Tag: magnecord

Magnecord Historical Archive Material: Part IV

Post author By chris
Post date 06/28/2011
2 Comments on Magnecord Historical Archive Material: Part IV

This week we’ll conclude our series of archival material courtesy of Magnecord founding partner John Boyers. John’s son D. graciously scanned every page of every available issue of the company publication “Magnecord INC,” which was published between 1950 and 1954.

If anyone out there has any issues that we are missing, please chime in and let’s figure out a way to get them online. Magnecord was a crucial developer of tape-recording and pro-audio hardware whose contributions have been largely forgotten in the modern era. I use a Magnecord PT6 at our studio Gold Coast Recorders to make the occasional ‘old-time’ recording and it’s a testament to the skill of engineers like Mr. Boyers that the machine still works great SIXTY years after it rolled out the Chicago plant.

The ‘Magnecord INC’ publications are fascinating because they reveal the dawn of the high-fidelity audio-recording age. Remember that these (and certain of the AMPEX machines of the era) were portable audio-recorders with 40hz- 15kz frequency response. These facts opened up world of possibility for audio capture. Reading through these old issue of “Magnecord INC” opens the door to a time when the world was first figuring out all of the things that could be done with a portable machine that could capture and playback sound to the near-limits of human hearing ability. Many of the then-novel tape-recording tasks described in these publications may seem mundane; but many are surprising and quite odd applications which never really caught on past a few enthusiastic early-experimenters.

Without further ado, here are the issue from 1950. More to follow tomorrow. Download and enjoy.

Magnecord_INC_Feb1950

Magnecord_INC_Mar1950

Tags magnecord, tape machines

Magnecord Pro Audio Archive

Magnecord Complete Line Catalog Circa 1953

Post author By chris
Post date 05/16/2011
12 Comments on Magnecord Complete Line Catalog Circa 1953

From the personal archive of John Boyers, founding partner of Magnecord INC, we present the complete circa 1953 Magnecord INC catalog. Click the link below to download the eight-page PDF:

DOWNLOAD: Magnecord_Catalog_Circa1953

Products covered, with text and photos, include: Magnecord PT6-A Recorder Mechanism, PT6-R line-level input amplifier and PT6-J Mic-level input/output amplifier; PT63-A three-head recorder and companion PT63-J amplifier; the full line of PT6-series accessories, including the PT6-HT ‘turnover’ panel, PT6-IM3 and PT6-IM4 microphone-level input mixers, PT6-M ten-inch reel adapter mechanism, PT6-EL continuous loop panel (really confused as to how on earth this thing works). Also includes the Magnecord PT7-A, PT7-M, PT7-C series of recorders/amplifiers, which offered slightly improved audio specs relative to the PT-6 series.

Click the ‘Magnecord’ link in the right-hand ‘Categories’ column of the homepage to see much more Magnecord coverage on PS dot com.

Tags magnecord, tape machines

Magnecord

Magnecord, INC, company history from John Boyers, Founding Partner

Post author By chris
Post date 05/10/2011
1 Comment on Magnecord, INC, company history from John Boyers, Founding Partner

D. Boyers, son of Magnecord, INC founding engineer John Boyers, has once again presented Preservation Sound with an incredible collection of rare documents from this seminal pro audio manufacturer. (click here to read the previous installment)

Over the next few weeks I will work on getting all the material online. To start things off, here’s a written history of the Magnecord organization as related by J. Boyers in 1980. Boyers discussed the company’s early products leading up to the introduction of the PT-6 tape machine and the PT-63 binaural (aka Stereo) tape machine. Fascinating to learn how much trial and error was involved in these pioneering efforts. Enjoy –

Click the link below to READ ON….

Tags magnecord, tape machines

Pro Audio Archive

Audio Engineering Magazine Pt 6: audio equipment

Post author By chris
Post date 05/09/2011
No Comments on Audio Engineering Magazine Pt 6: audio equipment

The earliest advertisement for the Magnecorder tape machine that I have seen. BTW get ready for a large collection of original Magnecord, INC documents from one of the company founders: on this site: soon.

In the sixth and final installment of this survey of pro audio of the 1940s, as related through the pages of Audio Engineering magazine, we’ll look at some of the more interesting pieces of equipment on offer.

