Beautiful machine - I do love your videos exploring vintage equipment so thoroughly. Looking forward to the 'working' video, however I'm sure we all understand that that posting may be sometime yet in the future...!
Thank you for your kind comments, I really like these machines (now have 2) very heavy, you can tell when you listen to it that there are lots of design flaws which is what you would expect from the first.
Great video. When i worked at the Australian Broadcasting Commission in Melbourne in the 1970's they still had TR90's in service. In an old abandoned studio that was built for the 1956 olympic games there were some BTR 2's gathering dust. Have never seen or heard of a BTR1 before, love the cabinet design,like an old radiograme. Bet a few people lost an important recording with that magnetic erase device, no interlocks so you could wipe what one had just recorded.
Strange to see the 'bulk erase' magnet just ahead of the take-up spool. One false move and you could erase the tape as it was being recorded. Not sure if that's a poor design they'd not thought-out properly or if there was a good reason for it that I've not considered.
Nice machine, interesting to have the reel table motors at the base of the cabinet. I can see why they modified the capstan motor to the top location. (less wow & flutter)
It had something to do with noise from the motors being picked up on tape, I have another one of these which still has all 3 motors in the base of the machine.
Hello, sorry for the late reply, I had the machine working but it was cooking components inside, its still at my old house but in the next few weeks I will be getting it moved and repaired.
Hello and thank you, the machiens do have plates on the back ( I have 2 of them now), one is a BTR-2-C and the other I cant remember if it was a BTR-2-A or B (30 ips no speed changer), the first machines serieal number is up in the thousands though cant remember what, but the second one has a serial number of 130 which makes me think its a very early example, I dont think the serial ever started at 1 and think it may be machine number 30 ?
i wonder what the soundquality of a decent oldskool trebely trance track would sound like on this amchine lol, reminds me of old cars the way the front is curved, looks nice tho
Not sure, the machine in the video was from Australia and had some modifications done to it, the second one I had which came from the US is very early and is thought to have been used at Abbey road studios (as the first lot were), more to the theory, the owner had strong ties with EMI and had written books on the Beatles (this machine is pre their records), it is thought this was sold from Abbey in 1980 to a private collector, then stored since.
Great machine. Look forward to seeing it work, especially that strobe light. I noticed the dumbbells in the background. I imagine you have to keep in shape to move these machines around. Ha ha! Sorry.
The idea was to save on erasing tape, I think the erase oscillator was not strong enough to do a thorough job as well, plus if it was anything like the BTR-2, the KT-66's needed replacing regularly ( seems overkill to use such powerful valve as an erase circuit)
@Seblington I wonder if it belonged to Decca or another British company with an American branch originally? That BTR1 reminds me of an Ampex machine from the 1950s in some ways. One good think about the KT66 is that I think it is equal electrically to a 6L6 which is still being produced, if the machine burns through them fast it's good that it isn't a rare tube/valve.
hello Sir i have had a Ferrograph series 4 that has been sitting gathering dust and looking good as i do not have the power lead for it..i was wondering if i did manage to acquire one would it be safe to attempt to switch it on?...forgive my stupidity i am young!!! i am aware the ac and dc voltages are very high and i would eventually attempt to re-cap the machine
this machine must be over 100Kg, though I got the machine powered up and the replay amp re-capped, I got no sound out of it, turns out there are 4-5 different set of electronics depending on what the serial number is and though I have 3 manuals, none cover this one.
Yes, these would have replaced the Marconi Stille steel band machines, next to EMI's own studios I would expect the BBC would have had the most of these before later upgrading to the BTR-2's of which they had a lot of.
A lot of audio equipment from the 1920s - to the 1960's looked like it was virtually indestructible.
I love it. thanks so much for posting this video. I so want one - but in stereo - I know I'll just use 2.
Thank you, it is funny that I find the oldest British machines from around the world, I am now hoping to buy another.
This machine though made in the UK came from Australia, I had it imported a few years ago, cost a fortune
Shares a lot of design tips with the Land Rover !!
Clearly one of (if not THE) most-beautiful tape machines ever made! EMI were magicians for things like this...
Beautiful machine - I do love your videos exploring vintage equipment so thoroughly. Looking forward to the 'working' video, however I'm sure we all understand that that posting may be sometime yet in the future...!
Thank you for your kind comments, I really like these machines (now have 2) very heavy, you can tell when you listen to it that there are lots of design flaws which is what you would expect from the first.
