s, giving them a performance edge in rugged applications.
They typically used British mechanism suppliers such as Wright & Weaire rather than fully proprietary transports, similar to contemporaries like Ferrograph.
Target Markets:
Education (schools/universities) – decks integrated with classroom PA systems
Institutional audio – tape playback in halls and auditoria
Talking book systems – highly specialized accessibility devices
General consumer – modest high-fidelity home recorders like the TR634
They were not as widely distributed in mainstream hi-fi stores as Japanese imports, but they carved out distinct niches within British audio equipment markets.
Later Years & Legacy
Clarke & Smith continued evolving its product range into the 1970s and beyond, although detailed records of later reel-to-reel models are scarce. Their talking book equipment, including multitrack tape players and cartridge formats, remained in use into the late 20th century and accounted for tens of thousands of units produced.
The company survived through longer diversification than many British analog tape deck manufacturers — some of which folded in the face of Japanese competition in the 1970s.