rstl99

https://timetales.ca/2021/12/07/stefan-kudelski-and-the-origins-of-the-nagra-recorder/ This is a rough early draft of the beginning of my first piece on the origins of Stefan, and of his Nagra recorder. Just to give an idea of how this is shaping up. Much more to come...

Scott D. Smith (CAS) did a fine job of summarizing the highlights of Stefan's early life in his tribute to him in 695 Quarterly (2013): https://www.local695.com/magazine/the-nagra-recorder-stefan-kudelski-tribute/ I'll be able to fill in many of the details about Stefan's origins as an engineer, and the creation of his Nagra product and company, based on his own words revealed in some fine interviews (in French). Still collecting and organizing materials. Robert

Thanks Petersont, indeed the 744 and SQN was/is for me an interesting marriage of analog and digital (however, it all ends up in the "bit bucket"). I agree it makes for a bit of a heavy kit for some purposes, that SQN is one densely packed and impressively made machine, in my mind. Too bad as you say that SQN never decided to make the jump into an all in one solution. I do check check out gearspace so will look more into the chats there about different solutions, including the Sonosax. Indeed, it's all about having fun at this point, not a money-making necessity for me. Regards.

For the last several years I've been navigating the interesting waters of antique clock and watch collecting, restoration, research and writing. But I think that the time has come back for me to get back to my earlier passion, tape recording and in particular, the Nagra's. I've been wanting for some time to try my hand at writing a piece on the early years of Nagra, say the first 2 decades, up to the launch of the 4.2 and IV-S. The fact that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the production of the Nagra I, encourages me to embark on this now. As a labor of love, and out of respect for Stefan and his early collaborators. Last year I created a humble website to share some of my research and published articles on antique horology, and have recently put up a couple of small Nagra-related articles, to build upon. The first is just a very general basic piece on Stefan Kudelski. https://timetales.ca/2021/03/14/stefan-kudelski-recording-time/ The second is a profile of a Nagra IIci which I previously owned, and sold (in a temporary phase of foolish downsizing) to a collector on this forum. https://timetales.ca/2021/03/14/the-nagra-iici/ So I plan on writing and putting up some articles on the early history of Nagra, a story which sadly has never been told well enough, to date. My articles will be written chronologically, and focus in part on the recollections of Stefan and some of the people who were around him at the time, obtained from radio documentaries that were released after he died in 2013. I'm transcribing these French-language interviews and will translate relevant excerpts for the series of articles. If this subject interests any of you, I could put a link to the articles (under this topic) as they go up on my site. Also, please feel free to PM me with suggestions of any other pertinent material I may not be aware of, to help flesh out the early years of Stefan Kudelski's life and career, and of the Nagra. Regards, Robert

Thanks "sci", I like your thinking on this subject. Indeed a VI is still selling for a pretty steep price on the used market, and if you are right about street prices for used 788T's, SD brings a lot more "bang for the buck", if you take the Nagra aura out of the equation. I'll also as you suggest look into used Sonosax recorders, which is a brand of pro recording gear I've always admired from the outside. On the other hand, my little recording kit below (744 & Sqn) has given me much enjoyment in 4-track personal music recording over the last several years. Regards.

Thanks Philip, nice hearing from you and appreciate your food for thought. Yes I suppose occasionally 4 mic pre amps might be useful instead of just the 2 on the 744, however on several instances I would supplement the 744's 2 pres by plugging in 2 channels from one of my SQN mixers into the two line input channels on the 744. Thereby winding up with 4 recorded tracks to play with in post-recording editing. I was always very pleased with the lovely sound of the SQN mixer, almost preferred it to the mic pre's on my Nagra IV-S. So the 744+SQN provided me with 4 nice recorded tracks. The Nagra VI would give me 4 mic pre's in the box, so that would simplify things for 4 track recording. Plus another 2 tracks (or is it 4 with firmware upgrade?) into which as you say I could patch in the 744, or the SQN if I want to go analog input for those extra ones. It took me a while to get used to the 744 user interface, after recording for years on analog Nagras. So the interface and controls of the VI remind me more of the classic Nagras, not so much like the small push-buttons on the SD 744. Anyway, I'll think some more about my needs and envisioned future recording uses... p.s. are Nagra VI's pretty stable as a second-hand purchase? (buying long-distance sight unseen, no possibility of returning) Regards,

Hi all, I haven't done a lot of amateur recording in recent years, but am starting to get back into that hobby (music, natural sounds, etc.). I still own a fully functional SD 744T, and some nice analog SQN mixers. But I am a long-time Nagra fan (still own several of their analog 1/4" decks). A Nagra VI kit has come up for sale. I seem to recall that the VI can do a bit more than the 744, and some might say it might sound marginally better, but... I assume I can't get a lot for my 744 if I part with it to make room for the VI, and the VI on the used market is probably worth several times what a 744 can fetch. Does it make any sense to move up to the VI, except to scratch a Nagra itch? Regards.

The production person told me their script has changed and the event to be filmed is in the early 50's, and asked me if I happened to have a Nagra I to loan them! I told them there were maybe only a handful left in existence, and all those are likely in museums and worth several thousand dollars, and I would not loan one if I had one. I pointed them to the museum of magnetic sound in Texas and maybe they can loan them a suitable vintage recorder of the early 50s (non-Nagra), whatever that may be... Unless someone here has a nice Nagra I that you would want to lend out? :-) And by the way, no the director is not Tarantino!!

Actually, I dug out a spare III that I had bought for parts some years ago. The motor transport works and it plays back, it just doesn't record and I have no time nor inclination to figure out what component has failed in it. Anyway, the production only need a Nagra III with reels turning, so I'll lend them this one (if they give me enough money to cover its value which is not very high, a few hundred $'s). Well, we've all heard stories about Nagras falling out of planes and still working, so this could be another good story! I'll read the contract before I agree to ship it. So sad to hear that story about the vintage Martin (being a guitar player and owning a few vintage Martins). I hope Kurt Russell felt pretty sheepish after that incident (although maybe he had no awareness of what he had in his hands). Thanks folks.

Thanks Mike and Crew, that's helpful. Yeah, I like my old Nagras and this III is in fine shape, which gives me pause sending it off out of town like that. I may decline the offer, though it would be interesting to see my Nagra featured in a tv series.

Hi all, Someone up here found out I own some vintage Nagras and wants to rent my III for an upcoming film shoot. Period piece set in the 60s and they need a III with reels turning. I've never loaned out anything like this and assume there will be some kind of contract that ensures I get the darn thing back, but what kind of daily rate would be acceptable for something like this, any idea? Thanks.

Thanks, I hadn't seen that diagram on the SQN site. I now realize mine has the BBC PPM scale. I didn't know scandinavians had their own standard... I suppose this page has all the information anybody would ever want on this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter

I just saw an SQN 4S mixer online that has different meters on it than mine (which is a more common 1-7 range, left to right). I know they came in different configurations. Can anyone tell me what range that is (I assume dB) and what it's best used for? It reminds me of the modulometer on my analog Nagra. Thanks.

Darn, I should have picked up a used VI before the firmware updates made people want to hang on to them! My recording is largely live music, and not the type necessitating loads of mics, so my 744T and SQN IV mixer combo suits me fine. Speaking of SQN, I just picked up a nice mono unit (SQN 3-M) that I'll have some fun feeding my mono Nagras for old-style recording. I really like the sound of the preamps in the SQN.

Bonjour Philippe, intuables, ces Nagra III !!