About the Company
Nota — Soviet Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder Brand
Brand: Nota (Russian: Нота)
Country: Soviet Union (USSR)
Manufacturer: Novosibirsk Electromechanical Plant (later known as NPO Luch)
Production Period: 1964 – late 1970s / early 1980s
Market: Domestic consumer audio (and institutional audio via external amplification)
Technology: Started with valve (tube) designs and later transistorized units
Nota was one of the recognized Soviet reel-to-reel tape recorder brands — popular, inexpensive, and widespread across the USSR for the home recording and playback of music and speech.
Origins — Mid-1960s Soviet Tape Recording
The Nota brand was created around 1964 at the Novosibirsk Electromechanical Plant, an industrial enterprise originally involved in wartime production and later consumer electronics.
At the time:
Magnetic tape recording was spreading in the USSR as domestic consumer electronics production grew.
Several plants across the Soviet Union began producing tape recorders tailored to local markets and pricing structures.
Nota emerged as an accessible model line that many Soviet families could afford relative to pricier imported or domestic alternatives.
Early Models (1964 – Late 1960s)
«Нота» (1964)
First model under the Nota brand.
Early valve (tube) based unit — designed as a “magnetofon-pristavka” (tape recorder unit intended to be used with an external amplifier or radio).
Mono recording system, single speed typically around 9.53 cm/s (3 3/4 ips).
Compact and simple, with plug-in to an existing radio or Hi-Fi system for amplification.
These early Nota units were notable in the USSR for being more affordable than many competitors, helping popularize tape recording among consumers.
«Нота-М» (1969)
A modernization of the original Nota machine.
Featured a metal case and slightly updated electronics, but still fundamentally a valve design at first.
Continued to be an inexpensive domestic recorder.
Mainstream Expansion (1970s)
By the early 1970s, Nota diversifed further with updated circuits and later transistorized units that improved reliability and reduced power consumption:
«Нота-303» (c. 1972)
Expanded feature set and more modern playback/recording characteristics than the earliest models.
Still intended primarily for mono recording/playback using a modest tape speed and standard amateur track configuration.
Transistor Era (Mid-1970s)
From about 1974 onward, later Nota models used transistor electronics instead of tubes.
This mirrored broader Soviet industry trends away from vacuum tube designs in consumer products.
Machine ergonomics and electrical reliability improved accordingly.
Stereo and Advanced Models (Late 1970s)
While early Nota recorders were single-track or mono, Soviet designers eventually introduced more complex versions:
«Нота-202-стерео», «Нота-203-стерео», «Нота-203-1-стерео»
These models appeared in the mid- to late 1970s (e.g., around 1976–1979).
Designed as stereo reel-to-reel tape recorders with enhanced features such as auto-stop and noise reduction on later variants.
Built on the same Novosibirsk plant engineering lineage with incremental feature additions and component updates.
For example, the Nota-203-1-stereo incorporated improvements like auto-stop mechanisms in some production versions.
Technical Characteristics (General)
Electronics: Valve early units → transistor later units (mid-1970s onward).
Tape speed: Typical Soviet domestic speed ~9.53 cm/s (≈ 3 3/4 ips).
Record/play configurations: Mono to stereo as production evolved.
Format: Open-reel tape ¼ inch (consumer standard).
Connection: Most early units were designed as accessory recorders requiring an external amplifier or radio receiver.
Market Role and Impact
Nota became one of the most widely recognized Soviet reel-to-reel brands in the consumer segment.
Its affordability and ease of use made it popular among students, families, and amateur musicians.
It was often used to record radio broadcasts, home audio, and speech.
According to some plant histories, the Novosibirsk producer manufactured millions of Nota units across its various models over production decades.
End of Production
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the domestic open-reel recording market in the USSR began to contract due to:
Rising popularity of compact cassette formats.
Increased availability of imported or better integrated equipment.
Technological shifts away from open-reel consumer recorders.
Nota production eventually ceased in this tape format, though the brand continued in various forms and components in Soviet electronics history.
In Brief
Nota was a Soviet reel-to-reel tape recorder brand made by the Novosibirsk Electromechanical Plant (NPO Luch) from the mid-1960s through the late 1970s, evolving from mono valve units into transistor and stereo models. It became one of the more accessible consumer tape recorder names in the USSR, producing multiple models enjoyed by the general public before the market shifted to cassette technologies.