Above is another view of Mr Blackham's unusual Nagra SNN. As far as I can see, apart from not having
8 n- M! i, `# M
the various anodised legends on the deck plate, also absent are the adjustable AGC threshold knob and
( X1 B9 c9 k. F, g+ e) A4 u$ |
the transport lock-out 'switch' next to the meter. The cover 'hinge' arrangement differs slightly from later
2 q9 g% A4 O. I7 s7 D) [
machines, as does the 'patina' of the anodised finish. A most interesting version, has anyone got another?
4 [# x3 n; R1 j5 H+ l% K3 Y, i4 r1 c# ?( ^/ y5 F* W
(Apparently yes, I have recently been advised.)
( Z: O5 s3 I8 A
* f: G$ [ }0 c( L( w$ v7 ?2 r3 T6 g, {) \8 L
Click on either of the above images for more information.
0 c% |/ I5 l# i% ~6 ? R
- [9 F: V {6 e- i3 m
. Q" F! k5 t( W$ A7 v, ?9 R, R T* For those who are looking at the stereo versions of this recorder often to be found on 'Eday', do
% G( z% f) ~4 v3 {2 ]+ K
beware, as It is unlikely that these will be the recent versions designed to record high quality music.
6 s5 r0 s8 @8 s5 u: i4 c/ W
There are now apparently four versions of the Nagra 'SN':
4 @4 L* ~7 g0 o; t) Q% q* ~- t- M3 f
9 C+ a1 k) M6 [7 h7 T" l s3 C
+ L9 F f/ B) iNagra SNN - full track recording at 3 3/4 and 1 7/8 i.p.s. - high quality recording in Mono
7 n6 y- u! @$ b, L" L. O9 [
" F' ~# K+ U4 X- J# gNagra SNS - half track recording at 1 7/8 and 15/16 i.p.s. - surveillance quality recording in Mono
8 `8 ?: R3 q+ g1 U
5 j9 h7 y4 }9 O) a/ t: T! _
Nagra SNST - Stereo recording at 1 7/8 and 15/16 i.p.s. - surveillance quality recording in Stereo
. L( C5 W+ p+ M2 {
9 ^! H3 L+ k* y) X
Nagra SNSTR (recent) - Stereo recording at 3 3/4 and 1 7/8 i.p.s. - high quality recording in Stereo
& H( ~1 M$ j$ X( {/ }4 e" L. S
- E \5 e; Z! g5 C7 q* W' u
+ a4 Z4 q: x0 Y( _; C; _Apparently for covert surveillance use it was preferable to have two separate recording channels to
0 \) v7 j2 g2 [3 P& U N' j
have some chance of capturing a muffled or distant conversations. So these older stereo machines will
/ {6 q" L H$ [( L+ u8 Htherefore be
optimized for speech recording only, and will also
run at low speed for maximum
* Z6 x2 h4 c d# Y( B# Z
recording time and not fidelity. Actually Nagra made a special playback loudspeaker system (25100
, D: U. A/ x n( i% i6 hDSP) with built in equalization to compensate for the quite limited frequency response of these
# ~2 M3 y. l/ c' Q1 ~recorders. A standard mono Nagra SNN running at 3 and 3/4, like the ones on this page are capable of
' Q) ?# ?6 J& C1 E7 \truly Hi-Fi recording, but
the slow speed SNS and the SNST stereo versions are not. Perhaps it might
2 O4 D; N* d" Y- d4 m0 s4 q, mbe possible to convert these machines for Hi-Fi use, but this would involve replacing most of the
. v' W0 ^; P- ]8 r3 n9 q
electronics and be very expensive.
3 P1 J' r z. u( x. F G: v1 y
, y- c0 @; _7 o7 {! l& y7 }) ^! l" [* ?
Cheaper to buy a rather bette
r stereo
IV-S in the first place!
, U' H5 m$ a U* `6 z! n3 w
& W% A5 }) q# Z
( b5 V; U" \/ I- Z0 l1 @Tape for the Nagra SN
8 G: m* G m! ]0 K2 m
8 b6 F- N5 r* d
% p+ w0 r+ L0 k% n; YI have been amazed at the prices some people have been willing to pay on that wild west auction site for
, r M" c( K5 z3 B' y6 Nthe little reels of tape for this machine. When I first acquired my example from the BBC naturally I
) \1 B6 X* g8 K: O& h* Vwanted to play with it and make some recordings. I knew that the tape was basically re-reeled cassette
" E$ l: {* R# e) Ctape so I approached a tape duplication house in the UK and quite easily obtained a few part used
9 Q* r7 w' e( u( D; j1 h
'pancakes'. These are the un-flanged bulk reels of tape (about 10" dia) that are automatically wound into
7 A7 d- V0 L% L7 u7 t0 T! v9 J
the cassette shells. I then contacted Nagra UK (always helpful) and obtained for around ?5 each
/ `9 Y" ?0 x( t3 @! x
several pairs of empty plastic reels. It then was quite a simple matter to wind tape off the pancake and
6 ~. @: H& w2 j: B: eonto the Nagra plastic reel (by using the hand crank on the machine). I did this a few years ago and
( n# b1 |" r+ \6 r
things may be slightly different these days, but perhaps worth investigating rather than spending some
& @' M" k$ H6 _* H9 F/ QVERY silly money.
: M- X" x3 r+ @, }# r+ f! x0 n5 O- [" S, [( H- T
; Q! H) k3 G/ C