In the 1980s, a tape recorder was the main attribute of a cool guy who could easily throw a party or take the equipment with him on a camping trip. With a “cassette player” you could go out into the yard or take a walk with friends around the area. “The cassette player” was the dream of all the boys of those years...
The tape recorder was a vital part of the non-state culture and non-state economy of the Soviet Union. State culture was conveyed through radio stations, Record televisions and Aurora telephones.
The tape recorder, thanks to the possibility of re-recording, distributed what was not released on records and was not heard on TV - from Vysotsky and Galich to Arkady Severny and Pink Floyd, covering the entire spectrum of music not covered by the Melodiya company.
Household appliances were not cheap. Not cheap - to put it mildly. The average Soviet family prepared for the purchase of a cassette recorder with no less trepidation than, say, for the birth of their first child. 
Money for a shabby cassette player was saved for months, during which all family members, without exception, were engaged in a painful process, which I once described with the strange word “look after.” This process boiled down to regular visits to radio stores.
Although, process is a slightly different word that defines all the action that unfolded in these stores. If you think about it, buyers of those years should do right choice it was much simpler - the number of products offered at the same time never reached even a dozen.
Nevertheless, in the sales areas of stores, you could always and at any time meet a crowd of gloomy men who huddled around the counter, silently looking at angular radios, massive record players and cassette decks. 
As a rule, each of the men was mentally aimed at one or another product, which he came to look at every day. The whole process took 10-15 minutes, after which one “sort of buyer” was replaced by another. People came and went, but the crowd of curious people almost never thinned.
The seller dominated this exhibition of unfulfilled desires, of course. Salespeople in radio stores of those years were quite an interesting type: dressed in the latest fashion in hundred-ruble imported jeans, they radiated around them a charge of greatness, uniqueness and awareness of their own superiority over mere mortals.
Not paying any attention to the “stayers”, the seller majestically looked through the crowd, examining fragments of trolleybuses, grain vans and panel trucks, barely visible above people’s heads, steadily making their way along the city streets 
Of course, this was not always the case. Occasionally, the doors of the store were opened by yesterday's "stayer", and he did this not cautiously and ingratiatingly, as usual, but in a businesslike manner, confidently and proudly looking at those around him. And immediately everyone around understood that this person would definitely buy something now... 
Portable cassette monophonic tape recorder of the third class "Electronics-302"
Tape recorder "Electronics-302" produced until 1984. The main plant that produced this model was the Moscow TochMash. The Elektronika-302 tape recorder is designed for recording and playing back sound on a 3.81 mm wide magnetic tape placed in an MK-60 cassette.
It was developed on the basis of the unified model "Electronics-301" differing from it by the use of a new dynamic head 1GD-40 instead of 0.5GD-30, slider volume and tone controls, more modern appearance. Due to claims from warranty workshops about the poor quality of the slider adjusters, they were soon replaced with conventional angle adjusters.
Over the years of production, the tape recorder has undergone many changes in the electrical circuit; transistors and a microcircuit were installed in the output stage of the amplifier, and the entire circuit was adjusted. 
Portable cassette recorders "Electronics-321" and "Electronics-322.
The tape recorders were developed on the basis of the tape transport mechanism of the Vesna-305 device. In the new tape recorders, the clutch drive of the receiving unit has been modernized, guide posts for small-sized cassettes and clamps for the magnetic head unit in the vertical direction have been installed.
The "321" series tape recorder uses a built-in electronic microphone, manual and automatic recording level adjustment, fine-compensated volume control, and a 1GD-40 type loudspeaker. 
Cassette tape recorders “Electronics-323/1” and “Electronics-324/1”.
Novovoronezh plant Aliot. 1981 and 1987 models
Household wearable monophonic cassette recorders "Electronics-323" and "Electronics-324"- designed for recording and playback of audio tracks in any conditions. The built-in mains power supply, autonomous power supply from batteries or a car battery makes the tape recorders universal in use. Among the service amenities, the models have an ARUZ and a signal output.
According to the electrical circuit and general design, the devices are the same, the only difference is the absence of a built-in microphone in the Elektronika-324 tape recorder. 
Portable tape recorder “Electronics-211 stereo”.
Novovoronezh plant "Aliot". Issued since 1983.
Portable stereo cassette recorder ""Electronics-211 stereo"" designed for recording or playing sound programs from a microphone, receiver, audio pickup, TV or other tape recorder.
It provides manual and automatic adjustment of the recording level, an auto-stop, a noise reduction device, separate tone controls, and a line consumption meter.
you, two built-in microphones. 
Tape recorder "Electronics-311-S"
Novovoronezh plant "Aliot" - Production since 1977
Tape recorder "Electronics-311-S" provides tone control for high and low frequencies, automatic and manual control of the recording level of all inputs, a temporary pause in tape movement, erasing recordings, and the ability to visually and audibly control the recorded signal.
For high-quality listening and expanding the stereo base, the device is equipped with two remote acoustic systems. The tape recorder was produced in four options complete set: 1. With power supply and microphone. 2. Without power supply and microphone. 3. With a microphone but without power supply. 4. Without power supply and microphone. In configuration No. 1, the price of the “Electronics-311S” tape recorder is 289 rubles. 
