About the Company
Mag. Recorder Co., short for Magnetic Recorder Company, was a British maker of consumer reel‑to‑reel tape recorders active for a short period in the 1950s. Its output is very limited in documentation, but at least one model is firmly attributed to the brand in vintage equipment archives.
Production History & Timeline
1954–1957 — Reel‑to‑Reel Era
Mag. Recorder Co. produced reel‑to‑reel tape recorders in the United Kingdom from about 1954 until 1957. These machines were aimed at the home consumer market during the early years of post‑war magnetic tape recording.
The company’s products were tube‑based (valve electronics), typical of the era just before transistors became widespread in tape recorders.
Known Model
Reporter
Brand: Mag. Recorder Co.
Model: Reporter
Production: c. 1954–1957
Country: United Kingdom
Electronics: Tube (valve) circuits
Tape Speeds: 3 ¾ and 7 ½ ips (inches per second)
Track: Full‑track mono
Reel Size: Up to 7″
Features:
Portable design with spring‑motor drive (wind‑up mechanism)
Battery‑powered amplifier and, on deluxe versions, built‑in loudspeaker
Headtype: Permalloy
Basic transport control with a single switch for record/play/back/stop
The Reporter was clearly designed as a lightweight recording machine (e.g., for hobbyists or simple recording work), with its spring motor allowing short durations without mains power.
Technology & Market Position
Design & Electronics
Mag. Recorder Co. machines used vacuum tube amplification and simple mono track formats — typical of consumer reel decks of the mid‑1950s, before transistor technology became dominant.
Tape speeds supported both broadcast (7 ½ ips) and standard consumer (3 ¾ ips) modes, giving flexibility for voice and some music recording.
Target Audience
These recorders were clearly consumer‑oriented, aimed at home hobbyists or amateur recordists, not professional studios.
The inclusion of portable, battery/spring‑motor features suggests use for on‑the‑road or outdoor recording, such as field notes, amateur radio pickup, or simple audio capture.
End of Tape Recorder Production
By around 1957, Mag. Recorder Co.’s reel‑to‑reel production had ceased or become unrecorded, and the brand disappears from typical reel‑to‑reel listings.
Post‑1957, the reel‑to‑reel market shifted rapidly toward larger, mains‑powered consumer decks and then toward solid‑state transistor models in the late 1950s and early 1960s — dominated by larger companies. (General historical trend, as reflected in mid‑century audio industry histories.)