Cant wait to see (and hear) this up and running.
Stuart
Great video and lovely machine to own. Interesting the shafts to reduce wow and flutter.
Warm regards
Richard
Seblington, this is a piece of history. If possible, please reshoot this video as the light is blocked much of the time
Great video. When i worked at the Australian Broadcasting Commission in
Melbourne in the 1970's they still had TR90's in service. In an old abandoned
studio that was built for the 1956 olympic games there were some BTR 2's
gathering dust. Have never seen or heard of a BTR1 before, love the cabinet
design,like an old radiograme. Bet a few people lost an important recording
with that magnetic erase device, no interlocks so you could wipe what one had
just recorded.
Unbelievably awesome! Enjoyed every second of the video. Hope you'll fix her up soon.
Whoah! Where's the Gun turret on this thing? That beauty is built like a tank for sure!
It may well be a machine with a Decca history. I used to work on a '70s Neve from Decca that had meters marked in dBu from 0 to 20.
Strange to see the 'bulk erase' magnet just ahead of the take-up spool. One false move and you could erase the tape as it was being recorded. Not sure if that's a poor design they'd not thought-out properly or if there was a good reason for it that I've not considered.
Nice machine, interesting to have the reel table motors at the base of the cabinet. I can see why they modified the capstan motor to the top location. (less wow & flutter)
It had something to do with noise from the motors being picked up on tape, I have another one of these which still has all 3 motors in the base of the machine.
Hello, sorry for the late reply, I had the machine working but it was cooking components inside, its still at my old house but in the next few weeks I will be getting it moved and repaired.
Hello and thank you, the machiens do have plates on the back ( I have 2 of them now), one is a BTR-2-C and the other I cant remember if it was a BTR-2-A or B (30 ips no speed changer), the first machines serieal number is up in the thousands though cant remember what, but the second one has a serial number of 130 which makes me think its a very early example, I dont think the serial ever started at 1 and think it may be machine number 30 ?
i wonder what the soundquality of a decent oldskool trebely trance track would sound like on this amchine lol, reminds me of old cars the way the front is curved, looks nice tho
Not sure, the machine in the video was from Australia and had some modifications done to it, the second one I had which came from the US is very early and is thought to have been used at Abbey road studios (as the first lot were), more to the theory, the owner had strong ties with EMI and had written books on the Beatles (this machine is pre their records), it is thought this was sold from Abbey in 1980 to a private collector, then stored since.
Great machine. Look forward to seeing it work, especially that strobe light. I noticed the dumbbells in the background. I imagine you have to keep in shape to move these machines around. Ha ha! Sorry.
Thank you, tomorrow, I have another one of these monsters arriving which I brought from the US, funny as its a UK machine.
Wish they were still around :-(
The idea was to save on erasing tape, I think the erase oscillator was not strong enough to do a thorough job as well, plus if it was anything like the BTR-2, the KT-66's needed replacing regularly ( seems overkill to use such powerful valve as an erase circuit)
LOL yea, all it needs is a set of headlights in those side cheeks and it would look complete :-)
amazing
@Seblington I wonder if it belonged to Decca or another British company with an American branch originally? That BTR1 reminds me of an Ampex machine from the 1950s in some ways. One good think about the KT66 is that I think it is equal electrically to a 6L6 which is still being produced, if the machine burns through them fast it's good that it isn't a rare tube/valve.
hello Sir i have had a Ferrograph series 4 that has been sitting gathering dust and looking good as i do not have the power lead for it..i was wondering if i did manage to acquire one would it be safe to attempt to switch it on?...forgive my stupidity i am young!!! i am aware the ac and dc voltages are very high and i would eventually attempt to re-cap the machine
wow what a beast what is the weigt of it we have a nice hobby and how it sounds.?
this machine must be over 100Kg, though I got the machine powered up and the replay amp re-capped, I got no sound out of it, turns out there are 4-5 different set of electronics depending on what the serial number is and though I have 3 manuals, none cover this one.
have you replaced the caps on this emi
Done a few of the none electrolytic but haven't got it working yet, not had the time or space to pull it out and strip it right down.
Would this have been the type they used at the BBC?
Yes, these would have replaced the Marconi Stille steel band machines, next to EMI's own studios I would expect the BBC would have had the most of these before later upgrading to the BTR-2's of which they had a lot of.
Похож на лэнд ровер.
Yes it does :)
Defoneteoly Babe lol