Portable cassette recorder "Spring-202"
Zaporozhye electrical machine-building plant Iskra. Serial production of the model began in 1977.
Second class monophonic cassette recorder "Spring-202" (UNM-12) Unlike the produced cassette tape recorders of the second and third classes, it has an increased output power of the low-frequency amplifier, a noise reduction system, and manual and automatic adjustment of the sound recording level.
Price - 200 rubles. 
Stereo cassette recorder "Spring-201-stereo".
Zaporozhye EMZ Iskra. Production of the model since 1977.
Tape recorder "Spring-201-stereo" works on its own loudspeaker as monophonic, and on external speakers as stereophonic. The band of reproduced sound frequencies on external speakers is 63...10000 Hz. The rated output power of the amplifiers for their own speakers is 0.8 W, for remote speakers 2x3 W.
In anticipation of the 1980 Olympic Games, from the beginning of 1978 the attribute “Olympic” was added to the name of the tape recorder. The cost of the tape recorder has increased accordingly. Until 1978, the plastic case of the tape recorder was covered with decorative wood-like film on the sides and back at the top, and since 1978 it began to be produced only in plastic, with the addition of aluminum design. 
Portable cassette recorder "Spring-202-1"
Zaporozhye electrical machine-building plant Iskra. Production of the tape recorder began in 1983.
Cassette monophonic tape recorder ""Spring-202-1"" type UNM-12 has increased output power, noise reduction system, manual and automatic recording level adjustment. The level is controlled by a dial indicator, and the magnetic tape consumption is carried out by a three-decade mechanical counter.
The operating audio frequency range of the tape recorder is 63...12500 Hz. The tape recorder is powered by 6 373 elements.
Price 195 rubles. 
Portable cassette recorder 2nd class "Spring-207-stereo"
Zaporozhye electrical machine-building plant Iskra. Vol. 1982
The tape recorder has a switchable noise reduction system, automatic switching of the LPM to stop mode when the power is turned off and when the tape in the cassette runs out or due to a cassette malfunction.
There is automatic level adjustment when recording. There are peak overload indicators, an electret microphone, a magnetic tape consumption meter with a memory device, and a magnetic tape type switch.
The device is powered by 6 373, 7 A-343 batteries or from a 220 V network. via built-in rectifier. 
Second class stereo cassette tape recorder “Spring-211-stereo”. Zaporozhye electrical machine-building plant Iskra. Issued since 1978.
A tape recorder similar in appearance, design and parameters under the brand ""Russia-211-stereo"", produced since 1979 by the Chelyabinsk Production Association - "Flight".
The tape recorder was developed on the basis of the “Spring-201-stereo” model and differs from it in its external design and the presence of such operational amenities as; complete auto-stop, as well as control of the recording level using peak indicators on LEDs. There is a noise reduction device and a tape consumption counter.
The tape recorder can operate on the built-in loudspeaker "2GD-40" or on external loudspeakers "6AS-503", each of them has 2 heads of the 4GD-35 type. Powered by mains power or eight 373 elements. 
Portable cassette recorder "Spring M-212 S-4"
The production has been established since 1989 by the Zaporozhye Vesna tape recorder plant and the Iskra electrical machine-building plant.
The tape recorder was also called ""Spring-212-4S"" and ""Spring-212 S-4"". It allows you to record onto magnetic tape and play back music and speech programs from various sources of sound programs through the built-in speaker.
It has an auto-stop when the tape in the cassette runs out or is jammed, control of the recording level using dial indicators, as well as peak indicators, control of the supply voltage using a dial indicator, a switchable ARUZ system, a tape type switch, a three-decade tape consumption counter in the cassette, with a device memory, a switchable noise reduction system and a device for expanding the stereo base, improving sound quality. The tape recorder is powered by mains power or 8 373 elements.
Price 365 rub. 
Cassette stereo tape recorder "IZH-303-stereo"
Izhevsk Motor Plant (JSC Aksion). Issued since 1986.
In the tape recorder "IZH-303-stereo" provides for manual and automatic adjustment of the recording level, auto-stop when the tape in the cassette breaks or ends, there is a tape consumption meter with a memory device, dial indicators of the recording level, and a noise reduction system.
You can connect external speakers and TDS-9, TDS-6 headphones to the device. The power supply is universal: from 6 A343 Salyut-1 elements or from the mains. Rated output power - 2x1 W. The operating range of sound frequencies is 63...10000 Hz.
Price 285 rub. 
Portable cassette recorder on the substation "Elegy-301"
Voronezh plant Elektropribor. Issued since 1986.
In the tape recorder "Elegy-301" There is a built-in electret microphone, an ARUZ system, a switchable noise reduction system, and tone controls for low and high frequencies.
Using the same electrical circuit and design, but with a slightly different design of the front panel, tape recorders of the "Agidel-301" and "Legend-301" brands were produced by different factories in the country.
The price of the “Elegy-301” model is 184 rubles. 
Portable cassette recorder "Tom-303"
Tomsk Radio Engineering Plant. Serial production since 1982.
In the tape recorder "Tom-303" A switchable noise reduction device is provided to reduce the noise level during playback.
The "Tom-303" tape recorder allows you to record and playback while moving, when carrying and during transportation. This ensures the preservation of basic electrical parameters and sound quality.
