Fostex Company

reel to reel tape recorders

Fostex reel to reel tape recorder logo in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection
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© 2018 Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording   •   Webmaster • All pictures and content on this web site are the property of the Museum of  Magnetic Sound Recording / reel2reeltexas.com • Photos of items in our collection are available for sale. We do NOT provide copies of ads, nor photos from other sources! All photo work is billed at studio rates and a deposit is required.

Manufacturer Profiles

This is a list of information we have gathered from a variety of sources on some of the major analog reel to reel tape recorder and related equipment manufacturers. While we have strived to provide the best information available to us, there will be corrections and additions. We include personal stories about the companies when they are provided to us.  We always invite input on corrections and updates. Thank you!

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Go to: • 3MAEG/MagnetophonAIWAAkaiAltecAmplifier CorpAmpexAmproA. R. VetterAstaticAstrocom/MarluxBang & OlufsenlBell & HowellBell LabsBerlant ConcertoneBeyerdynamicBrenellBraun GmbH/ASEBrüel & KjærBrushCetec GaussConcordCraigCrown • DenonDokorderDualEdisonEicoElectro SoundElectro VoiceEMI/GramophoneFairchildFerrographFostexFreemanGEGrundigHeathKitITCJVCKLHLeevers RichLyrecMagnecordMara MachinesMarantzMaxellMCIMitsubishiNagraNakamichiNeumannNewcombNeveOkiOtariPentronPhilipsPioneerPrestoRadio Shack/RealisticRangertoneRCAReeves SoundcraftRevereRobertsRolaSansuiSanyoScullySennheiserShureSolid State LogicSonySoundcraftSpectoneStancil HoffmanStellavoxStephensStuder ReVoxTandbergTape-AthonTapesonicTeac/TascamTechnicsTelefunken • ThorensTolnai ToshibaUher VikingVortexion Ltd UKWebster Chicago/WebcorWebster ElectricWestern Electric/AltecWilcox-GayWollensak

 

 

FostexFostex reel to reel tape recorder logo in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

FOSTEX COMPANY, 3-2-35 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo, Japan 196-0021

Foster Electric 1949  and  Fostex 1973 - present

The Fostex Company was founded in July 1973 by Foster Electric Co.,Ltd. (founded 1949), one of the world's largest developers of OEM speaker and transducer products, employing over 20,000 people in nine countries/territories.

Fostex is the sole manufacturer of the iconic iPod earbuds marketed by Apple Inc. for their iPod and iPhone models

In 1981, joined by a new band of engineers, Fostex decided to enter the professional recording industry which was then on the verge of spurning the 'home recording' category.

The company started with three reel-to-reel recorders, the A-2, A-4 and by far the most innovative and popular, the A-8 which was the first machine to offer eight tracks on just 1/4" tape.

Along with the Model 350 mixer and Model 250 four-track cassette multitracker, Fostex were truly a home recording pioneer.

In 1983 the B-16 was born, this time being the first machine to provide for 16 tracks on just 1/2" tape and the first of its kind to offer Dolby C noise reduction.

The B-16 was so successful that Ampex complained that they couldn't produce tape fast enough in order to meet demand!

The B-16 was followed in later years by the E-16 (1986) and G-16S (1990) – the first reel-to-reel to have Dolby S noise reduction, a simplified version of the professional SR type standard.

The final model in this prestigious reign of analogue multitrack machines was the G-24S. Once again the format was squeezed to new levels of tolerance as Fostex succeeded in putting 24 tracks onto 1" tape.

This machine represented the pinnacle of what could be achieved including a removable front panel remote control and meter bridge; built-in SMTPE/Midi synchronization; and amazing levels of recording quality.

Often the machine would find its way from a producer's home studio to the commercial facility where they were mixing as it was felt the quality was high enough not to require a format transfer.

