A tape recorder is device for recording sound on magnetic tape. It can also play back tape recordings.

Audio recording tape is athin plastic ribbon coated on one side with particles of a substance that can be easily magnetised, such as iron oxide or chromium dioxide. A tape recorder receives sounds in the form of electric signals, which it convers into a changing magnetic field. During recording, the field magnetises the particles on the tape into patterns. When the tape is played back, the magnetic patterns generate electric signals to reprodece the original sound. Tape recording can be accomplished by two different processes : analogue recording and digital recording.

In analogue recording, the patterns of the electric signals are analogous (similar) to those of the magnetic signals. Analogue tape recordings store a signal in a wave form that looks like the wave form of the original sound. In digital recording, the electric signals are converted to a digital (numerical) code for storage on the tape. This code represents the sound.

NOTE: Digital recording produces better sond quality with less background noise and distortion that analogue recording.