The tape recorder is powered from the mains, through the built-in power supply, or from batteries. Since 1985, the plant has produced the Tom M-303 tape recorder with a different front panel design and a wide color scheme case. 
Cassette tape recorder "Belarus-301"
Tape recorder "Belarus-301" allows you to record phonograms from a microphone, receiver, TV, broadcast line, recorder, electric player or other tape recorder. The recording level is controlled using a dial indicator.
You can connect an external amplifier with a speaker system or a small-sized speaker system with a resistance of about 4 ohms to the tape recorder.
The range of recorded and reproduced frequencies is 63...10000 Hz. The rated output power when operating on an external speaker is 0.8 W. Duration of operation from a set of elements is 15 hours. Power consumption from the network is 5 W. 
Portable cassette recorder "Karpaty-202-1"
Prykarpattia radio plant. PA "Karpaty". Ivano-Frankivsk Tape recorder production has been established since 1977
Class 2 monophonic cassette recorder ""Karpaty-202-1"" (UNM-12) was produced simultaneously with the model "Spring-202-1" and according to its electrical circuit and design, nothing from
it is no different.
In turn, both tape recorders are a modernization of the “Vesna-202” and “Karpaty-202” tape recorders, differing from them only in the loudspeaker grille and minor changes in the electrical circuit. The range of audio frequencies of the tape recorder at the linear output is from 63 to 10000 Hz, and those reproduced by the loudspeaker are 100...10000 Hz.
The tape recorder is powered by six 373 elements. The rated output power of the amplifier is 1 W, the maximum is 2 W.
Price 200 rubles. 
Portable cassette recorder "Karpaty-205-1"
Prykarpattia radio plant. Production since 1987.
The tape recorder was produced on the basis of the model “Spring-205-1” and, with minor changes in the circuit, is completely similar to it. 
Cassette recorder "Parus-201-stereo"
Saratov plant "Banner of Labor". Production started in 1983.
Tape recorder "Parus-201-stereo" has the following functions: recording and listening to stereo and mono programs through an external amplifier in stereo and mono modes, or through the built-in monitor speaker in mono mode; the ability to connect stereo phones and an external speaker or speaker; built-in noise suppressor; autostop of all modes; three-decade tape consumption counter.
The tape recorder has universal power supply: from a 220 volt network via a built-in power supply, from external source DC 12 volts or from 8 A-343 elements. Frequency range: 40...14000 Hz; Maximum amplifier output power 2.5 W: 
Stereo cassette recorder - "Parus M-213S". Saratov plant "Banner of Labor". Production since 1991.
Tape recorder "Sail M-213S" can work in a stand-alone version as a monophonic one for playing back soundtracks through its own built-in speaker, or in a stationary version as a stereophonic one with two speakers. The range of recorded and reproduced sound frequencies on chrome oxide magnetic tape is not less than 63...14000 Hz.
Rated output power for own speakers is 1 W, for external speakers 2x1 W, maximum output power is 2x3 W. 
Portable cassette recorder "Proton-401", "Proton-402" and "Proton-402MT". Kharkov radio plant "Proton" Production since 1980.
In the tape recorder "Proton-401", "Proton-402" and "Proton-402MT" ARUZ, auto-stop at the end of the tape in the cassette, a dial indicator of the recording level and a built-in microphone are provided. Powered by 6 A-373 elements and the network, in this case the output power doubles.
The device has an automatic recording level system, tape type switch, and high-frequency tone control. The range of operating audio frequencies at the linear output is 40...12500 Hz, at the loudspeaker 200...7000 Hz. Rated output power - 1.2 W.
Since the beginning of 1985, on the basis of this tape recorder, a two-speed, four-track tape recorder of the Proton-402MT type was produced. It is designed to play “Talking Book” phonograms for people with vision loss. The electrical circuit and design of the model, except for the track switch and the second speed - 2.38 cm/sec - are similar. 
Tape recorder "Proton M-412"
Kharkov radio plant Proton. MG production since 1988.
Portable cassette recorder class 4 "Proton M-412" assembled on transistors and microcircuits. It is intended for recording or playing back phonograms on magnetic tape A-4207-3B or similar in standard MK-60 cassettes. Number of recording tracks - 2.
The range of sound frequencies effectively recorded and reproduced through the LV is 63-10000 Hz, the frequency range reproduced by the internal loudspeaker 1GDSH-3 is 150...7000 Hz. The power supply is universal, from a 220 volt network or from 4 A343 elements. Rated output power 0.5 W. Power consumption from the network is 8 W.
The price of the model is 125 rubles. 
Portable cassette transistor tape recorder class 4 - “Legend-404” Arzamas Instrument-Making Plant named after. 50th anniversary of the USSR. Class of 1981
""Legend-404""- Class IV portable cassette recorder with universal power supply. The tape recorder can be used as a voice recorder. The range of recorded and reproduced sound frequencies at higher speeds is 63...10000 Hz, and at lower speeds 80...3150 Hz. Power supply voltage is 9 volts from 6 A-343 batteries or from the mains via a separate power supply.