1948: Altec announces the 604 duplex loudspeaker. The 604 would become a staple in recording studios well into the 1970s.

…and Ampex announces the tape recorder that would change the world. in 1948 it offered performance that would not be outdated until the 1980s.

The Arlington EA-2 ‘Audio Compensator,’ an early active EQ. Well, maybe ‘active’ is the wrong word, but unlike other equalizers of the era, it functioned without insertion loss. I would love to see the schematic for this unit if anyone has one to send over…

The Presto 41A limiter and 89A amplifier. These units were intended for master-disc cutting.

RCA jacks, panels, stands, and racks of the late 1940s.

OK this scan really sucks but I was excited to find an ad for my beloved BA-2 preamp. My advice: buy a UTC A25 on eBay and build a BA-2. Simple and excellent.

Tags altec, ampex, arlington electric, magnecord, presto, RCA, tape machines

Magnecord

Complete Magnecord System on eBay

Post author By chris
Post date 03/31/2011
No Comments on Complete Magnecord System on eBay

For all the PS dot com readers who have inquired about the Magnecord tube reel-to-reel machines that I have discussed here: a complete system, including the very rare PT6-IM3 mixer unit, is available on eBay right now with a current price of $124. I have no knowledge of this specific unit or this seller. Check it out….

Tags magnecord

History Magnecord

Magnecord INC Historical Archival Material Part 1

Post author By chris
Post date 02/26/2011
36 Comments on Magnecord INC Historical Archival Material Part 1

From the personal collection of D. Boyers, son of Magnecord founding partner John Boyers, PreservationSound is excited to be able to offer several rare documents and historical reminiscences. The Magnecord PT6 was one of the very first broadcast-quality tape recorders ever made – 1948 – and you can still find working (or repairable) examples. If you have been following this site for a while, you will know how much I like these machines. See this link and this link for some examples of recordings I have done recently with the PT6.

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PT6 Maintenance and Engineering manual:

DOWNLOAD: MagnecordPT6_MaintenanceNotes

The user-manual and schematics for the PT6 tape machine has been readily available on the internet; try this link if you need a copy. The Maintenance Notes are harder to find. Great information if you need to perform mechanical service on the unit.

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Four-page “Magnecord, INC” Company Newsletter, July 1952:

DOWNLOAD: MagnecordInc_July1952

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John Boyers was one of the founders of Magnecord. He is now 95 years of age. His son D. provides these notes regarding John’s career and contributions to recording history:

“I wouldn’t be too surprised to learn there are some (PT-6s) still in use, probably in some third-world broadcasting station somewhere. My first PT-6 was an engineering sample put together prior to the start of manufacturing. I still have it, and it still works, (although I make that claim having not tried to fire it up for 30 years!)
Dad is still with us, although he is the last survivor of the original group, at age 95… One of Dad’s favorite stories… is the time he couldn’t make payroll, but the man at the bank gave him the funds he needed because of the trusting relationship he had built with the bank.

Dad’s interest was mostly engineering. He designed the heads, experimenting with various metals and ways to make the recording gap smaller and smaller. Back then, the
heads were built one at a time, by hand. One of the handiest features of the “6” was the
ability to do instant playback head alignment with that little 4/40 screw and spring
tensioner. …I don’t remember if that was a feature of the production machines or if it was just something they built into the sample I have. Oh, here’s another story you might enjoy knowing about: Dad and one of the other guys in the shop had a brainstorm and decided to build a “binaural” (ed: Stereo) transport just for fun. They got it working and took it down to the Illinois Central train station and made a recording of a steam locomotive going by.
I remember hearing the recording, with the locomotive coming in one channel and going out the other. The binaural recorder was the hit of the audio trade show in Chicago that year. According to Dad, the crowds around the little Magnecord booth were huge and the buzz of the show was all about the unbelievable train recording. I asked Dad why they didn’t get a patent on it and he says that it wasn’t patentable. It had been done before, although not commercially, and it didn’t meet the “new and novel” requirement of patent law. I’ve often wondered if they weren’t just working with the wrong patent attorney.”

Thanks to D. for sharing this history. We will leave you today with the remainder of a set of Magnecord-Factory photos circa 1950.

