Hey Doc, you thought your Kiev was cool?

[xcortes]

Look at this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-RUSSIAN-PRO-AUDIO-REEL-RECORDER-NAGRA_W0QQitemZ260351984148QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Electronics_R2?hash=item260351984148&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[Ben]

Do spy tapes come standard?

[ironbut]

Nice find! I've tried a few time to find out about reel to reel machines that were made and used in studios behind the Iron Curtain (pre Gorbi Russia) For the most part, I was interested in the record/playback electronics since tubes were still researched and developed right up till the nineties. For those who don't know, all music production and distribution was state controlled and the import and use of western equipment was forbidden. So the studios used only Russian microphones and recording gear. Some of the microphones have found customers in the west and while the couple that I've used weren't very impressive sounding, they're very cheap and there are more upscale ones that have a few fans. Here's the site for some I've thought about trying:
http://russian-mics.com/nevaton.php?osCsid=c279b9b62a748b50ea0c8a6f757bb77a
Some interesting background there and cool pictures.
I really find Russian culture interesting (do some searching for pictures of the Moscow subway sometime!) so maybe it's just me.

[docb]

http://www.stm.hu/

[ironbut]

Thanks Dan, that's some cool stuff there. I really like the occasional bad translation that slips into the text  (electronical seestems,.. I  threw in the seestem part). I'll throw that link out to the guys over on some of the lists and see what kind of opinions/trouble I can stir up.