Category: Pro Audio Archive

Highlights from the 1970 AES Convention, Los Angeles, CA

Post author By chris
Post date 04/03/2014
No Comments on Highlights from the 1970 AES Convention, Los Angeles, CA

above: the GRT 500 audio-tape evaluator c. 1970

Just in case you were too-young/too-hypothetical to have attended, we are pleased to bring you highlights from the 1970 convention of the Audio Engineering Society (via ye olde DB Magazine, r.i.p.). You can download the whole shebang here…

DOWNLOAD: AES_1970_DB_mag

…and we’ve also reproduced it below for your browsing enjoyment. Products on offer at that time include: mixing consoles from Electrodyne, Gately, Quad-Eight, Spectra-sonics, Fairchild, Langevin, and Altec. Opamp labs had kits on offer as well. Tape machines include 3M, Otari ‘of Japan,’ Teac 7030, GRT 500, Norelco (Phillips) pro-51, Sony Superscope TC-850, and Ampex. Dolby’s model 360 N/R system debuted, as did the Melcor ‘all electronic’ reverb and the Urei LA-3. New microphones on offer included the Electro-voice DS-35 and the Shure SM-53.

Tags 3M, altec, ampex, consoles, electrodyne, fairchild, langevin, otati, shure, spectra-sonics, tape machines, teac, urei, vintage microphone

Pro Audio Archive

The Quad-Eight RV10 outboard spring reverb unit of 1972

Post author By chris
Post date 03/02/2014
4 Comments on The Quad-Eight RV10 outboard spring reverb unit of 1972

Just about a year ago I published an article entitled “Obscure Mechanical Reverbs of the 70s.” Included in this this survey was the Quad-8 RV-10. Now, y’all know how much I love spring reverb (also here…), so I was pleasantly surprised when I received a phone call from one J. VanLeer (his photo at left), who claimed to be the inventor of this obscure device. In VanLeer’s words:

“When with the HAMMOND ORGAN CO. I worked on spring reverb tanks – after HAMMOND closed, these were made first by GIBBS, and OC ELECTRONICS than ACCUTRONICS who sold out to BELTON (Korea) and now a Chinese firm MOD makes spring tanks. The RV-10 still sounds the best ’cause it makes use of 4 different (length, diameter & wire gauge) rather that 2 or 3 with only difference in length.”

Vanleer patented this unique twist on spring-reverb technology and then apparently leased said license to Quad-Eight. By his reckoning at least 357 of these units were sold. VanLeer sent me via post the original product-sheet for the RV10. I reproduce those here for your edification and downloading: QuadEight_RV10

Below are some photos of the interior of the RV10 (from an eBay listing that ended in January 2014 at $446). The parts and build quality is extremely high – with hefty input/output transformers, and a UTC O-series (inside an O-17 case), which I presume is the recovery-pickup transformer.

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ed. note: Mr. VanLeer had quite a long and interesting career as an innovator of electro-acoustic devices; click here for an article about his career (use Google Translate to translate into your own reading language).

Tags quad eight, spring reverb

Pro Audio Archive

The LT Sound ECC “Echo Control Center” c. 1982

Post author By chris
Post date 10/20/2013
2 Comments on The LT Sound ECC “Echo Control Center” c. 1982

Here’s an unusual echo + reverb device circa 1982; the LT Sound ‘Echo Control Center,’ made in Georgia (USA). A quick search reveals that these have appeared on eBay from time to time. Anyone using one of these? Anything to recommend it?

Tags LT sound, reverb

Pro Audio Archive

Rebis Modular Outboard Gear of the 1980s

Post author By chris
Post date 10/18/2013
1 Comment on Rebis Modular Outboard Gear of the 1980s

I was flipping thru some old pro audio mags and this REBIS (distributed by Klark-Teknik) advert caught my eye… I imagine that there must not be too many of these REBIS racks out there. I don’t think that I have ever come across any original REBIS documentation in the PS dot com archive, but i’ll give it another look…

There is a very informative thread on GS regarding this line…

For our earlier coverage of the (earlier…) DBX 900 modules, click here…

And for our earlier coverage of the (earlier…) AD&R ‘Scamp’ modules, click here…

And for coverage of the 80’s Aphex module line, click here…

Any 80’s-era modular outboard I’ve missed fellas? Let us know…

Tags Rebis

Pro Audio Archive

Big Ole Project Studio Mixing Consoles of the early 80s

Post author By chris
Post date 10/13/2013
4 Comments on Big Ole Project Studio Mixing Consoles of the early 80s

Remember when you absolutely NEEDED a mixer? And a dozen compressors and FX units, and a mile of cable, just to make a basic mix of a track? That sort of kit still serves a valuable purpose, and most better studios still keep it all in play, but plenty of folks these days get by fine with just a few pieces of ‘outboard’ gear and a good DAW. All those big ole mixers that we used in the 80s and 90s though? And I am not talking about Neves and Tridents, or anything with ‘cult’ value…. all those big, garden-variety consoles are still out there, waiting in the basements and attics and backrooms of this great country, too boring to use, too… well, too ‘this thing cost a fortune new!’ to scrap. Above: The AUDY Model 2000 circa 1981. Below: the Walker AV 40 series, The Tascam Model 15, The Tapco Series 72 and 74, the StudioMixer c. 1981, The StudioMaster 16-4-2, Soundcraft series 800, The NEI 164XM, The Canary 16:6 and 24/4 circa 1981, the BiAmp 83, The AudioArts 8000 and 4000, the Allen and Heath 16:4:2. If yr using any of these, if you can advocate for em… drop us a line and weigh in… plenty of this stuff on the Craigslists of America… let’s find out which are worth saving!

