Nagra is a brand of portable audio recorders produced from 1951 in Switzerland. Beginning in 1997 a range of high-end equipment aimed at the audiophile community was introduced, and Nagra expanded the company's product lines into new markets. Originally a product of the Kudelski Group, Nagra recorders are now developed, produced and sold by independently owned company Audio Technology Switzerland S.A., based in Romanel-sur-Lausanne.

History

The machines were initially designed by Polish inventor Stefan Kudelski, and his company won numerous technical awards for their precision and reliability. Nagra means "[it will] record" in Polish, Kudelski's native language. Nagra-brand tape recorders were the de facto standard sound recording systems for motion picture and (non-video) single-camera television production from the 1960s until the 1990s.

Synchronization

Originally, a physical sync lead tethered the Nagra recorder to the camera (putting a pulse from the camera onto the tape), to ensure any fluctuations in the tape were accounted for. After the introduction of crystal sync, the tape recorder could operate separately from the camera, each having a separate accurate clock guaranteed to stay in sync with the other, allowing the sound recordist significantly more freedom of movement. This was commonly known as double system sound.

Models

Nagra recorders are identified by a number that indicates their technological generation and features: In addition to these field recorders, Kudelski S.A. produced a studio recorder called the Nagra T-Audio, designed mainly for use in telecines for transferring dailies. All of the above machines use 1/4" tape.

Série Noire

Kudelski SA also produced a series of miniaturised reel-to-reel recorders using a special tape (width 3.81 mm), slightly larger than the conventional 1/8" cassette tape. These machines are referred to as SN (for Série Noire) and production was originally ordered by President Kennedy for the United States Secret Service. The SN range comprises the following models: A special version of the SN using unique tape cassettes was made in cooperation with JBR Technology and widely used by US domestic intelligence agencies.

Digital recorders

The Nagra IV-STC was the standard for film and classical music recording until the mid-1990s, when DAT recorders became reliable enough to use in the field. In response, Kudelski produced two digital recorders to compete:

Hi-fi

In 1997, Nagra launched the PL-P, a vacuum tube phono preamplifier, beginning a range of high-end audio equipment. The range is intended for audiophile consumers as opposed to exclusively the professional equipment manufactured hitherto. Since then, the range has grown steadily and have added tubes and mosfet amplifiers, CD players, other pre-amps and DACs.

Appearances in Films

Nagra audio recorders have made appearances in numerous films, including:

In music

Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and others recorded the rhythm track to the Simon and Garfunkel song Cecilia on a Nagra recorder which was unintentionally creating the echo effect on the recording as they banged on a guitar case, piano bench and their legs. The Nagra IV-S was also used in the recording of the following albums: