French manufacturer Analog Audio Design has confirmed the Analog Audio Design TR-1100, a new open-reel tape recorder set to ship in November 2026. Where the brand’s earlier TP-1000 and TR-1000 machines built its reputation among tape enthusiasts, the TR-1100 is positioned as the new reference: the company’s most complete reel-to-reel deck yet, combining recording and playback in a single chassis.
Five Years in the Making
Analog Audio Design was founded by engineer Christophe Martinez, who spent four years developing the original TP-1000 from a garage workshop in Pleumeur-Bodou, Brittany, sourcing DC reel motors from Switzerland and tape heads from the same Belgian supplier once used by Studer’s classic transports. That first machine, a playback-only design, earned a Golden Ear award from The Absolute Sound in 2024 and built the foundation for the TR-1100, which the company describes as the result of five years of continued development — a pedigree that places the format alongside other tape revivalists covered on bestofhighend.com, such as our look at whether reel-to-reel is the new vinyl.
Where the TP-1000 focused purely on tape replay, the Analog Audio Design TR-1100 adds full recording capability, positioning it as a single machine for both archiving tape collections and making new recordings at home or in a project studio.
Recording Now Joins Playback
The Analog Audio Design TR-1100 is a 2-track, 2-channel machine accepting quarter-inch tape on reels up to 11.8 inches, with three switchable speeds: 30, 15 and 7.5 ips. Wow and flutter is specified at under 0.030% peak at 30ips and under 0.045% peak at 15ips, with pitch adjustable across a +/-100% range in steps of 0.01ips — figures aimed squarely at studio-grade tape handling rather than consumer playback decks.
Recording and playback levels are switchable between NAB and IEC equalisation curves, and the frequency response is rated at 30Hz to 25kHz (+/-2dB) at 30ips, narrowing to 30Hz to 22kHz at 15ips. Balanced XLR inputs and outputs are joined by a headphone output and an Ethernet port for remote control and firmware updates, while a built-in touchscreen handles calibration of bias, recording levels and EQ without external test gear.
Pricing and availability
Analog Audio Design has not yet published international pricing for the TR-1100; the machine is confirmed for availability from November 2026, with international distribution through the company’s existing points of sale network, detailed on the official TR-1100 product page. Buyers considering the Analog Audio Design TR-1100 alongside the brand’s playback-only TP-1000 will gain full recording capability, at a chassis size and weight built for permanent studio placement rather than casual desktop use.
The Analog Audio Design TR-1100 arrives as interest in reel-to-reel has grown well beyond a niche of collectors, with a wave of new tape releases and restored vintage machines feeding demand for modern decks built to professional tolerances. By adding recording to the formula that made the TP-1000 a Golden Ear winner, Analog Audio Design is betting that the same audience willing to pay a premium for tape playback will pay for the ability to make their own masters at home.
Key specifications
- Track format: 2-track, 2-channel (DIN 0.106 inch, 2.7mm)
- Max. reel size: 11.8 inch (30cm)
- Tape speeds: switchable 30ips (76.2cm/s), 15ips (38.1cm/s), 7.5ips (19.05cm/s)
- Wow and flutter: <0.030% peak at 15ips, <0.045% peak at 7.5ips (DIN 45507, weighted)
- Equalisation: NAB or IEC, switchable
- Frequency response: 30Hz–25kHz (+/-2dB) at 30ips, 30Hz–22kHz at 15ips
- Signal-to-noise ratio: up to 78dB (THD-N, A-weighting)
- Connectivity: balanced XLR in/out, headphone output, RJ45 Ethernet for remote control and firmware
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 466 x 519 x 305mm
- Weight: 62.83 lbs (28.5kg)
- Availability: from November 2026
