Categories
Pro Audio Archive

The McCurdy SS8900 Mixing Console circa 1980

There seems to be zero information on the web concerning this particular mixing console, so i guess that’s where i come in.  Download a 4-page sales flier/spec sheet for the McCurdy SS8900 mixing console:

DL: McCurdy_SS8900

McCurdy was a Canadian – based manufacturer of broadcast audio equipment.  They seem to have had US operations in Massachusetts and Illinois at various points as well. It’s easy to find their modular mic pre amps and various metering units on eBay, but I’ve never encountered one of their consoles.  Anyone?

Click here to DL specs on their earlier 7700-series consoles via AmericanRadioHistory

Categories
Early Digital Audio Pro Audio Archive

Eventide Pro Audio Gear circa 1980

Download 17 pages of Eventide promotional material / data sheets and price lists circa 1979 – 1981:

DOWNLOAD: Eventide_1980

Products covered, with text, photos, and some specs, include: Harmonizer HM80, H949 and H910; LU618 de-glitch board (ooops); HK940 keyboard, FL 201 instant flanger and BPC 101 phaser card; 2830 omnipressor; BD955 Broadcast delay line 1745M delay line;  JJ193 delay line; TIMESQUEEZE system with PTC 945 precision tape controller; RD770 Monstermat mon/stereo matrioxing unit; and the Eventide Real Time Analyzer systems THS 224 and VTU02.

I am a big Eventide fan.  We have their classic H3000 Harmonizer at our studio Goldcoast Recorders (one of only two digital processors we’ve kept in the main mix room).  At home (where I don’t have room for a big outboard rack)I heavily depend on my Eventide Space reverb pedal, which is pretty likely the greatest effect pedal ever made.  I use it on literally every electric guitar and electric piano I record at home, and most synths as well.

I’ve had my eye on these early ‘compact’ HM80 harmonizers for a while; seems tough to find but would def tie the vintage synth ‘rig’ together.

One of my favorite patches in the SPACE (#19 ‘NEBULA’) models the above OMNIPRESSOR – it reverses the attack envelope of any sound.  Simple in principle, but the crazy part is it actually works.  I’d love a ‘real’ Omnipressor for the mix room at GoldCoast but these seem pretty much impossible to find for a reasonable sum.

Commodore PET anyone?  Of little interest to most, the download package contains a ton of info on Eventide’s PET-based RTA system.

Using vintage Eventide in your system?  Drop a line a weigh in.

Categories
Synthesizers

Yamaha CP80M, CP70M, CP60M : full catalog 1985: Rare Acoustic-Electric Pianos with Midi

download the 6pp 1985 brochure for the Yamaha MIDI CP line:

DOWNLOAD: Yamaha_CP80m_CP70m_cp60m_catalog

This is pretty interesting.  I’ve seen plenty of CP80s and CP70s; we even had a CP70 at our studio Gold Coast Recorders for years, until we eventually ran out of space (with two Baldwin pianos, Rhodes, Wurli 200, Pianet, two hammonds, and a full size marimba, something had to give…).

But.  A CP with midi? Amazing. I was also unaware of the CP60, which seems v similar in format to the Kawai stage upright of the same era.

I’ve literally never seen one of these MIDI CPs, not even online.  Anyone using one? Drop us a line…

Categories
Microphones

Beyerdynamic Microphones Headphones ETC: Complete 1974 Catalog

download a scan of the entire 24pp 1974 Beyerdynamic catalog:

DL: Beyerdynamic_1974

Products covered, with text, specs, and photos, include ribbon microphones M160n, M260n, M500c; moving coil mics m 55 LM, M 550 LM, M550, M 101 N, M 111 N, M 67 N, M 69 N, M 88 N, M 201 N, M 81 LM, M 818 LM, Soundstar X1 N, X1 HL, M 810 N, M 57, M 64 SH, M 410 N, M 411 N, M 412 N; a full line of accessories including stands, clips, bases, transformers, and windscreens.

Headphones covered include DT 100, DT 100 RR, DT 900, Sound Juwel DT 480 DT 100 V Induction headphones, DT 204, DT 48, DT 96A, DT 98, DT 109, DT 49, DT 109V, DT 302, DT 301, 302, 303; and various headphone accessories.  Wireless mic systems TS 73, TS 83, SM 84, NE 75, NE 84, TE 20 are also covered.

We have a pair of older M 260 ribbons at Gold Coast Recorders and they hand above the drum kit at all times. I love them, and I’ve never wanted for other overheads.  Even recording to analog they sound wonderful.  We also have three of these M69 dynamics, and while I can’t say they are any better at anything than an sm58 or sm57, they certainly aren’t bad mics.

Beyer M 201s have always intrigued me but I’ve never come across a ‘deal’ and $300 new seems a bit rich.  Anyone?

I am a big believer in Beyerdynamic headphones.  Their DT 770 M is a miracle product, esp. for tracking rap vocals when the vocalist is not very loud and they like the track loud in their cans.  Highly recommended for any situation where bleed is an issue.

Categories
Publications Recording Techniques

January 1946: The Broadcast Engineer as a Field of Endeavor

Download an 8-page scan from RADIO NEWS, January 1946, on the subject of ‘the modern broadcast engineer’:

DOWNLOAD: Radio_News_Jan_1946_From_Studio_To_Master_Control

It is January 1946.  The war is over.  Millions of young men and women in the United States are seeking peacetime employment.  Massive global R+D efforts undertaken during the war have made available incredible amounts of new technologies, surplus materials, and personnel trained in communications work.  I’m not exactly sure what the point of this article is, but it seems to be a call-to-action for young ppl to enter the field of broadcast engineering work, or at least define it as a career option.  DL and check it out.  Below: some highlights.

