Greetings from Ystradgynlais

[Last Upgrade]

Hi James,

Akai made great machines (& a lot of great kit) and GX-630D is one of them, I know it takes 10 inch NAB reels, is yours 1/2 or 1/4 track & what speeds?

I was at your KFC for a covid safe ebay collection last week.
Nearly moved to Bridgend 5-years ago but the house fell through. Dare I ask, how's it doing since Ford closed?

Love to hear your SPU sometime.
Sounds like you've got a great established organic system there.

Peter

[Gazjam]

Welcome aboard Peter.

Fascinating history of the R2R players.
Played on the score for Robocop, wow

Know that score inside out, big fan of Poledouris’ stuff.
Was Howard Blake present for all the sessions or was it mostly Tony Britton there?

[Last Upgrade]

Hi Gary,

That's a gorgeous arts & crafts house.

I wasn't playing (if only I could) just a lowly roadie/ engineer for the highly talented keyboard player and programmer Derek Austin.
Basil Poledouris (RIP) had Derek programme a huge keyboard rig so that that they all played out by MIDI to a click track which was fed to the orchestra to play along to. It's a long time ago but I think it was relatively unuasual as Derek was in one control room (3?) which linked to another this way they linked two mixing desks and two parallel Studer A80- 2" machines. Something like that anyway.

It would have been around 85 and they were pushing what was possible in the best Abbey Road style.
Couldn't tell you about engineers or producers it's too long ago, I wasn't there for the duration but came and went as required each time they needed adjustments and changes, think it was over 2 or 3 days.
I was a kid at about 20, so very eager to learn and it was an electric experience.
Looking back - too young to fully appreciate it!

For context: Just before this recording session I had undertaken the electrical & audio installation works for Derek's 64-channel keyboard film score studio (Broxmead Studio) which had been featured in Studiosound.

I guess because of Broxmead I was befriended by Abbey Road staff and was given the full tour and was also taken to the old EMI factory in Hayes and shown the Anechoic chamber. I am eternally thankfull to Abbey Road, (particularly to Mr Phil Hancock) as he set me on my way and helped me establish myself in London in an associated field.

It was an amazing experience, I can still remember the smell of the place and the long corridor with black thick pile carpet was chocka block like a traffic jam of obsolete Studer A80 2-tracks.

Glorious days

[The Black Adder]

Hi Peter.

Glad to have you on board.

I too run Tannoy speakers as well as an A80 machine. Plenty of information on my blog site. www.tannoyista.com

One of my dream places to work has always been Abbey Road. I used to work in a couple of studios in Sheffield in the early 90s... Plenty of great times.

Anyway, have a great time here...


Sent from my 9001X using Tapatalk

[Lawrence001]

Hi Lawrence,

Can't beat smell & taste of homemade Welsh cakes cooked on a griddle.
Far too lazy but have to buy a pack for mum every time I go past a shop
Like shop scones, think you have to nuke em for 5-seconds to revive them.
Funny how we remember those childhood memories & with crystal clarity.

Yes it was 35 years ago but I still remember the smell and taste, they were off the griddle on the big open fire or range in the vicarage.

I wonder if the church has since sold it off and built a small modern one next door, seems to be the norm these days. I plan on going to S Wales next year and taking the family to all the places I lived in and visited. Llandaff Cathedral, St Fagans, Castell Coch, Dan yr Ogof, Cardif Castle (saw Eddie Kidd there in about 1980!).

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

[Last Upgrade]

Hi Josie,

Thanks for your message. Wish you hadn't sent your web link, I'll never get anything done this rate! Looks very slick and piles of cool info.
Just read your Lockwood Major page, wow I'm jealous, seen the studio pictures of Trident before & so glad the you found the ID badges after such a protracted search to authenticate their history. Can see there's a whole lot of reading on your site to catch up with but will have to pace myself.
I have a few tapes from St Annes Court and one night in the 90s I stumbled across a Crown IC150 & DC150 (pre & power) on the pavement outside, which ended up as my workshop stereo for years. (wish I still had it but can't keep it all).

Catch up soon, love to talk more with you.
Peter

[Smegger68]

Hi James,

Akai made great machines (& a lot of great kit) and GX-630D is one of them, I know it takes 10 inch NAB reels, is yours 1/2 or 1/4 track & what speeds?

I was at your KFC for a covid safe ebay collection last week.
Nearly moved to Bridgend 5-years ago but the house fell through. Dare I ask, how's it doing since Ford closed?

Love to hear your SPU sometime.
Sounds like you've got a great established organic system there.

Peter

Hi Peter,

My Akai is a 4 track machine with 3.75 and 7.5 ips speeds. Here it is playing a little PIL



Ford closing has certainly affected the area though with the C-19 lockdown it's hard to quantify what is due to that and what is due to the plant closure. It'll have an effect going forward though. Aston Martin is also facing closure. bad times for the car guys around these parts.

Yeah I'm happy with the system these days, havent made any changes for a while. Flat is a total mess as I'm reorganising (need something to do in lockdown) but after the restrictions are lifted and the flat is sorted I'd be happy to have you come down for a listen to the SPU

Regards,

James

[Last Upgrade]

Hi James,

Been away for a family funeral.
That's a handsome machine, thanks for the SPU invitation, be great to meet when able.
Was all sounding so optimistic with Aston not so long ago, great shame.
Lets hope it bouces back.
Talk soon
Peter

[hifinutt]

ah we love wales here , cant wait to get back there . we also love tannoys too.

[Patrick Dixon]

I have a couple of Telefunkens; an M15A and an M10 configured as a vinyl cutting machine with a pre-listen head.

One day I will get them working ...