ABSTRACT
A magnetic tape format, also known as open reel tape, popular in the 1950s and 1960s, in which the recorded tape is played back by attaching its end to an empty take-up reel and running it past the playback head. After play, the tape is rewound to its original feed reel. A reel seven inches in diameter contains about 1,200 feet of tape, and plays at 7 1/2 inches per second, for a total playing time of about 30 minutes. Although the running time of such a tape exceeded that of an LP record side, sales for prerecorded open reel tapes were poor. They were used in home recording and in making copies of disc material. Open reels were also used in professional studio work, to make the original recording from which the disc masters, stampers, etc. were prepared. With the introduction of cassettes in 1963, interest in reel-to-reel taping virtually vanished in the U.S.
