Nagra Factory Tour!
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2022
- This recent video is supposed to be exclusive to The Absolute Sound magazine's CZcams channel ( / thetasmagazine )
It's TrackingAngle.com editor Michael Fremer's first contribution to TAS in almost 30 years. Through the magazine's generosity and in the spirit of sharing that epitomizes the new relationship between TAS and TrackingAngle.com, we present here the Nagra factory tour.
Nagra the audio company now owned by Audio Technology Switzerland S.A. is a relatively small, independently owned spinoff of the parent company Kudelski Group, While the latter is a large company (founded and named for the man who invented the famous tape recorder) employing almost 4000 workers and specializing in digital security hardware and software as well as interactive content delivery, event ticketing and other esoterica, audiophiles are more interested in what goes on inside a mid-sized factory in a Romanel-sur-Lausanne industrial complex.
In that building Nagra designs and manufacturers its line of luxurious to the touch and to the ears preamplifiers, amplifiers, DACs and more recently a new high-performance turntable. We got the full tour treatment in an early July visit that happily coincided with the Montreux Jazz Festival.
In this video you will see how Nagra designs, manufactures and tests its products. You’ll also get a look at the company’s manufacturing history-especially its famous reel-to-reel tape recorders-shown by founder Stefan Kudelski’s daughter Marguerite. While the company, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, has grown in size since its founding and the audio company is an independent spinoff, Nagra still is in many ways a family affair.
If you’ve long appreciated Nagra products you’re sure to enjoy this factory tour. If you’re new to the brand you’re still sure to enjoy this factory tour! This is my first contribution to The Absolute Sound in almost 30 years and I’m thrilled to borrow a phrase be "back where I once belonged".-Michael Fremer, senior editor.
And please subscribe to The Absolute Sound's CZcams channel as well as TrackingAngle.com's channel! Thank you. - Hudba
9:29 wow amazing!, just like you can do with the technics sl1200/1210mk2 from the year 1978
My goodness, those caps in the pre-amp.
What a marvelous tour!
2 niches chose to use them.
The secrete services and audio video media for each country separately.
All being on another level now.
Beautiful-looking machines. Amazing tech too. Great of them to still service them too.
Nagra is such a remarkable company that I am sure that anyone who can afford their equipment will gain great enjoyment of their music. Their tape machines were superb.
Awesome to see this company in detail, thank you. The quality of work done at Nagra is impressive! Their Classic line series has a convenient small foot print. I have yet to hear their products and I hope to soon 👍
Finally I get to see a real audio factory. Most of the others are audio factory’s warehouse n office. Parts made in China
Clearly the Swiss fine instruments makers are the ones you need! Fascinating, great to make the viewer part of this, Mr.Michael!
Amazing company
I love the many settings on the Nagra gear, that I did not know about.
Insightful Tour (as ever) Michael - and now up to 5.9k subscribers....great work so far
6.1k now!👍
Excellent episode. Such transparency and honesty.
Amazing attention to detail. It's easy to see why their products have the reputation that they do. Anyone owning a Nagra product will have a great sense of ownership.
Really interesting tour, thank you for sharing your experience. That turntable though…🥰
That was awsome, thank you and big hands to Nagra.
13:35 you need to pay these prices to get a quartz locked tt now these days.
Still holding on to my 1210.
Fantastic engineering that's way out of my price bracket. Many thanks for such a brilliant insight.
25:23 mysterius & legendary nagra sound :):):)
You make more videos it seems on this new channel! I'm happy to see your subscribers going over 7k!
Wow! It's amazing to see the dedication and commitment.
Interesting that the Sony Walkman came out in 1979. Nagra’s prototype is dated 1985… oh what could have been had Nagra launched ~6 years sooner! They essentially owned the portable tape market prior to the Walkman…
The first Nagra SN was produced in 1960... ;-)
Beautiful.
Serious company - serious quality ! 👍
Interesting thanks .👍
Fantastic really enjoyed it.💙👍
How excatly do they know what components or circuit to change, from the listning test?.......what is the excate criteria they listen for that decideto change something, or decide it is now optimal?
We compare a lot of components. Really a lot. They are compared through measurements, but in the end, only the listening matters.
I always wanted to know where the "kudelski" phrase fitted in
I have a nagra kudelski reel to reel 4s sound is superb - love nagra equip
I could never afford.
😮 Green with envy! I would do anything to be in Switzerland at the moment! Outstanding tour-this was fun...thank you for the inside look!
Speaking of treats, I thought I'd share this brand new, brief, "public service announcement," from our friends at Hand Drawn Pressing/Records in Dallas, Texas-with a special tribute to Michael Fremer (and a tip of the hat-offered in awe and respect-to his 1990 MTV audition) at its conclusion:
czcams.com/video/fdcQysfntxc/video.html
We love you, Michael! ❤️
Fascinating video tour of this company. Btw I know the bald guy ,he’s from Montreal he runs a hi res jazz digital reissues company from Montreal. I won’t say his name in case he doesn’t want to be identified.