 

Categories
Connecticut Audio History

Columbia Records, Bridgeport CT 1922: ephemera items

According to Wikipedia, Columbia Records’ manufacturing operations were based in Bridgeport CT starting sometime between 1912 and 1923 and continuing until 1964.  I’ve been in Bridgeport for the better part of the past 13 years, constantly digging for audio-archival relics, and this small lot is the first batch of 1920s Columbia materials that I have ever come across.  Columbia material holds extra interest for me as I spent roughly a decade working for Sony Music (modern parent of Columbia Records) at their Manhattan Headquarters.

The Bridgeport Columbia plant still stands, now condos; little other reminders are present of this important part of Bridgeport’s industrial history.

If you, or a family member, worked at the Bridgeport Columbia plant, please drop us a line.  Chris@PreservationSound.com

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For earlier ‘Columbia Bridgeport’ coverage on Preservation Sound, click here and here

 

Categories
Microphones Pro Audio Archive Technical Uncategorized

“Microphones And Their Placement” from ‘The Aerovox Research Worker’ 1958

download a 6pp article on “Microphones And Their Placement” as published by the Aerovox Capacitor Corporation, 1958:
DOWNLOAD: Microphones and their placement
Written by Arthur Davis, Phillip Erhorn, and their team at Aerovox, the article offers an interesting historical perspective on microphone technique in the 1950s.

(image source)

If you’ve spent much time creeping around inside old electronic equipment, you have undoubtedly seen numerous examples of the capacitor shown above.  I really don’t have a super-strong sense of ‘how good’ Aerovox caps were as compared to their contemporaries, IE., how often they tend to need replacement, ETC,, but IIRC they tend to be more reliable than most 50’s foil caps.

“The Aerovox Research Worker” was a sort of ‘branded content’ marketing item that the company published from at least 1949 through 1958.  I recently picked up a large pile of these publications, and most focus on RF and TV applications.  This was the only one I could find that was audio-focused.  Enjoy. CR

Categories
Radio Shows

WPKN 89.5FM Preservation Sound Radio Show 101217 ::: Tracklist

Hey yall,,, here’s the tracklist for the 10.11.17 show.  This one is a bit eclectic cos the theme was “new acquisitions” IE new old junk so it’s a bit more varied than most shows.  also one nu thing hiding in there…  all vinyl as usual

You can stream the show at this link until October 26 2017.

  1. Odetta “Hit Or Miss”
  2. Flamin Groovies “She’s Falling Apart”
  3. Minnie Ripperton “Le Fleur”
  4. Anthem “Florida”
  5. Dr John “Familiar Reality”
  6. Funkadelic “I Got a Thing….” BREAK
  7.  Baby Huey “Runnin”
  8. Automatic Man “one and one”
  9. Lizzie Mercier Descloux “long voodoo ago”
  10. Siouxsie and the banshees “hong kong garden”
  11. Finacon “toto di tochetek”
  12. Colin Newman “Fish #5” BREAK
  13. Yello “Night Flanger”
  14. Gang of Four “To hell with poverty”
  15. Funkadelic “standing on the verge of getting it on”
  16. Arthur Verocai “Caboclo”
  17. Justen O Brien and Jake “Alone BREAK
  18. Michael Angelo “flight of pegasus”
  19. Lost and Found “There would be no doubt”
  20. Ariel Pink and Natalie Merring “Tears on Fire”
  21. Plain Jane “Not the same”
  22. Illinois speed press “Free Ride” BREAK
  23. Earth Opera “home to you”
  24. David Ackles “Down River”
  25. Coulson, Dean, McGuiness, Flint “The Death of Emmet Till”
  26. Francoise Hardy “Hallucigene”
  27. Dominique Guiot “The Two Fish”
  28. Louise Huebner “Orgies”
  29. Magical Power Mako “Sound, Mother Earth”
  30. Brian Eno “Shadow” BREAK
  31. Norma Tangea “You’re Dead”
  32. Sir Lord Baltimore “the man from manhattan”
  33. Plan 9 “Frustration” BREAK
  34. Truk “Sun Castle Magic”
Categories
Connecticut Audio History Pro Audio Archive RCA

Content! We got fresh content! 1940 RCA Sound System Proposal: Complete Documentation

Man how long has it been since i’ve posted some actual historical archival material? Months? Years? The problem is not a lack of new documents; quite the opposite.  I’ve amassed, and continue to horde, so much of this stuff that its totally fkkn overwhelming.  I need like an intern or seven to even have a chance of getting thru all this stuff before leave this earth.  So yeah instead i’ve been on Instagram instead.  It’s so much faster and easier and WTF even is a blog anyway?

DOWNLOAD A COMPLETE 13pp 1940 RCA SOUND SYSTEM PROPOSAL:  1940_RCA_PA_Proposal

Somethings, tho, are just too weird and interesting to ignore.  I found this jacketed proposal package for a 1940 church PA system.  Just the sort of audio historical flotsam that probably no one else ever bothered to preserve.  I can’t stand to see this stuff lost.  So here ya go.  If you ever wondered what those gigantic RCA amps and weird 77 variants cost new, who bought em, and how much those UrSoundBros got paid to install it… ANSWERS WITHIN.  enjoy. CR

Categories
Radio Shows

BUM TRIP ’73: Preservation Sound Radio: Wed July 19 8PM EST: WPKN 89.5 FM

THE DREAM WAS DEAD. IDEALS EXTINGUISHED. ALL THAT REMAINED WERE CHEAP THRILLS ON A ONE-WAY JOY RIDE

TOMORROW NIGHT:  WED JULY 18: A very special three-hour movie event

Tune in 8PM EST at 89.5 WPKN FM in the NYC metro area, and worldwide at WPKN.ORG

DO NOT MISS

THERE IS NO GOING BACK