There is a Nagra III reel to reel for sale on local TradeMe site & while they are still sought after Nagras are not that scarce, but what is interesting is that this one comes with a Nagra speaker, with the same stylish but hugely practical design as the recorders…
Me? I’d love a Nagra IV-S (stereo) – I have some recordings of cannons captured in stereo on a Nagra IV-S that I helped a friend record & wow, you should hear that sound when you switch the recording from 15ips to 7.5ips!!! Of course all those recordings were transferred into PT at 15, 7.5 and 3.75ips – I look forward to the day when ProTools can pitch shift as well as analogue tape!
But on the subject of Nagra-fetishes, I would also love a Nagra SN or the spy Nagra as its sometimes known; which must be the ultimate collectors reel to reel! They literally fit in the palm of your hand, as this photo on Flickr show & are as rare as hens teeth!
Dusty Gizmos has a great post about Spy-recorders, check it out here
The collection of a belgian sound engineer. Fantastique!
http://www.adhocsound.be/?page_id=8
Wow!
I’m very lucky in that a producer once gave me a Nagra SN with all it’s accessories after I completed work on a short film for him. It’s just such a beautiful piece of gear!
I also got a NAGRA II B from 1965. Since i have been working in filmproduction from 1964 to 2004, i have lot of experience with all taperecorders from Nagra. My last years in working, i did service on both Nagra and WMA perfo taperecorders. Even today i do service on Nagra for some people who are lucky enough to have one. Today its more like a hobby, and i like it.