Tape Recorder Word Puzzle
February 1960 Radio-Electronics

February 1960 Radio-Electronics

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio-Electronics, published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

Audiophiles were a big part of the electronics scene in the 1960's when this Tape Recorder Word Puzzle appeared in Radio-Electronics magazine. Many people were building and/or modifying their own stereo systems, made possible by the point-to-point wiring in the chassis. Unlike with modern multilayer PC boards and tiny surface mount components, 1/4 W carbon and wirewound resistors, and large paper, tantalum, and ceramic capacitors, and finger-size coils were easily serviced. Practitioners of the art/science were well versed in terms like wow, flutter, tone arm and tape head tracking and pressure, bias, hum, woofer, tweeter, crossover network, etc., and the most religious of them were sure to proselytize you with their knowledge at every opportunity. I had a roommate in my barracks at Robins AFB, back in the late 1970's/early 1980's who have a very expensive rack of stereo equipment. A lot of what I know today about reel-to-reel and cassette decks, turntables, audio amplifiers, speakers, and other such components I learned from him - and not from a single, short lesson :-). To his dismay, those kilobuck, kilowatt speakers never had an opportunity to kick out more than a handful of watts, because the sergeant in charge of the barracks made it abundantly clear early on that his prized system would be locked in a storeroom if it was ever heard outside the building walls.

Tape Recorder Word Puzzle

By John A. Comstock

Here is a sound-on-tape puzzle for you to work that is made up entirely of tape-recording words and terminology. If tape recording is your hobby or interest, you will find this puzzle fun to do, and a challenge, too! (Answer on page 132)

Across

1. Iron-oxide-coated plastic or paper ribbon.

3. The metallic oxide on recording tape.

4. A playback head with a narrow ____ provides better high-frequency response than a head with a wide one.

5. A tape recorder with fast ____ saves one's patience in waiting to hear the playback.

6. Material which serves as a base for most recording tapes.

9. A type of plastic which serves as a base for some recording tapes.

11. Many recorders have two speeds. They are called ____ speed units.

12. The tape recorder part that places magnetic variations on tape.

14. A recorder which is capable of giving a three-dimensional sound effect.

15. A microphone (slang).

17. The spools on which tape is wound.

19 A slow unsteadiness of sound volume and pitch caused by variations in the tape's speed as it travels by the record or playback head.

21. Type of tape added at the beginning of a reel. Often used for indexing.

22. To put intelligence on tape.

23. When the stop button is depressed, the ____ stop both reels simultaneously.

Down

1. In selecting a tape recorder, one should choose a recorder that is easy to ____.

2. To cut out portions of tape and eliminate unwanted material.

3. Some recorders have a VU meter as a record level - ____ while others have a tuning eye or neon lamp that serves the same function.

4. Some recorders have a tape ____ or roller around which the tape passes to keep it correctly positioned.

6. Jumper cord used to record from radio, TV or record player.

7. If music is to be recorded, it is advisable to select a faster tape speed to improve frequency ____.

8. The reel on which tape is wound during playback and recording.

10. Most recorders are dual ____.

13. When recording, you must watch the record ____ indicator to prevent distortion due to overmodulation.

14. Join two pieces of recording material.

15. A ____ passed over a tape will remove the recorded intelligence.

16. Tape may be used almost indefinitely because it is possible to ____ the tape and use it over again almost any number of times.

18. The electromechanical device which provides power to turn the reels and move the recording tape.

20. The current which flows through the recording head and sets up a varying magnetic field.

- See Full List -

Audiophile

An audiophile is a person who is passionate about high-quality audio reproduction and is deeply interested in achieving the best possible audio experience. Audiophiles are known for their dedication to high-fidelity sound and often invest a significant amount of time and money in pursuit of audio perfection. Audiophiles often invest in premium audio equipment, including amplifiers, speakers, headphones, turntables, and other components. They believe that the quality of their equipment significantly impacts the overall sound experience. Audiophiles pay attention to the acoustic properties of their listening spaces. They may use acoustic treatments and room calibration to optimize the sound quality. They are often may be meticulous about the cables and connectors used in their audio setups, as they believe that these components can influence sound quality. Audiophiles engage in critical listening sessions to evaluate the sound quality of their audio systems. They focus on aspects such as clarity, imaging, soundstage, tonal balance, and dynamics THD (total harmonic distortion), SNR (signal-to-noise ratio), and frequency response, which they use to evaluate and compare audio equipment.

2023 Crosswords Archive

Take a well-deserved break and try your hand at some of these goodies. Every word in the RF Cafe crossword puzzles is specifically related to engineering, mathematics, and science. There are no generic backfill words like many other puzzles give you, so you'll never see a clue asking for the name of a movie star or a mountain on the Russia-China border.

All of these crossword puzzles were created using the fabulous Crossword Express (now called "Magnum Opus") software.

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Cruciverbalist:

A cruciverbalist is a person who is skilled at creating or solving crossword puzzles. The term is a combination of "cruci-" from "crucifix," meaning cross, and "verbalist" from "verbal," indicating a person who deals with words. cruciverbalists are often responsible for designing crossword puzzles, and they possess a deep knowledge of wordplay, vocabulary, and the techniques used in constructing and solving crosswords. They aim to make puzzles that are both challenging and enjoyable for crossword enthusiasts.

R-E Puzzler - August 1967 R-E

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