The rated output power of the amplifier is 0.5 W, maximum 0.8 W. The tape recorder has a built-in electret microphone, an ARUZ system, connectors for installing a special radio cassette operating in the range of only LW or only MW and allowing you to turn the tape recorder into a radio tape recorder.
Since 1989, the tape recorder has been produced under the name "Legend M-404". In general, the model was a long-liver; production of the tape recorder was completed in March 1994.
The price of the tape recorder "Legend M-404" is 139 rubles. 
Portable stereo cassette recorders “Spring M-310S”, “Rus M-310S”, “Rus M-310-1S”, “Spring M-310S1”
Zaporozhye plant Iskra (“Spring M-310S”, “Spring M-310S-1”)
Ryazan Instrument Plant (Rus M-310S", "Rus M-310-1S")
Production of the M-310S models since 1987, M-310S-1 since 1990.
All tape recorders have the same design and are built on the basis of the " "Spring-310-stereo"". The difference is in the external design and minor changes in the electrical circuit.
The tape recorder has the ability to: automatically stop the tape recorder when the magnetic tape in the cassette runs out or the cassette malfunctions; automatic recording level adjustment; recording level control using peak indicators on LEDs; stereo balance adjustments; separate tone control for higher and lower frequencies; use of two types of magnetic tapes; automatic switching of tape type.
The noise reduction system reduces the level of noise during playback. Nutrition; from 6 elements 343 or from the AC mains via an external power supply. The cassette recorder is made of impact-resistant polystyrene. The set includes 2 cassettes of the "MK-60" type. 
Portable cassette recorder "Rus-207-stereo"
Ryazan State Instrument Plant. Serial production of the device began in 1985.
Cassette recorder ""Rus-207-stereo"", was produced on the basis of the “Spring-207stereo” model produced in 1982. Different factories USSR, according to the same design and electrical circuit then
similar cassette recorders were produced with the names:
"Tarnair-207-stereo" and "Rhythm-203-stereo".
Playback in monophonic mode through the built-in speaker, in stereophonic mode - through external UCU and external speakers Operating frequency range at the linear output - 40...14000 Hz, when using magnetic tape - A-4312-3B. The nominal output power of the speaker is 1 W, maximum 2 W.
Retail price 265 rubles 
Cassette tape recorder "Sonata-211"
Velikolukskoye PA Radiopribor. Released in 1980.
The model has an ARUZ and separate HF and LF tone controls, a tape consumption meter, and a dial indicator of the recording level
and power status, built-in electret microphone, pause mode. For the first time in domestic tape recorders of this class, a tape type switch was used, and the possibility of recording on chrome dioxide tape was provided. The tape recorder is equipped with a retractable carrying handle.
The speaker model has a 2GD-40 loudspeaker installed. You can connect an external speaker with a resistance of 4 Ohms to the device. Power is supplied from the network, through a built-in stabilized power supply or from batteries.
Rated output power is 0.7 W, when operating from the mains or from a car battery 1.5 W. The operating frequency range at the linear output is 63...12500 Hz, when recording on chrome dioxide tape 63...14000 Hz. The frequency range reproduced through the loudspeaker is 100...10000 Hz. Power consumption from the network is 10 W.
Price 260 rubles. 
Portable stereo cassette recorder-set-top box “Sonata MP-213S”. Velikolukskoye PA Radiopribor. The production of the set-top box tape recorder began in 1989.
Stereo pre-line output set-top box tape recorder ""Sonata MP-213S"" designed for recording and playback of stereo and monophonic phonograms. In standalone mode, the model works with the built-in loudspeaker as monophonic, and with the connection of stereo phones or a stereo amplifier with speakers as stereophonic.
The tape recorder is powered from six A-343 elements, or from the mains through a built-in power supply. The first releases of tape recorders were called “Sonata-213-stereo” 
Cassette portable monophonic tape recorder - “Romantic-306”
Gorky plant named after Petrovsky. Model production since 1979.
The model was produced for a short time by the Petropavlovsk Plant named after. Kirov but without the index ""M"". The carrying handle was either rigid, made of duralumin and plastic, or like a shoulder strap.
Operating frequency range at the linear output is 63...10000 Hz, loudspeaker - 100...10000 Hz. Rated output power 0.5 W, maximum, when operating from the mains 4 W.
In 1985, the Petrovsky plant began production of a modernized model - "Romantic M-306-2"
Music in the USSR was considered something unnecessary for the daily life of a citizen, a kind of permissible surplus (except, of course, for songs performed by a choir - at a pioneer line, in military formation, etc.). Therefore, devices for playing and recording music were treated more like things closer to luxury items than everyday items.
Buying a tape recorder in the Soviet years was a very serious undertaking! Firstly, relative to the salaries, they were extremely expensive. For example, this beauty called the “Spring 211-1-stereo” cassette tape recorder, together with speakers, cost 365 rubles! With a regular salary of 120 rubles! Three monthly salaries for an ordinary device for playing cassettes! And some high-end reel-to-reel tape recorders could cost much more.
Secondly, a significant problem was to buy a model that would not break in the first month of operation, which happened quite often. “Soviet material is a soft thing,” said one of Platonov’s heroes, and this fully applied to Soviet tape recorders.
