The Dictabelt[1] or Memobelt was a form of recording medium introduced by the American Dictaphone company in 1947. It used a type of "Write Once - Read Many" medium consisting of a thin, plastic belt 3.5" wide[2] that was placed on a cylinder and spun like a tank tread. The needle would then move slowly to the side ways, making the recording. Unlike a record cutter, the audio on a Dictabelt is imprinted (pressed in) rather than cut.[3] The recordings had better fidelity than the wax cylinders they replaced. The belts could be folded and placed in envelopes. However, if they were stored too long in a folded state, the folds would become permanent.[4][5] In the 1960s, Virginia required that all of its circuit courts be outfitted with Dictabelt machines.[6] The belts first came in red, then blue, and finally purple. [7]
Along with a Gray Audograph sound recorder, a Dictabelt recorded the police department radio channels in Dallas, Texas during the John F. Kennedy assassination. These recordings were reviewed by the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations.
