Stefan Kudelski with Nagra III tape recorder
A view from our hotel's window towards Geneva Lake.
A view from our hotel's window towards Alps on the French side of the Geneva Lake.
As you can see we were expected in Nagra.
Nagra team plus truly yours: Matthieau Latour (Audio Division Director), Wojciech Pacuła (me), Pascal Mauroux (Chief Executive Officer), Thierry Frank (Head of R&D), René Laflamme (Sales & Marketing Manager America).
Probably the most famous Nagra's tape recorder, the miniature, „spy” SNN. Stefan Kudelski in the back.
Michel Paillard, PCB CAD designer.
Fabienne Bohlen.
Mario Jimenez – Production Manager.
Yannick - Lab Technician
Nagra's workshop, where they wind transformers.
An entrance to the listening room, where all devices are „tuned” – the room is called Claude Nobs Auditorium.
The reference system with HD AMP amplifiers, HD PRE preamplifier, Verity Audio speakers. On top there is a prototype of the HD DAC X D/A Converter.
A magician in action – Mr Philippe Chambon, who's responsible for the final sound signature of Nagra product.
HD PRE and HD DAC X once more.
An entrance to Claude Nobs house looks inconspicuous. It is sort of a closet hiding an entrance to Narnia…
From the back it becomes clearer what Claude’s house is – and this is just one of several buildings.
A view from the house's front.
Claude’s bedroom, still exactly in the same state as the owner left it.
A part of Claude Nobs huge collection – train models in a small scale.
René opens yet another parts of vinyl records archives, belonging to the owner of the house; there are more then 30 000 LPs in there.
One of the guitar collections – all of them signed; it's a „who is who” of jazz and blues music.
We are already in the second building, the main system – as you can see based on Nagra's stereo components.
Montreux Jazz Festival Archive in the second building, belonging to UNESCO world heritage. On the right Nagra TA tape recorder in a special version prepared for the founder of the festival.
There are more then 5000 audio and video recordings in the archive – on the left audio, on the right digital video tapes.
I randomly selected this shelf – have a look what's there and then think about 5000 recordings…
We are going back – René's last glimpse on the Riviera.
A prototype of the Nagra I tape recorder form 1951. Behind an academic schoolbook used by Mr Kudelski.
Nagra II (1952).
Nagra III (1957).
Nagra 4.2 (1971). At the back, you can see the program of an Oscar evening gala with instructions for Stefan Kudelski. It was the Nagra 4.2 that received Oscar.
Nagra E (1976).
A special version of the Nagra IV tape recorder with SJ designation (1972), intended for recording sonar signal etc. ("for instrumentation").
A digital recorder Nagra V (2001).
A digital recorder Nagra VI.
Nagra owes its development to cooperation with the film industry - in the picture, the VPR5 video recorder from 1985, produced for the Ampex company. Next to it you can see Nagra FAX, that was used to send weather maps to yachts (1977).
SNS tape recorder (1960).
SN with base module and optional active speaker (1960). Each element's size is similar to that of a large pack of cigarettes.
Cassette recorder JBR (1984). Recording length – up to 120 minutes.
A prototype mobile recorder for JBR cassettes – prepared a long time before Walkman was introduced…
PS-1 – editing system for JBR cassettes (1986).
One of my personal dreams, studio tape recorder Nagra TA (1981).
Present time - HD AMP amplifier awaits final inspection.
Claude Nobs house, a view from the bedroom towards Swiss Riviera.
One of several systems featuring B&W Matrix loudspeakers.
One of the guest rooms.
Another room with aforementioned Matrix and jukebox – the house owner collected them almost compulsively.
In audio and video systems I found some Accuphase amplifiers.
A stylized portrait of the Rolling Stones.
Two of several EMT turntables.
This is an example - on all walls there are gold records, posters, photos, paintings. Here a poster with REM members signatures.
Another example of Claude Nobs' passion.
Doctor Honoris Causa for Claude Nobs, issued by the Polytechnic University in Lausanne, the same one that Stefan Kudelski graduated from.
We are inside the second house – this is kitchen, in the past visited by The Rolling Stones, BB. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, and so on.
The armchair where Claude sat while listening to music and watching movies.
A cinema room in the attic of the second house. On the sides of the screen, you can see stage speakers, which were also used during the festival.
The people watching a movie sat in aircraft-class seats – ones you could find in the first class of the Swissair airline.
Digital HD video master tapes just lay on the shelf next to the players - look what we have here: Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Prince ...
The second house and editing studio – for video and audio.
Nagra TA tape recorder in the editing studio.
Yest another treasure – a tape with Led Zeppelin performance from 1970 just laying on the desk.
See you again!