However, in fairness, it must be said that by the mid-80s the USSR had learned to produce quite good reel-to-reel tape recorders. They didn't break often and produced good sound. However, who in those years wanted a reel-to-reel tape recorder? They were bulky, non-transportable, and even the process of loading the film itself required a certain skill. And most importantly, by that time reels were rapidly being replaced by cassettes. In general, in adolescence, the reel-to-reel tape recorder was considered a hopeless archaism. Well, or, at least, a thing for fans of radio electronics.
But with cassette recorders things were difficult. It’s okay that they were of a terrifying design (see the photo above - isn’t it true how elegant this Vesna “suitcase” is?). The worst thing was that they were incredibly unreliable to use. The normal operating mode of a Soviet cassette player is from one repair at a service center to the next.
This fact says a lot. Manufacturers indicated in the warranty that if in the first year of operation the product is repaired at a service center a certain number of times (either five or six), then the buyer will be able to exchange it for free new model. That is, the manufacturer initially assumed that his product could break five times in the first year! And many of my friends took advantage of this right - their tape recorders broke down just the right number of times.
Let me clarify that we were not talking about any minor breakdowns like a fallen off button. This little thing was fixed at home. It must be said that mechanical control buttons were probably designed by engineers specifically to occupy the consumer’s leisure time. They constantly fell out, sank, fell off, etc. Moreover, they were a very cunning design of springs, transmission levers, and pulleys. Sometimes it was amazing what engineering thought could do in an effort to complicate something simple!
Probably the champion in breakdowns were the nightmarish hybrids of tape recorder, radio and record player. These bulky monsters had much more “bottlenecks” than ordinary tape recorders, and therefore brought a huge amount of trouble to their owners. But one of the more or less reliable middle-class models was the Mayak line of tape recorders.
These cassette decks cost, if I’m not mistaken, about 200-odd rubles without speakers. It would probably be wrong to say that they did not break. Of course they broke! But compared to many other models, they were, how shall I put it, more susceptible to repair folk remedies- for example, kicks to the body. Or a simple method worked: I took it apart, put it back together and everything works. Sometimes it was necessary to resort to more sophisticated techniques.
For example, you could often see in houses how a tape recorder stands at an angle because something was placed under its leg. It turned out that he could only work in this inclined position (the angle of inclination was calculated empirically). Or, on the contrary, the tape recorder began to work only if a heavy stack of books was loaded on top of it. But I saw the most amazing design from one friend.
He had to put a spoon under the cassette, and put a weight on the spoon to make it heavier. Only with such crutches did the tape recorder work. But nevertheless, if “Mayak” could somehow work with all these ridiculous methods, then the aforementioned “Spring” died completely and did not respond to any poultices.
Well, the height of desire, of course, were Japanese tape recorders - Sharp, Sony, Panasonic. They stood proudly on the shelves of thrift stores, flaunting breathtaking price tags. They differed a mile from their Soviet counterparts in their catchy design, and most importantly, many of them were double-cassette - an extraordinary rarity for Soviet technology, which was very much valued during the years of dubbing from cassette to cassette.
By the way, Soviet cassettes were a curiosity much worse than Soviet tape recorders. It would be difficult to find a more unfortunate thing.
Oddly enough, tape cassettes were not in short supply in the USSR. This was a rare case when a product that could potentially be in short supply was sold everywhere, but at a price that excluded any hype. In any Radio Products store, the shelves were lined with imported cassettes of various brands. They all cost exactly the same, regardless of the manufacturer - nine rubles for a 90-minute cassette. The price by today's standards is, of course, completely absurd. An engineer's monthly salary of 120 rubles could be swelled with style into 13 cassettes!
However, it was possible not to show off, but to modestly buy domestically produced cassettes - for four rubles apiece. But what kind of tapes were they! A song, not a cassette! If there had been a certain Cossack sent into the State Planning Committee who would directly order the cassette producers - “make such a cassette so that by its very existence it would discredit Soviet industry” - he would have to be extremely pleased with what happened. Because it turned out not even “as always”, but much worse.
When the Soviet cassette lay on the counter next to its imported counterparts, it gave the impression of not even a poor relative, no! More likely, some kind of drunkard on the fence, quietly settling in at the tail end of a decent company. Let's start with the name. Imported cassettes were called by sonorous names of manufacturers - Basf, Denon, Sony, Toshiba, TDK, Agfa. Without the slightest glimmer of imagination, the Soviet bastard was named MK, which meant nothing more than a tape cassette. It's strange that it's not KM - a tape cassette.
The appearance of this namesake of Moskovsky Komsomolets was terrible. Imported cassettes were packed in bright plastic wrappers, under which were the same colorful inserts. Their Soviet cousin was sold without any wrapper at all, and the design used mainly grey, red and brown tones. Apparently the mentioned Cossack sent personally checked the design.
The insert (paper in the cassette box for recording the names of songs) in imported cassettes was made of pleasant glossy paper. It was very convenient to write on with a pencil, and if necessary, it was easily erased with an eraser. In Soviet cassettes, the insert was made of rough cardboard and newspaper paper. It was still possible to write on it once, but when you tried to erase the inscription with an eraser, the paper turned into a dirty mess.
However, this circumstance was just a trifle. Who would need to erase the names of songs and write new ones if the film itself, in principle, was poorly suited for re-recording? Because the film in cassettes matched everything else. It could provide only very modest recording quality, and if you tried to re-record frequently, it quickly broke down.