Tags magnecord, tape machines

Uncategorized

Out-of-print-book report: Magnetic Recording (1948)

Post author By chris
Post date 02/10/2011
4 Comments on Out-of-print-book report: Magnetic Recording (1948)

Not sure where I came across this obscure volume. Written by one S.J. Begun, then VP and chief engineer of recording-tech pioneer Brush Development Corp, ‘Magnetic Recording’ (h.f. ‘MR’) was completed in June 1948 and published the following year by Murray Hill Books.

There is a lot of information in this 235pp volume; the best feature by far, though, is that it contains diagrams and schematics for a great number of the recording devices discussed.

Here’s a quick survey of the machines covered in MR. Most are wire recorders. Remember that tape recording was still incredibly new in 1948; wire was still the dominant format. If you have any of these machines and need to service it, seek out this book. You might find what you need. Names are beneath each image.

The original circa 1948 Ampex tape recorder, which promised an unheralded 30-15k (+/- 1db) frequency response.

The WW11-era German Magnetophone, from which the Ampex was largely derived. The Magnetophone ran at 30 ips in order to achieve its (then) excellent performance.

The Armour Master wire recorder.

The Armour Model 50 wire recorder

The Bell Labs Mirrorphone

Brush Labs Model BK-303

Brush labs model BK-403, the portable Sound Mirror

Brush Labs model BK-503 ‘mail a voice,’ which recorded a magnetic signal on coated paper discs.

Brush Labs SoundMirror

Brush Labs model BK-401

The Lear Dyanport (pictured with American Dynamic mic)

The Magnecorder SD-1, a predecessor (prototype?) of my beloved Magnecord PT6.

The Nemeth Master Wire Recorder

The Peirce Dictation model 55-b

The Rangertone, by Rangertone

The Telegraphone, a pre-vacuum-tube wire recorder. See this earlier post for the details.

The Webster Wire Recorder. In my experience, these are the most commonly-found wire recorders that you may encounter.

The WiRecorder Model PA

Tags ampex, bell labs, magnecord, OOP book report, tape machines, webster-chicago, wire recorders

Early Electronic Music History Publications

Out-Of-Print-Book Report: History Of Music Machines (Smithsonian)

Post author By chris
Post date 01/10/2011
2 Comments on Out-Of-Print-Book Report: History Of Music Machines (Smithsonian)

Came across this obscure volume in a rubbish bin several years ago. Published by Drake Publishers in 1975 and billed as being ‘Prepared By The Smithsonian’ (No author attributed), “(The)History Of Music Machines” (hf. ‘HOMM’) is a b&w hardcover gift/coffee-table book which presents a fairly interesting survey of the history of reproduced sound. Several copies are available for just a few bucks at amazon. 139pp.

From the introduction (by writer Irving Kolodin):

“Over the years, the debates have continued about the pros and cons of music machines, the impact of their existence on the habit patterns of society,…. their influence for good and evil on taste… As for taste, it has been driven to the wall, and all but through it, by exploitation of the music machines’ potential for serving the lowest common denominator. Whether in records, or in radio’s reliance on the Top Forty -those loudest, hardest, often cheapest appeals to the beetle-browed- selectivity has since foundered on the rock of commercialism.”

Jesus Irving. Don’t mince words buddy. Tell us how you really feel. Note how he allusively slips ‘Be(e/a)tle’ and ‘Rock’ in there. Nice one. ANYhow. Reactionary sentiments asides, HOMM is basically a chronological series of photos with explanatory captions. I find it interesting because it does not attempt to parse recording devices, electric instuments, synthesizers, amplification equipment, choosing instead to include all of these very different (in my mind, at least) type of equipment into the totality of ‘music machines.’ This suggests the view point that music is either made ‘by man alone’ or somehow made ‘by machine.’ It’s an interesting idea. A very outmoded binary opposition, certainly. Here are some highlights.

The multiphone, a wax-cylinder jukebox from 1905.

The Stroh Violin. DS mentioned last week that he had seen a band in NYC recently that performs exclusively 1900-1930 music on all period instruments. ‘One of those Violins with the victrola horn’ is apparently employed. Now we know that this is called a Stroh Violin.

The much-loved Magnecord PT6 gets some praise.

HOMM ends with some (even then very-dated) images of Electronic Music Studios. Above we have the Columbia-Princeton Studio circa 1959 (see my previous post) and below some rare images of the circa ’65 studios at the Catholic University of America.