Great factory tour , but why so much mystery about not showing their employees face only the top ones?
The main company is in the spy business
Most Europeans-and especially the French and the Swiss-are very private people. They don’t go on tv and share their life stories as readily as we do. There is also a greater sense of the ‘dignity’ of work. These workers are not treated as peon subordinates. Just as a low ranking worker would ever dare to enter the office of a supervisor with a camera without asking first, the boss does not dare to assume that his employees automatically agree to be used as props in someone else’s films.
Typo: would never dare (not ‘ever’)
The video is blurry
🎶👌
Btw. 'Nagra' means 'will record' in Polish.
And super expensive in every other language
Michael Fremer,
Help me out with this math puzzle please.
With Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” UHQR by Analogue Production (25,000 copies), they claim that “old”/previously made metal parts were used to make that release (I guess when Michael Hobson and Bernie was working on “Kind of Blue”. I don’t think Sony allowed anyone to use OG Master Tapes since then..)
If that’s true, does it mean that they have used Master Disk that was made at that time or possibly extra spare safety Master Disk?
I could have wrong information but general longevity and process stated below just doesn’t add up.
It is feasible to create up to around four mothers, but for the highest quality recordings this is restricted to two. From the mother, 'stampers' are produced - up to six from each mother.
Since we are talking about high “quality” record pressing and Chad claimed that less than 1000 records are made from one stamper my math would suggest that 2mothers X max 6 stampers X less than 1000 LPs = probably 12,000 LPs or less.
Does it make sense to you guys?
Since they used standard pressing process 1 father (from lacquer) can create few mothers and mothers can create many stampers theoretically allowing like 100,000 copies just from 1 master lacquer.
DV is correct. BG got the 3 track master and did a "live" to 2 track stereo mix to lacquer. The lacquer produces a "father" that can generate a few "mothers" each of which can produce multiple stampers.
@@trackingangle929 Serious question as I am confused, How come MoFi Thriller is/would be limited to only 1,000 copies per play of Original Master Tape but AP UHQR can produce 100,000 from one pass of the original master tape?
Hmm, Nagra should know better than using toroidal transformers in audio. They measure well but sound dynamically compressed. Esoteric transports and players never sounded the same after they went to toroidal transformers, there are other examples. I do like their manufacturing attention to detail though.
Ah glad to see this opinion, I had my suspicions. There are more toroidal manufacturers now and its more affordable to buy toroidal machining for small batches. EI transformers require bigger production runs to be economical. They vary hugely in sound quality too. Modern cheap EI transformers can sound much worse than toroidals.
Who chews gum when holding a recording interview camera and talking to highly qualified people in high standard facilities like this ?
nagra does have amazing products but there recent dacs is not as good as other commerical product. they need to take a parasound and focus on a sector they are good at.
Makes me wanna say speed
Reassuringly expensive
😣 ｐｒｏｍｏｓｍ
Look like amateurs
The following is a Video. Of how the Swiss make Coffee Makers for only the Wealthiest.
I don't know what is Percolating Below? But I hope you enjoy the Aroma.
RemyRAD
Yes Naga owns a second business. That keeps, Naga Recorders, in business. Because you're not going to sell enough of those. To stay in business very long. So you have to make Coffee Machines. As they use the same parts and pieces. So you always get a Great Cup of Music. And Dialogue. With every order.
I mean let's face it. The folks at, Naga were not that stupid to be making Watches! Because every other Swiss company does! They needed to be more Exclusive. So they made Recorders and Coffee Makers.
And a Negra IV I can say. It is the only Recorder. You could drop out of a semi tractor cab. Falling upon it. Then taking a hammer to it. And making it work again. To get through the job. Of the day. I don't know any other recorder that could have done that? But there's could. As I had to do that. Bang it with a hammer. To flatten out the deck plate again. As it had completely gotten crushed and wrinkled. And we didn't think we would be able to finish the film shoot that day? With this busted, totally destroyed, Naga IV. But no! I got it working again. Could it do the job I wondered? It did! And that was in the bitter cold of winter outdoors. With tons of snow and ice all around. It was subfreezing. And it continued to work!
I was beyond impressed with that. And it got us through the day of filming. In spite of this complete and total, destruction of the unit. I can hardly believe I got it going again. What an incredible manufactured device. No other recorder could have done that!
And based on my personal experience. I would absolutely purchase a Negra Espresso Machine. No doubt in my mind whatsoever! That will work. That will keep working. That will work reliably for years to come. And because nobody needs, those analog tape recorders anymore. They then started making digital ones. Nobody wanted either. Because they were too damned expensive. And nobody had any decent budgets anymore. So? They would simply purchase a Solid-state Zoom recorder for a couple hundred bucks. And they would do a better job. And you wouldn't care if they got destroyed. You would have at least one half dozen of them for backups. Because they were cheap. And they worked and sounded great.