Pro Audio Archive

Fostex “Pro Sound Reinforcement Components” Guide/Catalog 1981

Post author By chris
Post date 09/26/2013
4 Comments on Fostex “Pro Sound Reinforcement Components” Guide/Catalog 1981

Got a pretty odd one for y’all today… download the 1981 Fostex “Professional Sound Reinforcement Components” catalog/guide:

DOWNLOAD: Fostex_SR_1981

Featuring: Fostex speaker systems GS3001, GS3003, SV22, SV30, BS1502, G700, SP104F, SP102, SP109, SP89, SP109F, SP109, SP104, SP82S, SP84S, and many more enclosures. I can’t recall ever having seen ANY of these; were they even sold in the US?

Tags fostex, speakers

Pro Audio Archive

The Barco (Belgium) MLS 1/80 Studio Monitor c. 1980

Post author By chris
Post date 09/22/2013
3 Comments on The Barco (Belgium) MLS 1/80 Studio Monitor c. 1980

Download the 4pp product-sheet for the Barco MLS 1/80 studio monitor:

DOWNLOAD: Barco_MLS_1_80

These industrially-styled monitors incorporated an unusual circuit which introduces a 30db pad when the speaker THD exceeds 1%. Crazy. Anyone?

Tags Barco, monitors

Pro Audio Archive

UPDATED: Fostex “Laboratory Series” Pro Audio Monitors c.1980

Post author By chris
Post date 09/20/2013
3 Comments on UPDATED: Fostex “Laboratory Series” Pro Audio Monitors c.1980

Download the 4-page catalog for the Fostex “Laboratory Series” studio monitors of 1980:

DOWNLOAD: Fostex_Lab_1980

Featuring the Fostex LS/2, LS/3, and the massive LS/4: 458lbs each, with response down to 19hz. Good lord. BTW I have come across several period FOSTEX speaker pieces; expect more in the next few days…

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Update 12.10.13:

Michael Gillespie, designer of the Fostex Laboratory Series, got in touch with PS dot com regarding these speakers. Here’s what he had to say:

“I designed these speakers in the late seventies. This was the inaugural Fostex product to launch in North America, setting the stage for huge success. At the time we did this, Fostex had 18 employees in Japan; today they have 67,000 worldwide.”

Click here for a better copy of the main brochure.

“Above are images of the “V” series; these were the same systems re-tuned for free-standing (full-space 4π) operation as opposed to the main brochure which shows soffit-mounted (half-space 2π) models.”

“Above is the the original development team, reunited in 2012: (L-R) Ted Telesky, Michael Gillespie, Bob Oliver.“

“And above is an – LS/4 is one of my personal pair – which I have owned for almost 35 years.”

Tags fostex, monitors

Pro Audio Archive

Gotham Audio NYC – Complete 1979 Catalog Download

Post author By chris
Post date 09/18/2013
No Comments on Gotham Audio NYC – Complete 1979 Catalog Download

Download the complete 16pp 1979-1980 Gotham Audio catalog:

DOWNLOAD: Gotham_Audio_1979

Products mentioned, with text + photos, include: Telefunken M 12A, M 15A, and M15A Multitrack (32 tracks!) tape machines; Telcom C4 noise reduction system, TTM universal noise reduction frame, Neumann microphones including U89, KMR 82, USM 69; Neuman VMS 80 Disc mastering system, SP 79C Disk Cutting Console, MT 80 preview playback tape deck, SAL 74 Cutter Drive Logic (600 watts per channel!!!!), and SX 74 cutter head; EMT 240, 250, 140, and 244 reverbs; EMT 424 and 422 flutter analyzer, and EMT 950 turntable; K+H 0-92 and Model OY speaker; the EFP Phonograph plating plant (!!!!), NTP console modules 179-120 compressor, 177-520 oscilloscope, and a range of meters; plus a bunch of other related bits+bobs from the end-of-the-line of crazy-hi-end analog studio infrastructure. Just be glad you didn’t buy a new Swedish-built LP plating plant in 1980, ‘aight? Re: bits+ bytes are just ’round the corner….

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For our earlier scan of the 1972 Gotham Audio catalog, click here. Astute commentators are encouraged to reflect on what had changed significantly between ’72 and ’78. And sage speculation on what might change between today and 2019 is equally encouraged.