Totally Tracie: Please Don’t Take My Boombox Away [Video]

What is this bulky, old fashioned contraption?  Why it is one of my favorite pieces of equipment in my studio.  It is old school, baby.  When bigger was better.  Eight "D" batteries big.  This boombox was grandfathered in the studio when I arrived in 1995 and I couldn't imagine not having it around.  We're estimating that it is from the mid 1980's. 

It's original use was for air-checks.  DJ's would pop in a cassette tape, press record, put in radio mode and record parts of their shows.  They would use these samples for quality checks and legal archiving.  The recording would demonstrate the announcer's talent as well as the quality of the on-air product.  Now we use much more modern methods but I still enjoy flipping the boombox into radio mode to hear things the way you may hear them on your radio.  Sometimes when we are doing tours or interviewing someone, I'll flip it on just to make what they are hearing more real to them.

Every once in a while, someone around the office says something about taking it out of the studio, but I beg, "please don't take my boombox away".  I love it's nostalgia and has been handy for quick checks.

Do any of these bad boys look familiar?