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Uncategorized

The circa 1983 Yamaha MT44 4-track and CS01 synth: examining advertising claims

MT_and_csYamaha used to run these great ads in the 80s featuring their MT44 4-track and cheap lil CS01 synthesizer.

Yama_prod_seriesThey called it the “Producer Series.”  Since I had a CS01 and an MT44, I decided to see what was possible to do with just these two machines.  The MT44 is a regular-speed-deck, so fidelity is not great, but here’s what I whipped up in an hour.   I did not use the dolby cos,,,, i hate dolby!   There are 6 tracks (snare, bass, and bell line were bounced) and the only other piece of kit is a $25 behringer “Analog delay” pedal that’s fkkn awful.  Enjoy!

Yamaha_MT44d_exp

LISTEN:

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Uncategorized

The Fairchild Model 540 Mic Preamp/ variable EQ/ Cutterhead amp c. 1945

Fairchild_540UPDATE: THIS HAS BEEN SOLD.  IT IS GONE.  I HAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT IT.

Extraordinarily rare, way ahead-of-its-time Fairchild mic preamp/ continuously-variable 2-band boost-eq/cutter-head amp from 1945.  Built as a limited-edition model, very few were made and this could be the only example remaining.  This one was (professionally, it appears) modified very long ago for use with a Magnecord (likely PT6) tape machine, unit is otherwise complete with tubes and a working, good-sounding Jensen Alnico PM8ct speaker.  Mic and line transformers appear to be Kenyons.  Unit removes from its road-case for standard rack-mounting.  Condition poor to fair; needs complete restoration.  With some work this could be the ultimate marquee-rack unit for your world-class studio.   Came to me on a trade and I have no other information on it; AFAIK, schematics are not available online but being as it is circa 1945 technology, it should be repairable by any experienced tech.  Fairchild_540_advert_1945Fairchild_539_540(above: catalog image with companion Fairchild #539 portable lathe)Fairchild_540_nameplate

Fairchild_540_JensenPM8ctFairchild_540_rearFairchild_540_open

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Uncategorized

RTE Model ITA 512CV power supply data

RTE_ITA_512CVAs per the IG post on 3/30 – this is data on the RTE ITA 512CV dual linear power supply.

IMG IMG_0001

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Magnecord

Magnecord History: The Book: circa 1950

MagnecordIncCoverMagnecord, along with Ampex, was one of the first manufacturers of professional 15ips hi-fidelity tape machines in the world.  While not remembered as clearly as their rival, Magnecord built a tremendous number of machines, and many of them have survived to this day.  We have two at Gold Coast Recorders and after minimal repairs they still work just fine, nearly seventy years after their Chicago manufacture.

Magnecord_Advert_1950I picked up our two Magnecord PT6s at the Elephants Trunk flea market a few years ago for $25 each, and shortly after posting some new recordings made that I with the PT6s I was contacted by D. Boyers, son of Magnecord co-founder John Boyers.  D provided us with an incredible amount of impossible-to-find archival material from Magnecord; you can start to dig through it at this link.

Magncord_foundersFast forward to 2015: D. recently located a long-lost 45pp book that Magnecord created in 1950, presumably for the purpose of pitching new business to the US Government.  In his words:

“I have uncovered what appears to be a very complete book detailing several aspects of the very early years. This 45-page document provides an inside look at the roles of key personnel within the organization, including several photos of workers and assembly facilities in the early factory.

The book appears to have been put together in about 1950, four years after Magnecord was first organized, and it lists several of the early accomplishments of the fledgling company, including their first year of a million dollars in gross sales. (Back when that was serious money)”

You can download the entire 45pp volume (posted as five PDFs due to file size) at the links immediately below:  DOWNLOAD:

Magnecord_1950_part_1

Magnecord_1950_part_2

Magnecord_1950_part_3

Magnecord_1950_part_4

Magnecord_1950_part_5

EngineeringDepartment_MagnecordThis book offers an incredible look into the very first days of professional magnetic recording as well as capturing the enterprising spirit of a young pro-audio company growing fast and seeing limitless possibilities ahead.  Enjoy –

MetalWork_magnecord Magnecord_Installation Magnecord_Army  FinalTestingStation_Magnecord DraftingRoom_MagnecordRecordHeads_Equalizers_magnecord

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Radio Shows

LINK TO LISTEN: “I Swore I’d Never Go Back” : Live Radio Show March 22 2015: The Nineties

IMG_2516We put together an EMERGENCY SHOW for an overnight  on WPKN 89.5 FM.

My special guest is noted 90’s fanzine creator Emily Muffinbones and we will be bringing you THREE HOURS of nineties indie, lo-fi, and ‘complaint rock’ as my pops used to call it.  All from the original 33RPM LPs and 45s.

this program has now aired, but you can listen at this link,,click here,,,

Click the link below for the complete setlist.

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Uncategorized

Regarding The New Visual “Theme” For This Website

tumblr_mx1bm4tS9n1ru7m9to1_1280tumblr_mx1bm4tS9n1ru7m9to2_500Hey y’all,,, so i received a terse email from GOOGLE informing me that this website was not ‘mobile friendly’ and thus would not show up in mobile search results unless I made it so.  Anyhow, that’s how we got here.  Hopefully all the prior functionality of the site is intact.  Future!

