About the Company
Fairchild — American Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck Manufacturer
Company: Fairchild Recording Equipment / Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp.
Country: United States
Active in Reel-to-Reel Production: Late 1940s – mid-1950s
Market Focus: Professional recording, broadcast, laboratory, film sound
Reputation: High-quality engineering; early professional audio pioneer
Fairchild refers to the Fairchild Recording Equipment Corporation (also known as Fairchild Recording Equipment Co.), an American manufacturer of professional audio equipment based in Whitestone, New York. Founded in 1931 by inventor and entrepreneur Sherman Fairchild (a prolific innovator also known for aviation and photography), the company initially focused on disk recording lathes, cutters, and related broadcast gear but expanded into magnetic tape recording in the post-WWII era.
Fairchild was a key player in early professional audio, renowned for legendary gear like the Fairchild 660/670 tube compressor/limiter (still revered in modern studios for its warm compression on vocals and masters). While primarily famous for compressors, equalizers, preamps, and disk tech, they did produce reel-to-reel tape recorders as part of their push into magnetic tape during the 1950s.
Production History Overview
Active period for tape recorders: Primarily 1950s (early to mid-1950s onward), overlapping with the rapid adoption of tape in studios after Ampex's breakthroughs. Fairchild continued offering both disk and tape solutions for several years before shifting focus.
Country of origin: United States (Whitestone, NY).
Market focus: Professional/broadcast/studio-grade reel-to-reel tape recorders — not consumer portables. These were high-end, tube-based machines designed for radio stations, recording studios, and mastering, emphasizing reliability, low noise, and integration with Fairchild's other gear (e.g., sync generators for multi-machine setups).
Output scale: Limited and specialized — Fairchild was never a high-volume producer of tape decks like Ampex, Scully, or RCA. Their tape machines are rare today, with few surviving examples documented. Production of tape recorders was a smaller part of their lineup compared to compressors and lathes; the company wound down or shifted by the late 1950s/1960s as competitors dominated.
Fairchild entered tape recording as an "early developer" in the field, building on their disk expertise. Their machines often featured advanced controls for professional mixing (e.g., live multi-source combining during recording, as noted in period photos and discussions).
Key Models and Details
Specific model numbers for Fairchild reel-to-reel tape recorders are sparsely documented — unlike their famous 670 compressor, tape decks aren't as cataloged in modern archives. References describe generic "Fairchild tape recorders from the 1950s," often full-track mono or early stereo, with robust builds for broadcast use. They included features like:
Tube electronics for warm analog sound.
Integration with Fairchild control track generators for synchronized multi-track recording.
High-fidelity heads and transports suited for mastering/live broadcast.
Legacy
Fairchild reel-to-reel tape recorders are:
Extremely rare
Mostly found in museums or private collectionsThey are valued for:
Historical significance in early American professional recording
Exceptional build qualityFairchild’s greater legacy lies in professional audio electronics rather than tape machines.