A Reel-to-reel tape recorder from Akai, 1978

Reel-to-reel tape recorders (often called R2R, open reel decks, etc.) were used during the 20th century, mostly in professional studios from the 1940s and quickly spread into people’s homes in the 1950s and 1960s. Popularity peaked in the 1970s, probably because people needed higher quality recordings. This technology was like a revolution, because everyone could record any kind of sound (vinyl records, radio broadcast, voice and music), then play it many times without the quality getting worse, and they could overwrite it many times. This technology has some weak points though: size of reels, sensibility, durability; but still, it has certain advantages over today’s “digital media formats.” Also, some famous bands and artists used reel to reel technology as a musical instrument or even as a separate band.