About the Company
H. Maihak AG (often just Maihak) is a German engineering and precision instrument manufacturer originally founded in 1873 in Hamburg, Germany. The company built a reputation for fine precision mechanics and scientific instruments long before entering the audio equipment market.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Maihak produced a series of high‑precision reel‑to‑reel tape recorders — often marketed as “Reportofon” / Magnettonkoffer MMK — for broadcast, reportage, field recording, and professional use. These were not mass‑market consumer decks but rather premium portable machines designed for journalists, broadcasters, and film professionals.
Production History & Timeline
Late 1940s — Origins of Tape Projects
After World War II, German broadcasters like Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR) needed portable recording gear for news and field work. Maihak’s engineering expertise made it a good partner for precision audio machines.
Prototypes like the MMK0, MMK1, and MMK2 emerged around 1948–1949, often heavy tube‑based portable units powered by spring motors (due to limitations of batteries of the era).
1950s — Key MMK Series Machines
From the early 1950s through the mid‑50s, Maihak produced several models that became notable portable reel decks:
MMK‑2 — An early Reportofon spring‑driven portable recorder used in field broadcast reporting in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
MMK‑3 / MMK‑3 TR — Produced c. 1953–1955, this portable recorder used tube electronics and a spring‑motor drive and could take small reels (~5″/7″), used often with pilot‑tone sync for film sound.
MMK‑4 / MMK‑5 Tonschreiber — Variants with additional inputs or field‑optimized models; the MMK‑5 was built in limited quantities (including for military use) and operated at 9.5 cm/s (3¾ ips).
These portable machines often featured spring clockwork drive systems rather than electric motors, because early battery and motor technology limited pure electric portability.
Late 1950s — Solid‑State Transition
MMK‑6 (also called Reportofon MMK‑6) — A landmark in Maihak’s reel lineup, produced around 1958–1960, this model was among the first portable transitorized tape recorders (using germanium transistors like OC603/OC604).
It operated at 19 cm/s (7½ ips), had pilot‑tone synchronization for film cameras, and used full‑track mono recording.
The MMK‑6 was precisional engineering: its transport contained hundreds of tightly tolerant mechanical parts, comparable to fine instrument construction.
Early 1960s — Last of the Classic MMKs
MMK‑7 — A fully transistorized, suitcase‑style portable reel recorder capable of synchronous recording for audio‑video workflows, with three heads, pilot‑tone compatibility, and enhanced frequency response.
These machines remained high‑quality, high‑precision portable recorders up through the early 1960s, after which Maihak’s tape business largely faded as technology and market focus shifted.
Technology & Features
Electronics & Drive
Early units (MMK‑1 to MMK‑4) used tube electronics and spring‑motor drives, making them portable without heavy lead batteries.
Later units (MMK‑6, MMK‑7) integrated transistor solid‑state electronics, an early adoption of transistors in portable recorders.
Recording & Format
Track formats ranged from half‑track mono to full‑track mono with pilot‑tone tracks for sync with film cameras.
Tape speeds like 19 cm/s (≈7½ ips) were standard for quality field recording and broadcast applications.
Mechanics
Built with precision mechanical tolerances, often compared to fine Swiss watchwork, making these machines very precise but also complex and expensive.
End of Tape Recorder Production
Maihak’s core business was not audio consumer electronics; after the early 1960s its focus shifted back toward scientific and industrial instruments such as seismographs and measurement devices.
Production of reel‑to‑reel machines ceased by around the mid‑1960s, as other specialized manufacturers (e.g., Nagra, Uher) and evolving cassette formats dominated mobile recorder markets.
Legacy
High‑quality Portable Machines: Maihak’s MMK series is remembered as premium field recorders used in broadcast, reporting and film sync contexts.
Engineering Excellence: Known for precision mechanics and some of the earliest transistorized portable recorders.
Collector Interest: Today these machines are prized by vintage audio enthusiasts and historians for their rarity and technical ingenuity.