About the Company
TRD was a British brand of reel‑to‑reel tape recorders that produced a small and relatively short‑lived line of machines in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their products were positioned toward the semi‑professional audio market rather than the mass‑market consumer segment.
The company manufactured its reel‑to‑reel units in the United Kingdom, and the designs used solid‑state electronics rather than the earlier valve (tube) circuitry common in older recorders. The machines typically supported two‑track recording/playback and were built for 220–240 V mains, making them suitable for European domestic and semi‑pro use.
The most documented model from TRD is the DPA 1, produced roughly between 1968 and 1971. This deck was marketed as a “Super High Fidelity” stereo recorder with the following characteristics: it used ½‑track stereo format, offered multiple tape speeds (3 3/4, 7 1/2 and 15 ips), and could accommodate up to 7‑inch reels. Its transport included four heads in a stacked/inline configuration, which allowed separate erase, record and playback circuitry. The electronics were solid‑state and the sound output was typical for equipment targeting the semi‑professional sector of that era.
In terms of technical performance, reported frequency response at the fastest speed was approximately 30 Hz–18 kHz (‑3 dB), with wow and flutter figures that improved at higher speeds but remained modest compared with higher‑end studio decks from the same time. The DPA 1’s reliability and audio fidelity were rated around the midrange among contemporary value‑oriented semi‑pro decks.
Overall, TRD’s reel‑to‑reel tape recorder production was brief and limited in scope, with only a few models known from this brand and production essentially confined to a narrow window of the late 1960s to early 1970s. These units reflect the transition within the industry toward transistorized designs and the diversification of markets beyond pure consumer hi‑fi into semi‑professional and hobbyist recording applications.
In summary, TRD’s role in reel recorders was as a small UK producer of solid‑state stereo tape decks around 1968–1971, notable mainly for the DPA 1 stereo recorder and representing a short‑lived semi‑professional line in the broader history of open‑reel machines.