About the Company
Racal Electronics Ltd was a British electronics company founded in 1950 by Raymond Brown and George Calder Cunningham (the name “Racal” comes from Raymond Calder Aluminium, the founders’ names). Racal became best known for communications, professional audio, and military electronics.
While Racal is primarily remembered for radios, telecommunications, and broadcast equipment, it also produced professional and semi-professional reel-to-reel tape recorders in the 1960s and 1970s, often for broadcast, defense, and studio applications.
Country: United Kingdom
Reel-to-Reel Production Era: c. 1960s–1970s
Market: Professional, broadcast, and some consumer/prosumer applications
Technology: Vacuum tube (early models), later solid-state (transistorized)
Distribution: UK, Europe, and professional broadcast sectors globally
Production History
1960s – Entry into Tape Recorders
Racal initially produced professional tape recorders designed for military and broadcast use, competing with Ampex, Studer, and EMI in high-end tape recording for radio and television.
Early machines were often valve (tube) designs with high reliability and precise tape transport systems.
Racal machines were built for accuracy, low wow & flutter, and robust construction, making them suitable for broadcast news, field recording, and studio applications.
Notable early models:
Racal RA-100 series – professional tape recorder, high stability, mono/stereo formats, used in studios and institutional settings
1970s – Solid-State Professional Recorders
By the early 1970s, Racal transitioned to transistorized designs, making lighter, more compact, and energy-efficient reel-to-reel machines.
These machines were used in broadcast studios, recording facilities, and for instrumentation purposes.
Racal also produced modular tape recorders designed to interface with other Racal broadcast equipment.
Representative models:
Racal RA-200 series – solid-state, stereo capable, multiple tape speeds (3¾, 7½, 15 ips)
Racal RA-300 – professional broadcast deck with 3- or 4-head design for monitoring and editing
Market Role & Legacy
Professional Focus: Unlike consumer brands, Racal’s tape recorders were rarely sold to domestic users; they were targeted at professional environments where reliability and audio fidelity were critical.
Broadcast Use: Many Racal decks were deployed in BBC, Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), and military broadcast networks.
Engineering: Known for robust mechanical design, low tape wear, and precise speed regulation.
End of Production: By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Racal shifted focus to telecommunications and electronics systems, and reel-to-reel tape recorders were largely discontinued.