Got a pretty good one for y’all today… download the 8pp B.I.C. audio catalog circa 1955:
DOWNLOAD: BIC_Audio_195X
Products covered, with text, specs, and photos, include: Garrard RC88, RC98, RC121, 301, model T Crest phonographs; LEAK TL/10, TL12, and TL/25 amplifiers; Genalex KT-66 and Z729 tubes; Wharfdale W15/CS, W12/CS, Super 12 CS, W10/CSB, Super 8/CS/AL, and Super 3 treble speakers; the Wharfdale Briggs corner enclosure; plus a range of enclosures from R-J and River Edge.
Download the 2PP spec-sheet for the very obscure 360 systems Model 2800 programmable 4-band parametric EQ:
DOWNLOAD: 360_EQ
Four channels, fully parametric, with filters that offer +12 db/ -infinity (notch) operation, and 28 memory locations. The pre-plug-in plug-in. Anyone?
Download four pages of documentation regarding the M8 series of analog pitch-correction devices from the VSC corporation:
DOWNLOAD: VSC_Ana_Pitch_Cntrl
There were three models of these devices offered: the ready-made M8-C (above), which offered a pitch-shift range of 0.6x to 4.0x (with glorious 300-5Khz bandwidth); the M8-A was a expansion-only module, and the M8-B was a compression-only module.
If the idea of completely analog real-time pitch-shifting is not wacky enough for ya, how about mechanical pitch shifting? See this earlier post…
How y’all doing… tonight I’ll be behind the Garrard 301’s at Firehouse 12 in New Haven Connecticut, joining mi hermano Sway for another night of dark old rock soul + psych. Come on down to the best bar in CT and expand yr horizons, man.
UNSPUN at Firehouse 12
45 Crown St New Haven CT
Here is a one-of-a-kind unit using a re-purposed Thordarson transformer. IT works great, and the vintage Shurite (made in New Haven CT!!!) DC voltmeter is a bonus.
On the ‘business-end’ (topmost image) you can see XLR output jack (for connection to the input of your mic preamp), on/off switch, pot for controlling the DC voltage that mic receives, and at right the cable-exit for the seven-foot cable harness that connects to your double-button carbon mic. At right: red and black wires connect one-to-each button, and the clear wire connects to the metal shell of the mic.
For an explanation of WTF this thing is, and why you might possibly need it in your life, see this previous post.
Download an eight-panel catalog for the RCA “Starmaker” lineup of 1970s prosumer microphones:
DOWNLOAD: RCA_Starmaker_Mics
Not to be confused with the RCA BK-4 “Starmaker” hand-held ribbon mic of the 1950s, these later Starmakers were cheap prosumer and consumer units. Models on offer included the Starmaker 96, 97, 98, 101, 99, and 100. The top-of-the-range 96 has decent specs and useful features; gonna keep an eye out for that one.
Apparently built by a company called Programming Technologies (anyone???) and sold by Wes Dooley’s AEA firm, the Ecoplate is a well-regarded unit which has a pretty impressive frequency response for a mechanical reverb. If anyone out there is still using one of these, drop us a line with yr thoughts.
Download 8pp of sales + technical information regarding the “Master Room” XL-210 and XL-305 stereo spring reverbs manufactured in 1979 by MicMix of Dallas Texas.
DOWNLOAD:MicMix_210_305_reverbs
The 210 was the economy model. The 305 had optional balancing transformers. I regularly use a couple of other contemporary spring reverbs (Orban and Sound Workshop) but I’ve never had a MicMix unit. Anyone?
Download an 8pp 1980 sales flier from Boynton Studio, a long-running pro-audio dealer. Still in business, actually, after 60 years.
DOWNLOAD: BoyntonStudio_0980
I’d actually never heard of this company until I came across a bunch of these old fliers. They are apparently still ‘in-the-game,’ albeit as dealers of new gear only. You can see their site here. Anyhow, I thought I would offer this scan as a (potentially) interesting look back at how pro audio gear valuation has changed over the years – because I, like many engineers, still use a lot of this same kit today. The fact that there is so much used gear in the flier makes it even more interesting. Also: you could still get a new EV 667 in 1980 ??? I would not have imagined…