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Radio Shows

LINK TO LISTEN: 3.16.15 Radio Show: WPKN 89.5 FM : Classic Punk and New Wave

RudeUPDATED: this program has now aired, but you can stream it at this link,,,

Preservation Sound Radio: Theme: Punk and New Wave ’75- ’85: from the original LPs and 45s: with co-host JBW  (Show starts at 02:30)

follow the link below for the complete set list,,,

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Uncategorized

INDIAN POINT doc feature w/our analog synth score to debut at Tribeca

IndianPointFilmIn case you’ve been wondering, “but what does he DO with that sound equipment,” earlier this year I had the chance to work along with composer Nathan Halpern on director Ivy Meeropol’s documentary feature “Indian Point.” We are pleased to announce that the film will make its world premiere in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Our extensive score features a wealth of vintage analog and digital synths and the film is a must-see for anyone interested in our energy future.

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Technical

The Fairchild Model 605 Stereo Tube Phono Preamp c. 1959

Fairchild_605_606_preHow y’all  doing on this frigid day in March,,,  so listen, srry abt not posting much new material this past year.  I’ll be frank: as phones keep getting better and better, and online content keeps getting more and more tailored TO the phone as a consequence thereof, many of us are spending less and less recreational time in front of the laptop (although I am still planted in front of some sort of Mac, invariably, for my production and composing work,,,) and more of that ‘leisure’ time with the phone.  Instagram rather than ‘scoping blogs’ seems better tailored to how most folks are spending their recreational internet time these days.  So we’ve been keeping an active+vigorous presence up there.  This blog isn’t going away, but do check out the IG account if you have not yet.

Fairchild_605_606_PS_outputOk NEways,,, I was diggin thru the archive for something today and I came across the schematic for a phono preamp that Fairchild offered around 1959 – their model 605.  Strangely enough, their prototype (image at head) was labeled ‘606.’  Production examples do bear the mark 605, though, as this example from a Russian website indicates:

Fairchild_605_606(image source)

There is very little information on the web about this unit – in fact, a google search offers,,, good ‘ole Preservation Sound Dot Com as its first result when queried.  And not much else of relevance.  We apparently ran an advert for this very unit some years back (click here for that earlier post).  So I was very excited to see that this unit, which is VERY buildable using off-the-shelf components, had not yet ‘migrated’ onto the web.  The Fairchild 606 offers both MC and MM input stages, 600ohm balanced outputs, and selectable EQ curves and stereo or true mono LP operation.  Now, I’ve built many Marantz and RCA-style tube phono preamps to great success, but this Fairchild is simultaneously exotic AND obtainable enough to be quite intriguing.   So, DIYers of the world, here ya go:  knock yrself out:

Fairchild_605_phonoPre_Schematic(click on image for a (huge) full size image)

There’s nothing exotic in it: no custom inductors, weird-taper pots, or un-source-able transformers.  The toughest thing to find might be the 4P/6T switch, but you could always sub in a pair of 2P/6T switches and just use two hands.  In fact, the input transformers, which I can confirm are 1:20 from the 600 ohm tap, appear to be garden-variety Beyers:

Fairchild_605_inputTrans(image source)

Regardless, though, you can use any hi-fidelity input transformer with a roughly 1:20 ratio and an input impedance approx.  10X whatever the output impedance of your moving-coil cartridge is.  And if you only use a moving-magnet cartridge, you can skip that part of the circuit entirely and just build the 47K ohm grid-input stage (and all that follows).  As the schematic indicates and the images confirm, this product was built in two chassis:  (preamps+EQs) and (power supply+output stages).  Other details: R109 and R209 are level controls, basic voltage dividers with a 20db range.  EQ offered is flat, RIAA, or RIAA plus add’l roll-off, and the ‘Lateral’ switching positions offered cancel out the vertical tracking information, resulting in the cleanest possible sound from mono records.  The output stage is fairly conventional, but interestingly enough requires single-ended transformers, so you will be rather limited in your options here (a 15K:600 that can handle 8ma DC unbalanced, such as a UTC A25, should work fine).

This is a fairly advanced project, which I have personally not built (yet). I cannot offer any technical support or help with this.  If you have never built a vacuum-tube phono preamp or mic preamp from scratch before, I would not advise undertaking this project.  Good luck, and if you build one, send us some pics!

Categories
Radio Shows

Streaming Now: Wed 2.18.15 Live Radio Show: ENO + CALE

Eno_Cale_1990Update: this program has now aired, but you can stream it at this link.  Enjoy!  c .

This Wednesday the 18th we’ll be doing a special live radio broadcast on WPKN 89.5 FM in the New York Metro area from 8PM- 11PM.  I’ll be on-air with my good friend JBW.  We’ve put together a three-hour retrospective of the careers of Brian Eno and John Cale.

calenoblogThese two legendary performers and producers have shaped so much of the better part of pop and rock music for the past half-century (fkkn nuts, right?) and we will share with you a (by no means exhaustive) survey of their work in parallel.

nico-cale-enoThere are so many interesting connections between these two, and common to it all is the basic premise of injecting an avant-garde sensibility into mainstream music and life.  As per usual on Preservation Sound Radio, we will be broadcasting from the original vinyl LPs, with very few limited exceptions.  Tune in on yr radio dial or stream the show live from anywhere on the planet at WPKN.ORG.

(above: with Nico)