But tape recorders really liked this film! They chewed it with great pleasure at every opportunity. This case was shrewdly provided for by the cassette manufacturers, and therefore there were often no screws on the case. All imported cassettes were dismountable, that is, they were subject to minor repairs - for example, straightening the film. Many Soviet cassettes were glued, they honestly tried to accompany the playback with creaking and whistling, but, alas, they could not be repaired. If the film jammed in the cassette, the cassette could be thrown away immediately. Or better yet, don’t buy at all.
But did someone buy them? We bought it. Either they are completely unpretentious consumers, or they are completely miserly. In any case, at school, flashing an MK cassette meant dooming yourself to certain ridicule. However, considering that now you can find memories of Soviet times, painted in the most rosy tones, I would not be surprised if someone writes that Soviet cassettes were significantly superior to imported analogues, worked great and generally still serve someone well . I wouldn't be at all surprised.
Once upon a time I remembered VCRs in the USSR, and now I remembered the seemingly forever forgotten wiping of the pickup head with cologne on simple tape recorders.
My first (or rather not mine, but my father’s tape recorder) was a Mayak-203 reel-to-reel stereo tape recorder. My father bought it in 1979 before the Moscow Olympics, and it had Olympic symbols on it. When I grew up and became interested in music myself, I was very dissatisfied with this tape recorder. Firstly, he weighed 12.5 kg. and dragging it to friends to re-record it was quite inconvenient.
And secondly, it was horizontal, which was not considered cool, unlike the vertical “Jupiter”, “Orbit” or “Saturn” (not to mention the semi-professional “Olympus”). And without fail (to make it more cool) they relied on speakers, an amplifier and color music.
"Olympus", by the way, provided almost studio-quality recording and playback of music, and many now famous performers and groups recorded their music and songs on "Olympus" in the early 80s. And then we listened to these recordings: “Aquarium”, “Zoo”, “Time Machine”, etc., and were not at all surprised by the poor sound quality, attributing it to the twentieth or thirtieth re-recording of the tape.
Therefore, in 1984, I finally begged my father to buy a real Japanese cassette recorder “Sharp GF 9191” for my personal use. This cassette player was purchased second-hand from a sailor overseas and was approximately the same age as the Mayak-203 (manufactured in 1980). 700 rubles, I think my father gave for it: and to hell with them - I later gave more.
Owners of good reel-to-reel tape recorders treated cassette tape recorders with contempt (they say the sound quality there is not at all the same), but compare the Sharp GF 9191 with the Mayak-203, and you will agree that this is heaven and earth. Moreover, this miracle of Japanese electronics both recorded and played music, which was ideal for me.
And I will say without false modesty - I was cool with this Sharp, although I was smart enough not to carry it with the music on on my bent arm or on my shoulder while dancing. By the way, that Sharp worked for me until the mid-90s, and is still alive (lying somewhere with his parents). The tape heads there, of course, have worn out, but you can still listen to the receiver.
Unlike rock musicians, for whom high-quality recording of music was very important, domestic bards: Galich, Vysotsky, Vizbor, etc., completely recorded their apartments on cassette recorders. Imported, of course, because the domestic industry had never mastered high-quality cassette tape recorders, although there were successful brands. First of all, of course, this is a series of different models and modifications of portable cassette recorders “Spring” and their clones “Rhythm” and “Sonata”.
First of all, these cassette players were valued for their lightness and reliability - they could be easily carried with you to the beach, to parties, to the yard or to a construction site. And secondly, through an amplifier and acoustics they reproduced quite good sound. But the quality of dubbing on these tape recorders left much to be desired - almost all domestic cassette players produced a dull sound when recording. And one more detail - for some reason, “Spring” almost always quickly flew off the cassette deck cover.
Soon these tape recorders will become the same rarity as gramophones and radios, but not much time has passed - in many brands of cars, even before 2003, a car radio with a cassette player was required to be installed. A few years have passed, but it already seems that these tape recorders were in a completely different life...
The victorious march of tape recorders began during the Second World War. And after the war, the first household tape recorders appeared, including in the Soviet Union.
Studio tape recorder "MAG-2". VNAIZ, model 1947
It used the first domestic magnetic tape of the “ML” type. To reduce wear on the magnetic heads during recording or playback, the magnetic tape was loaded in different ways. The magnetic tape advance speed is 45.6 cm/sec. The range of operating audio frequencies at the linear output is 50...7000 Hz. Nonlinear distortion 1%. In the Soviet Union, the first household tape recorder "Dnepr" was released in 1947. But then, due to shortages and high prices, few people could afford such luxury at home; mostly, tape recorders were owned by different organizations. This tape recorder had very modest (from today's point of view, of course) characteristics; it was single-track, with a very high tape consumption due to the high speed.
By 1950, magnetic tape recording already existed, but was inaccessible to the common population of the country due to the high price. The first attempt to make magnetic recording more accessible was the release of the MP-1 tape recorder at the beginning of 1954. It was simple in design and could work in conjunction with any type of radio equipment for playing records. Since 1950, the Elfa plant, however, had already mass-produced a similar model as part of the Elfa-6-1 radio gramophone, but it was very expensive and had a significant drawback - the speed of the tape was inconsistent and depended on the size of the roll take-up coil. The "Volna" tape recorder, like its predecessors, combined simplicity of design and electrical circuit, had a number of advantages and disadvantages, but most importantly, the speed of the tape was already constant.
