American Cinematographer - December 1970 - 32

THE NEW NAGRA SN MINIATURE
PROFESSIONAL TAPE RECORDER
Introduced at Photokina 1970: A meticulously engineered,
high-precision recording instrument you can hold in your hand
promises new freedom and quality for sync-sound location filming

At each Photokina there is always
one piece of equipment which particu¬
larly captures the imagination of the
crowd. The word spreads fast and, as
you encounter people you know in the
various booths and aisles, the question
is: "Have you seen the new so-and-so?"
This year that special conversation
piece (among professional motion pic¬
ture people, at least) was the new
ultra-miniaturized Nagra SN tape re¬
corder. The very concept of a highprecision recording instrument literally
small enough to fit into the palm of a

hand staggered the imagination. Yet,
there it was, in demonstration, booming
out music in a loud, clear, high-fidelity
voice.
The burning question was: "What are
its applications to motion picture pro¬
duction?"
The immediate top-of-the-head as¬
sumption is that it will open up an
entirely new scope of flexibility for
dialogue recording, especially in tricky
location situations. It is envisioned that
each actor will be able to carry his own
tiny recorder tucked away in a pocket

The new Nagra SN Miniature Professional Tape Recorder, with top protective cover removed and
lavalier microphone attached, is shown alongside a standard pencil for scale. Microphone,
designed especially for the recorder by Stefan Kudelski, looks like a toy, but is a precision
instrument that is not sensitive to handling or the friction of clothing. Recorder can also be used
with any high-quality, low-impedance microphone.

and remotely synced with the camera.
All he will have to do is activate the
"start" lever for a take, the volume
being automatically controlled, and a
new mini-microphone (which works ex¬
traordinarily well under a layer or two
of clothing) will pick up his dialogue
loud and clear, no matter how much he
moves around.
This is a very appealing idea-
especially to American film people who
always insist upon trying for a clean
original dialogue track, rather than
relying upon a post-looping session, as is
the customary procedure in several
other countries.
Whether or not the Nagra SN will live
up to these expectations, when given
the acid test, remains, of course, to be
seen. It is so new that, as far as is
known, it has not yet been exhaustively
field-tested under actual motion picture
production conditions. But in the mean¬
time, the possibilities boggle the mind.
The following comment on the new
Nagra SN comes from famed Hollywood
sound recording expert Loren Ryder,
who is Vice President-General Manager
of Nagra Magnetic Recorders, Inc. Not a
man ordinarily given to overstatement,
he says:
The marvel of 1970 is a micro-mini
tape recorder built by Stefan Kudelski
of NAGRA fame. It was exhibited at
the 1970 Photokina.

(LEFT) The tiny, specially designed condenser lavalier microphone can be easily hidden on the person of the actor and records well under a layer of
clothing. (RIGHT) Nagra SN Recorder is slim enough to be concealed in actor's breast pocket. He can then forget about it, as volume level is
automatically controlled.

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American Cinematographer - December 1970

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