Vintage analogue broadcast equipment

[Beobloke]

Marco,

In the second John Peel picture you posted, the deck on the left is a Gates, but the one on the right is a BBC modified Garrard 301 as used in the BBC RP2/1 dual deck unit, amongst others - see below.

http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.bec...ms/grams_3.htm

Now what wouldn't I give for one of those?!

[Marco]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't sure about the T/T on the right, as it did look different. I'll amend it now.

It's an interesting site that one you've linked to, and have seen it before. I would love to have been around in those days working somewhere in Broadcasting House, being involved with all that fabulous equipment - that sort of stuff just fascinates me!

Hope you found some of the other images here interesting. What did you think of that Rek-o-kut with the Fairchild and Grey arms? Mad eh?

I must admit that I have a 'thing' for some of the American broadcast T/Ts. They just have something about them that for me really hits the spot!

Marco.

[Beobloke]

I know what you mean - some of that old gear is amazing and stunningly over-engineered.

Incidentally, I heard a rumour that a whole skipful of BBC modified 301s were thrown out when Radio Solent moved premises in Southampton years ago - I still hope it's not true and that someone saved them!

[Marco]

Yep, it's the "stunningly over-engineered" bit I love, which is precisely what a turntable should be!

I reckon that if some of them were sympathetically mounted in good plinths, particularly the Gates and Russco models shown (we already know about Garrards), they'd make superb hi-fi T/Ts, and would outperform many of the so-called 'audiophile hi-end' T/Ts produced by companies today, don't you?

Yes I heard that rumour about those Garrards getting chucked out in a skip - make me feel queasy just thinking about it!!

Bet that'd have been one skip you'd have loved to have raided, though!

Marco.

[minuteman35]

A screenshot of Tony Blackburn about to spin 'Flowers in the Rain' by The Move and get Radio 1 under way. I found it in Harry Enfield's "Smashie and Nicey - The End Of An Era", which also features JP brilliantly sending himself up as 'John Past-Bedtime' and musing that "Many excellent punk records have stood the test of time excellently. Including the excellent 'You Bastard' by the excellent ATV.....Ahhh excellent!"

[Marco]

Brilliant images, Steve, so thanks for sharing

Would've loved to have been in the studio with TB at the time! Weird mat arrangement on the turntable, though, eh?

Nice one there of Peely, in I presume his home studio, although he does look rather ill. I suspect that pic may have been taken near the end of his time with us.....

Marco.

[minuteman35]

Yes Marco, although Jonh looks quite ill, the programme was made in 1993, which was 11 years before his death, so I think he must have had health problems for quite a while.

What you can't tell from the pic of TB using the RP2/1 is that it's a black and white felt mat under the record which he's gripping with his left hand, and he releases it to allow the record to start playing.

[Marco]

Or maybe JP was just tired? It's rather amusing that he used to broadcast in his dressing gown (and why not?) - but you gotta giggle...

Top bloke, though!

Yes, you're right about the mat, but I wonder what the thinking was behind that arrangement (and the rather weird 'discus top platter' underneath):





One wonders what the BBC engineers were trying to achieve with that arrangement and what was wrong with the Garrard 301's own rigid rubber mat and platter?

Perhaps it was to ensure correct VTA, as the tonearm is mounted quite high up in that 'pod' thingy?

Or perhaps it was a combination of that and also the 'discus top platter' acting as a Mu-Metal barrier to prevent magnetic interference and eddy currents generated by the (huge lump of iron) motor underneath, from interfering with the response of the cartridge?

If so, I have to applaud their ingenuity!

Still, whatever it was, it must've been a right faff playing 100s of records every day going through the palaver you've described!

Marco.

[Lodgesound]

It was a lot simpler than that Marco - it was because the the turntable was incapable of instant starts as I believe it was idler driven hence the need for the slipmat - when DJ'ing a live show the need for quick start was essential back then in the days before high-torque direct-drive motors.

[Marco]

Ah, makes sense, Stewart. I thought you might know!

I don't think that arrangement would've done much for the sound quality, though....

Any idea what year roughly the Gates units would've been introduced, and also what cartridge would've been fitted to the headshell/arm combo TB was using to play the first single on Radio 1?

Marco.