Topic: What was your first recording device?

[Gil]

Sony WMD3. Treated me well.

[rhinowing]

used this thing for like two shows...i found it in my friend's basement


then I got an r-09 for christmas

[acidjack]

Aiwa HSJS215, with a tie-clip stereo mic, in 1995.

Followed a year later by a WMD6C.  That thing sounded nice but it sure wasn't little!

[StuStu]

Nak 550 cassette recorder.

[rjp]

First recorder (early 1970s): a Realtone cassette recorder exactly like this.
Later, my dad dragged out an old Magnecord monaural reel-to-reel unit; it was built for home use, with transport and preamp in a single unit. The preamp had a magic eye level indicator, but there was also a VU meter mounted on top of the case. It was essentially an M30, but in a fancy hardwood case. This article has a picture of an M30 (scroll down a ways).
Then, for Christmas (1976?), I got a Technics 263AU. I made a lot of mix tapes with it, and then eventually with my dad's Aiwa F-990U (one sweet deck in its day).

After that... nothing, until I got my LS-10.

[DSatz]

Norelco Carry-Corder 150 as a teenager, which I used like a "Walkman" although it had no headphone output--so I played it softly and carried it with its speaker next to my ear! When I started live concert recording around the age of 20, an Advent 201 cassette deck.

[SmokinJoe]

I remember a Craig tape recorder, mono, built in mic, it was probably early 70's, played with it as a kid.  Held it up to the radio, so you could record our favorite songs an AT40.

The first "live show" I recorded was some bar band with a stereo boom box in the early 80's.

On our honeymoon in 1986 I had that boom box, and we were staying at an uncle's camp on the lake in Maine (think "Golden Pond" movie).  I recorded the loons on the pond one night, and played it back the next night.  They came racing over, and were furious, thinking my recording was another pair of loons on their pond.

[Gutbucket]

Great loon story. Evening/night birds seem to know how to take best advantage of sonic contrast.. like coyotes and wolves.

[doodee]

Sony WMD3. Treated me well.

Wasn't my first, but was definitely the first decent quality recorder I owned. Would have to say I was treated pretty well also. She's actually still in my possession.

My grandfather was a really great banjo player and made regular treks up to out of the way spots in the Blue Ridge mountains to play with friends on various front porches. I remember teaching him (with what basic knowledge I had) how to record in the field. He actually ended up buying a D3 as well. Still have his masters.

[doodee]

Kind of like this:


I had it as a new recorder when Don McLeans American Pie was on constant Number-1 hit radio play. I think i got it for my 10th B-Day, around 1969.  I set the mic up next to my 8-Ball AM radio (pool table ball style), and started rtying to capture a recording of American Pie from radio play on 93 KHJ am radio.

This is just too funny - my story exactly except I was trying to record CCR's "Fortunate Son" to my shoebox recorder from my brilliant orange Panasonic ball radio.

[StuStu]

^^^I had one of those Panasonic balls as well. I'd forgotten all about it.

[Belexes]

Sony WMD3. Treated me well.

Same for me.  Wanted the D6, but didn't have the $$.

[F.O.Bean]

Crappy microcassette recorder 4th row DFC for Phish Star Lake '97. In Dec '97 I bought a Sony TCD-D8 DAT

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

April 1993.  Denon DTR-80p.  I jumped right into dat.  Never did cassette.  And I still have it.  I can't part with it.  Yet I sold my DAP1 10 years ago.  lol

[dlh]

Probably around 1965, similar to this.
Didn't even have capstan drive.  Tape speed increased as take-up spool filled.
Anyone start with a wire recorder?