So the only thing left to purchase would be a, Espresso Machine. And to know you are getting a quality product from Switzerland. That's not a watch. And you can be confident in that purchase. That it will work. When you need a good cup of coffee. But I only do decaf. So I shan't be obtaining a Espresso Machine. I go for the unsweet iced tea mostly. And that costs even less to make. You only need hot water. espresso Machine, required.
Sorry Naga. We had a great love affair while it lasted. But now I must Retire. I'm almost 69. And I do not need analog recorders nor espresso machines, anymore.
Sorry about that chief. I have absolutely Maxed Out..
RemyRAD
These guys are fucking watchmakers! It was a lot different at Scully Recorders in the USA. Let me explain.
These guys are making watch mechanisms. Called audio gear. At Scully. We turned out, the USA's, Finest Studio Industrial Workhorses. Anybody with a,, high school diploma. Could Service! You didn't have to be a watchmaker.. And they ran, Flawlessly. For decades to come. You couldn't stop them! They would not die. Even when you spilled a beer on them! Which could happen, frequently. And then you would have to wash them out. Otherwise they would get all sticky. But you could do that!
In fact. We would take some. And put them in a gigantic, stainless steel industrial sink. And blast them. With a high pressure, carwash style hose. With water and solvents. Where other manufacturers. Put their circuit boards in, KitchenAid, consumer, Dishwashers. I kid you not. That was MCI. Yes they really did that. We didn't do that. We use the high-pressure DIY carwash hose. Filled with Freon, not water actually. It's 100% Inert. You could wash it down with the power on! And not short anything out. We knew what we were doing! MCI put circuit boards and KitchenAid dishwashers. Ugh! Lord knows when Ampex did? And only God knew what 3M did! They made the best oxides. Actually… They didn't.
No of all the tape manufacturers known to Professionals. Agfa, BASF, Ampex, 3M Scotch. None of them made the best oxides. No. Kodak did, actually. Yes. Let me explain.
My mentor a genius Electrical Engineer from Bell Laboratories told me. Kodak made the finest recording tape, ever. He tested it. He compared it to all the others. It was the Superior Recording Tape. How was that? He explained to me. Out of all of the other Optical Film Manufacturers in the world. Including Agfa that invented color film. Kodak had perfected. Making the finest silver oxide particles in the whole fucking world. And because they knew how to do such good fine, silver oxide particles. They also knew how to do the iron oxide particles better than any of the other manufacturers. The only problem is?
The reason why Kodak Recording Tape. Was not used by Professionals. They never sold it, Industrially. They never sold it on, 10.5 inch Pancakes. They never sold wider than 1/4 inch. They never put it on a reel larger than 7 inch plastic. It was only sold to, Consumers.. They never sold it to Professionals on a Professional user level. And then they just stopped, making it, altogether. Thomas M. Bray MAEE, told me. And he was a Genius Engineer. Also the Father of Vertical Hold for television in 1948. That was the linchpin. No others could figure out. Thomas M. Bray, did when he was at, Bell Laboratories in 1948. But not part of the, Transistor Team of guys. He was there for that. But not part of that group.. I think he told me he was part of the Microwave Group. Which he had been working on in the US Navy during World War II. And I think they called that, Radar. And then working out Microwave Communications. And all of those AT&T Microwave Towers. That were assembled across the USA. About every 40 miles apart. And the first computer Data started flying through.
I remember in 1971. When I was 15 years old. And just introduced to Thomas M. Brady who would become my Mentor and surrogate dad. He was a former Methodist Minister, also. But no longer into God or Organized Religion, Commercialized Religion. He said it left a bad taste in his mouth. And he backed out. He never spoke to me of God or Jesus again. As it left a bad taste in his mouth he told me. Especially after for-profit university, Johns Hopkins. Laid Tom off after 23 years of service there also. After Bell Laboratories. Where he then made, Baltimore, Maryland, his home. And I was fortunate enough to be introduced to him at 15. He would take me under his wing. As he did another young Audio Engineer by the name of, George Massenburg. Google him. I'm a lot like George. With no hit records to speak of. As I really didn't roll that way. I rolled for, NBC-Radio & TV News for 20 years though. As one of their Top Broadcast Engineers. And I lived, behind the scenes. I didn't become famous like George Massenburg. I became Anonymous like Thomas M. Bray. The Father of Vertical Hold for Television. And not in any history book to speak of. Only he knew that. His son and his daughter knew that. His wife do that. I knew that. He never became famous. He never became wealthy. He was just a Real Genius Engineer.
I've kind of followed in my Mentors Footsteps. Quietly. Mostly Locked. Away. In a Control Room, dimly lit. For the past, 50+ years.
(More Reel Information in following post)