MP-2 tape recorder, 1950s
On the left is the electronics unit, in the center is the mechanism with magnetic heads, on the right is the MD-41 microphone. It was used in conjunction with an electric player; at a speed of 78 rpm it provided a tape speed of 19.05 cm/s. 
Tape set-top box - “Volna” (Sound recording device). Beginning of production 1955
The set-top box did not have an electric motor; to drive it, a record player disc was used, with which the set-top box was operated. The circuit contained one radio tube, which served as an erasure and bias generator, a correction recording amplifier and a signal pre-amplifier. All other functions were performed by the base device, to which the set-top box was connected via a special connector. You could install such a connector on the device yourself; it was included with the set-top box, and some serial devices already had similar connectors, for example, the Estonia-55 and Kazan radios.
Recording on a two-track tape is carried out by turning over and rearranging the reels. The range of recorded/played sound frequencies of the set-top box at a speed of 78 rpm. is 100...7000 Hz, at 33 rpm - 100...3000 Hz. The set-top box did not have its own power supply, so through the connector it received the necessary anode voltage and filament voltage also from the base device, consuming about 1.5 W of power. There were no rewind modes on the console. The tape recorder cost 300 rubles at the 1955 exchange rate (that is, 30 rubles in post-reform prices). 
But progress does not stand still. After the first “Dnepr”, subsequent modifications appeared, with much better characteristics, with standard belt speeds.
Reel-to-reel tube tape recorder "Dnepr-3", 1952
The tape recorder is designed for single-track recording. The tape recorder has fast rewinding of the tape in one direction. The speed of the magnetic tape is 19.05 cm/sec. Recording time, with a reel capacity of 500 meters, is 44 minutes. Recording frequency range 100...5000 Hz. Relative noise level -35 dB. SOI 5%. The size of the device is 518x315x330 mm. Weight 28 kg. 
"Dnepr-3" view from the inside. 
Tape recorder "Dnepr-9"
"Dnepr-9" was already a two-track, had a very good acoustic system in a wooden case. Subsequent models of this family were for a long time the dream of music lovers of that time, as they had very good characteristics at a relatively low price.
One of the first Soviet two-track tape recorders. I used standard number 18 reels with a volume of 350 m (55 micron thick acetate tape), which ensured a recording duration of 30 minutes at a speed of 19.05 cm/s. Frequency range 70-8000Hz, output power 2.5 Watt. Weight 28 kg, price 120 rub. 
Reel-to-reel tube tape recorder of the 2nd class “Melody MG-56”, 1956
The "Melody MG-56" tape recorder is designed for recording or playing back sound programs on magnetic tape type 2 with reels No. 18. Two-track sound recording. Pulling speed 9.53 and 19.05 cm/sec. The AF range of the recording-playback channel at higher speeds is 50...10000 Hz, at lower speeds - 100...6000 Hz. The rated output power on two 2GD-3 loudspeakers is about 2 watts. The tape recorder has a recording level indicator, a magnetic tape footage indicator similar in design, a pause button, bass and treble tone controls, and a switch-off device at the end of the tape roll. All kinds of switching in the tape recorder are carried out using relays and electromagnetic couplings. The device is controlled by push-buttons. Dimensions - 420x420x210 mm. Total weight 24 kg. The price of a tape recorder after the monetary reform of 1961 was 290 rubles. 
Tape recorder "Melody MG-56" 
Special disk tape recorder “MAG-D1” (P-181). 1957 model
The disk rotation speed during recording and playback is variable from 35 to 100 rpm. Recording time at maximum speed is about 1.5-2 minutes. The operating frequency range is variable and varies from 300...5000 Hz at the beginning of the disk to 300...3000 Hz at the end. The purpose of using a disc is to provide quick access and replay of any part of the recording. 
Portable self-powered tape recorders (reporting) were also developed. In order to save batteries, they were driven by a spring wound by a handle (like gramophones)
Reporter's tape recorder - "MIZ-8". Model 1953.
“MIZ-8” is the first domestic reportage portable, self-powered tape recorder with a spring drive, “gramophone type”. The tape recorder uses two heads, erasing and universal, for recording and playback. The apparatus was assembled using three radio tubes. Power is supplied from two batteries (compartment on the left). The range of recorded and reproduced frequencies at the linear output is 200-5000 Hz. Linear drawing speed 26 cm/sec. Single-track recording time is 15 minutes. Dimensions of the tape recorder 350x246x177 mm, weight 7.2 kg 
In 1954, the Kiev Equipment Plant began producing the Dnepr-8 household portable tape recorder, created on the basis of the MIZ-8 model. The household model used smaller reels that could hold 100 meters of magnetic tape, and its drawing speed was also reduced 
Desktop tube reel-to-reel tape recorder "Gintaras". Vilnius Electrotechnical Plant "Elfa". 1960
The Gintaras tape recorder (Elfa-19) is designed for recording and playing back two-track phonograms at a speed of 19 cm/sec. With a reel capacity of 350 meters, the recording/playback duration is 2x30 minutes. The range of operating frequencies of the tape recorder at the linear output is 50...10000 Hz, and those reproduced through the 1GD-9 loudspeaker installed in the speaker system of the device is 120...8000 Hz. The output power of the bass amplifier is 1 W. There is a fast rewinding of the tape in both directions. The dimensions of the tape recorder are 385x346x180 mm, its weight is 15 kg. 