- FostexInternational.com


Fostex reel to reel tape recorders in our colection

Fostex G-16 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex R8 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex R8 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex R8 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection Fostex R8 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex R8 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

Fostex G-16 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection   Fostex G-16 reel to reel tape deck in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

The items below are no longer in our collection

Fostex 350 mixer in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex 350 mixer in reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection 

Fostex B-16 professional reel to reel tape recorder (NLIC)  reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex B-16 professional reel to reel tape recorder (NLIC)  reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection  Fostex B-16 professional reel to reel tape recorder (NLIC)  reel2reeltexas.com and Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

Fostex B-16 1983 $4,000

Produced by Fostex in 1983 and selling for $4,000.00, the B-16 was the first machine to provide for 16 tracks on just 1/2" tape and the first of its kind to offer Dolby C noise reduction. The B-16 was so successful that Ampex complained that they couldn't produce 1/2" tape fast enough in order to meet demand! The Fostex B-16 has 3 motors, runs at 15 ips with plus or minus 15 percent varispeed. It sold new in 1983 for a suggested list of $4,000.00.


Fostex Ads

1981 ad for the Fostex A8 8-track reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1981 ad for the Fostex 350 mixer in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1981 ad for the Fostex 350 mixer in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1981 ad for the Fostex A8 8 track reel to reel tape recorder  in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1981 ad for the Fostex A8 8 track reel to reel tape recorder featuring Phil Ramone in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1981 ad for the Fostex A4 4 track reel to reel tape recorder  in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1981 ad for the Fostex A2 2 track reel to reel tape recorder  in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1985 ad for Fostex  reel tape recorders in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1986 ad for the Fostex Model 20 reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1987 ad for the Fostex recording equipment in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1986 ad for the Fostex B-16-Series reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1986 ad for the Fostex B-16-Series reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1968 ad for the Fostex E-Series reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for the Fostex R8 18 track reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for the Fostex R8 8 track reel tape recorder in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

1989 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1989 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1990 ad for the Fostex multi- track reel tape recorders in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1991 ad for Fostex multi-track tape recording gearin the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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1994 ad for the Fostex recording gear in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection

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Fostex photos

We appreciate all photos sent to our museum. We hope to successfully preserve the sound recording history. If we have not credited a photo, we do not know its origin if it was not taken by the contributor. Please let us know if a photo on our site belongs to you and is not credited. We will be happy to give you credit, or remove it if you so choose.

The fpllowing photos of the Fostex B-16 were provided by Donald Lisdon

           


We appreciate all photos sent to our museum. We hope to successfully preserve the sound recording history. If we have not credited a photo, we do not know its origin if it was not taken by the contributor. Please let us know if a photo on our site belongs to you and is not credited. We will be happy to give you credit, or remove it if you so choose.

                 

 

 

 

 

Go to: • 3MAEG/MagnetophonAIWAAkaiAltecAmplifier CorpAmpexAmproA. R. VetterAstaticAstrocom/MarluxBang & OlufsenlBell & HowellBell LabsBerlant ConcertoneBeyerdynamicBrenellBraun GmbH/ASEBrüel & KjærBrushCetec GaussConcordCraigCrown • DenonDokorderDualEdisonEicoElectro SoundElectro VoiceEMI/GramophoneFairchildFerrographFostexFreemanGEGrundigHeathKitITCJVCKLHLeevers RichLyrecMagnecordMara MachinesMarantzMaxellMCIMitsubishiNagraNakamichiNeumannNewcombNeveOkiOtariPentronPhilipsPioneerPrestoRadio Shack/RealisticRangertoneRCAReeves SoundcraftRevereRobertsRolaSansuiSanyoScullySennheiserShureSolid State LogicSonySoundcraftSpectoneStancil HoffmanStellavoxStephensStuder ReVoxTandbergTape-AthonTapesonicTeac/TascamTechnicsTelefunken • ThorensTolnai ToshibaUher VikingVortexion Ltd UKWebster Chicago/WebcorWebster ElectricWestern Electric/AltecWilcox-GayWollensak