MY OFF-AIR RECORDING FACILITY
 
 

For ON/OFF - AIR recording and playback I use a new "found" goodie, it is an AMPEX Model 601 Studio recorder.
This nice little unit sports 600 Ohm audio in and out, line level monitor, Microphone input and (7) seven inch Reels.
Here are the specs I found for this beauty on the WEB!

    1957 AMPEX 601 DECK    SPECIFICATIONS
 
 

Produced from the late fifties through to the early sixties, the 601 was announced by Ampex as "at last, true Ampex performance in a 26lb miniaturised professional package".

 Available in single and later double channel (the 601-2 pictured at left), it utilised three heads and a single motor. 

Price in 1960 was about $US600.00 for the single channel model and $995.00 for the two-track. To get an idea of just how much that was, you could buy the top of the range Sony CS-300 stereo recorder for $390.00, a Tandberg model 6 for $490.00 or a Knight KN4310 for $240.00

And while you were at it, why not buy a couple of   620P's (right) - a matching portable  amplifier and speaker unit with a 10 watt output and a  65 - 10kHz acoustic response - a mere $190.00 each! 

 
 
 
 
 

SPECIFICATIONS
 
Tape speeds: 7.5 ips or 3.75 ips
Frequency response: 40-15.000Hz
Signal/Noise ratio 55dB
Wow & flutter: less than  0.17%
Inputs: High impedance microphone input and line input
Tube compliment: 3 x 12AU7, 1 x 12AY7, 2 x 5879, 1 x 6F5 & 1 x 5Y3
Outputs: 600 ohm balanced or unbalanced line
Reel size: 7"
Heads: Seperate record, playback & erase
Weight: 26lbs
Size: 8" x 14" x 16.5"
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This "Beauty" was left by the dumpster along with its' clone, I got them both and saved them from the land-fill, then
wondered, what am I going to do with (2) tape decks. Well I gave the better one to "Tab", and I kept the one that had
a slightly crushed foot on the back-side. I cleaned them both of the debris that was accompanying them in the dumpster
and checked them out for operation. Both units worked perfectly, I guess whoever threw them away just didn't want
them anymore. I wired mine into the transmit/receive audio lines I use for my AM transmit/receive setup. It is a 600
Ohm system and I got some empty reels from a yard sale and some really good TEAC tape from the local Audio store.
So when you make your "Old Buzzard" transmissions now I can record them, I think I'll just permanently wire it to one
of my R-390(A) receivers and use that for record and playback when we get the pile-ups on "7290".
Follows are the pictures of the tape-deck after cleaning.




















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