Tabletop reel-to-reel tape recorder "Idas" (Elfa-20). The tape recorder was produced from 1962 to 1966.
"Aidas" translated from Lithuanian means "Echo". The Idas tape recorder uses a two-track recording system on magnetic tape of type 2 or 6. The tape speed is 19.05 cm/sec. The tape recorder is equipped with cassettes No. 15 with a capacity of 250 meters of tape, the recording duration is
two tracks about 45 min. The range of frequencies recorded and reproduced by the tape recorder along the electrical path is 40...12000 Hz when working with type 6 tape, on type 2 tape the range is somewhat narrower and is 50...10000 Hz. The rated output power of the tape recorder amplifier is 1 W, with a distortion factor at the linear output of no more than 3%, at a loudspeaker equivalent of 6%. Noise level is no worse than 40 dB, detonation 0.4%. The dimensions of the tape recorder are 400x300x186 mm, weight 12 kg. IN
In 1965, the electrical circuit and LPM of the tape recorder were modernized, and in 1966 it was modernized into “Idas-9M”. 
In 1960, the Velikoluksky Radio Plant mastered the production of the most affordable “people's” tape recorder, “Chaika” - its price in post-reform rubles was only 105 rubles! Only the prefixes “Nota” and “MP” were cheaper
“Chaika” and “Chaika-M” tape recorders. Production since 1960 and 1964 respectively. Externally, the models are identical.
CVL speed 9.53 cm/sec. The reels hold 240 meters of magnetic tape. 2-track recording, recording duration 40 minutes. When using type 2 or CH tape, the amplifier reproduces an audio frequency band of 40...6000 Hz. The output power of the bass amplifier on the 1GD-18 loudspeaker is 1 W. The tape recorder is assembled on 4 lamps. The casing of the tape recorder is wooden, made of bent plywood, lined with synthetic plastic. Dimensions of the tape recorder - 340x270x180 mm, weight 12 kg. The Chaika-M tape recorder, produced since the beginning of 1964, has minor differences in the electrical circuit and design compared to the basic Chaika tape recorder; the sound quality is slightly improved; when using tape type 2 or CH, the tape recorder reproduces a frequency band 40...10000 Hz. 
Tape recorder "Yauza-10"
"Yauza-10", the first Soviet stereophonic tape recorder (which cost almost 400 rubles in the 60s - a considerable amount at that time). Particularly for this model, components were developed that had not previously been used in domestic household appliances: a tape meter counter, dual regulators, a switch tracks Unfortunately, the fate of this model was not very successful: due to the high price and the lack of high-quality stereo signal sources in the mid-60s, the production of Yauza-10 was discontinued by 1968: there was no point in the consumer buying such an expensive device and capabilities. which he could not use.
Recording was carried out on two tracks (left and right channels), in addition, monophonic recording was allowed, which made it possible to use four tracks on one reel of tape (250 meters). At a speed of 19.05 cm/s with a frequency range of 40-15000 Hz, a recording duration of 22 minutes was provided on one track. It was equipped with two remote speaker systems (right and left channels), in addition, it had two built-in speakers. The weight of the tape recorder is 14.5 kg, the speaker systems are 4.5 kg. 
Tape recorder "Spring", released in 1963.
A portable portable device that worked both from batteries (10 pieces of type 373) and from an alternating current network through an external rectifier. The tape speed was 9.53 cm/s, using 100 m "number 10" reels, which provided 17 minutes per track. Frequency range 100-6000 Hz. Weight with batteries 5.5 kg, price 150 rubles. 
Portable tape recorder "Mriya". Released 1967 
Tape recorder "MAG-8M11"
Semi-professional single-track tape recorder produced in 1953. Reels with a capacity of 500 m were used, at a speed of 19.05 cm/s, the recording duration was 43 minutes. Operating range 50-10000 Hz, output power 2.5 W, weight 52 kg, price 365 rub. 
Tape recorder "Mayak 201" mono
The Mayak family of tape recorders became widespread (in addition to the first mono model 201, later stereo models 203 and 205), Jupiter, Rostov, and Orbita were produced, and already in the early 80s semi-professional models Elektronika TA-001 appeared " and its "relative" in the "Olympus" class. These devices provided almost studio quality and allowed the use of tape on reels up to the 22nd number and were the dream of “underground” musicians of the late 70s - early 80s. Many subsequently famous performers and groups initially signed up for Olympus. 
Tape recorder "Jupiter-201-stereo"
A class II stereo tape recorder, providing a frequency range of 40-16000 Hz at a speed of 19.05 cm/s, had a built-in two-channel amplifier with an output power of 7 Watts per channel, and was equipped with two two-way speaker systems in a wooden case. Weighed 15 kg. 
And some more photos of old reel-to-reel tape recorders. 
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