Geek or Weak 3 - The last one?

[Matt Syson]

Hi, It has a hint of fruit' a light sprongy feel......
No It is a Calrec module, probably a panning' unit with 'Jean- Reneaud' switch and the maker of the large pot, possibly an early P+G?
It could also be a monitor output module, but then the nicely engraved aluminium front panel would give the game away.
There is also a possibility that it is a 'stereo width' module since there are a lot of IC's involved but not many capacitors.
Matt S

[Fragula]

Hi Matt!

Originally Posted by Matt Syson

Hi, It has a hint of fruit' a light sprongy feel......
No It is a Calrec module, probably a panning' unit with 'Jean- Reneaud' switch and the maker of the large pot, possibly an early P+G?
There is also a possibility that it is a 'stereo width' module since there are a lot of IC's involved but not many capacitors.
Matt S

It is Calrec - 1 point.

It /could/ be used to "pan" stuff around I guess. But no point, as thats just plain wrong.

More photos coming.

[Fragula]

More pics!

http://www.hyperdark.org/linkedimages/DSCF0021.JPG
I'd say the last two digits of the date-ish looking mark on the sticker were "80". Older than I thought.

http://www.hyperdark.org/linkedimages/DSCF0022.JPG
Yep.. Penny and Giles - A no brainer, so a no pointer. But surely P&G are in Blackwood GWENT, rather than Blackwood "Mon". WTF???? And /is it a pot/??? :-O

http://www.hyperdark.org/linkedimages/DSCF0024.JPG
it goes round and round and round and round. And around. ????

Dizzy yet?

[Matt Syson]

Hii
OK so it is one of the modules from the early Soundfield mics. The pot is possibly a 'sine / cosine' law 2 track type.
The initials are of a guy still working at Calrec Andrew G********. (Surname omitted to disguise the culprit).
The Welsh, unhappy with anything, renamed various 'counties' not so long ago so it was in Monmouthshire, which would become Gwent, mainly to make it more difficult for non Welsh speakers. Get Offa back to rebuild the dyke if you ask me! Yes, I walked it 38 Years ago.
Matt S

[Fragula]

Originally Posted by Matt Syson

Hii
OK so it is one of the modules from the early Soundfield mics. The pot is possibly a 'sine / cosine' law 2 track type.
The initials are of a guy still working at Calrec Andrew G********. (Surname omitted to disguise the culprit).
The Welsh, unhappy with anything, renamed various 'counties' not so long ago so it was in Monmouthshire, which would become Gwent, mainly to make it more difficult for non Welsh speakers. Get Offa back to rebuild the dyke if you ask me! Yes, I walked it 38 Years ago.
Matt S

Well done Matt! Clear winner!!! Its the "Soundfield 1" (I call it the "Azimuth Co-ordinator") module from the midsection of one of the pre-production (according to Ken F*****, who is still working for Soundfield )(and curses from me to AMS for "wibbling" the companies (and Neve etc.) around from their suit-infested boardrooms) Mk II/III models that form part of my arsenal of wackyness. Spot on with the "pot", spot on with the Welsh geography too, though its a tadge interesting cos, IIRC, the names changed around 5-6 years before the date on the sticker. A rumor has it that expensive components from i.e. Mk1 were "recycled" into the pre production Mk.II/III models, and the date anomaly tends to support that rumor. (that the pot is quite a bit older than the module, and a fairly tenuous fit.) (it doesn't show unless I pop the cover from the other side, but the PCB and casing have been ground away to accommodate it.)

Hmm.. Now to figure how to do dynamics on B-format.

I'm all in favour of Offa's dyke being rebuilt, though I live on (I guess) the other side of it. I love Dykes.. Actually my neighbors gave me a Rolex for my birthday a couple weeks ago.. I think they misunderstood me when I said "I wanna watch". :-D

I wont mention what we do in the reservoirs if you don't mention the sheep. <wink>

[Matt Syson]

Hi
Sadly Ken F passed away, I think about 3 years ago.
There was only a very small group of guys working on the early Soundfields and in terms of these Mk 1 or 11 units I have a feeling that all of the originals have now passed on but that the guy who (presumably still) runs Bridge Microphones would have details of them although he was a 'late comer' and would have done repair work on them.
If you are interested I can still remember a couple of names but I don't know where they are now.
Me? I was from the south and have nothing to do with sheep!
We don't know about the reservoirs specifically but could guess.
Expensive parts would have been recycled. There was one guy who would spend days with a 5 or 6 digit multimeter matching resistors and capacitors to go in those matrices.
Matt S

[Fragula]

Hi Matt!

"Sadly Ken F passed away, I think about 3 years ago."
It would appear so. :-( I could have sworn I got an email off him 12 months back, but its from Ken G.

"There was only a very small group of guys working on the early Soundfields and in terms of these Mk 1 or 11 units I have a feeling that all of the originals have now passed on".
Richard L is still going as of a couple of months ago, but gone South for the sun.

He does appear to be the only survivor of the original team.

Umm.. That doesn't really form a good prospectus for wannabe Calrec employees does it. :-/

"but that the guy who (presumably still) runs Bridge Microphones would have details of them although he was a 'late comer' and would have done repair work on them. "

Idd.. That particular Obi Wan may be my only hope, should I get a capsule drop. (I'm told mine were made by the late Keith M, who also made the caps for my little CM6xx series Calrec mics. the ones with Tuschels which got me started on the whole Calrec thing in the first place. Lawdy those are nice mics (if you like small diaphragm condensers - which I do, but I'm deeply unfashionable!))

"Me? I was from the south and have nothing to do with sheep!"
South of what? is the question.

I'm a fully paid up Clarkes pie eating, Brains dark swilling, Tritium breathing Cardiffian...

"Expensive parts would have been recycled. There was one guy who would spend days with a 5 or 6 digit multimeter matching resistors and capacitors to go in those matrices."

That figures. Time to crack out the Avo 8 and the Wein bridge. :-/
Modern cap tolerances sicken me.. Some of them don't even manage the right order of magnitude. No wonder everyone is going digital. Passive component makers seem dedicated to blowing off their own feet. <sigh>

[Matt Syson]

Hi
Calrec mics were built probably before the mixers and gear. It was a hobby by guys who were otherwise employed.
I thought Keith M was not here anymore but my wife thought he was.
The guy who you may wish to track down is Dave Anderson, strictly a 'late comer' in this respect but as Ken F, Ken E (probably) Keith M, Clem B,H S, are all gone from the original team is one of the few hopes. Dave may be at Soundfield or they may know where he is.
Tough place Yorkshire not like the softies, especially 'over the border'. Actually anywhere outside Yorkshire warrants a passport!
Matt S