Amalgamated Wireless Australia AWA Magictape ST1
Amalgamated Wireless Australia AWA
Australia
Tape Deck Details
Number of Motors
Number of Heads
Head Configuration
Wow & Flutter
Signal-to-Noise [dB]
Dimensions [mm]
465 x 245 x 330
Weight [kg]
13.5
Year built
1953
Head Composition
Equalization
Frequency Response
Speed
7½
Max Reel [inch]
Tracks
1/2 Rec/PB
Price
User
Consumer
Additional Information
The AWA/Pyrox Magictape ST1 was a portable dual-track mono reel-to-reel recorder introduced around 1953. It ran from 220–240 V AC and used five tubes: 6AU6, 6AU6, 6AQ5, 6AQ5, and 6X4.
Technical picture
Format: reel-to-reel tape recorder, portable tablemodel.
Track format: dual-track mono / half-track.
Tape speed: 7.5 ips.
Power: 220–240 V AC.
Electronics: tube-based, with 5 valves/tubes.
Speaker: permanent-magnet dynamic loudspeaker.
Price at launch: about AUS £135.40.
What it was like
It was aimed at portable use rather than high-fidelity studio work, with a simple transport intended for forward, rewind, and fast-forward operation. The machine was also sold with optional accessories such as mixer, headset, foot control, and radio/pickup connector.
Dimensions and weight
Size: about 465 x 245 x 330 mm.
Weight: about 13.5 kg.
Practical notes
The ST1 appears to have been one of Australia’s early popular tape recorders, and later Magictape models such as the ST5/ST6 kept the same general family concept but added more specific speed variants and a slightly later feature set