Delay --was-- Re: [BC] RE: Putting Calls on the Air

[Cowboy]

On Sunday 17 September 2006 10:30 pm, Brent Hall wrote:
> The show used a tape delay system with a Dump" button complete with
> substitute sound played from a cart machine that Don designed around
> two floor cabinet-mounted Ampex 350 reel-to-reel machines next to
> each other. The machine on the left recorded, the tape wended its way
> around on outboard tape rollers, and the machine on the right played
> the tape back. Aside from having to deal with the occasional tape
> break, it worked fine -- Ampex 350 broadcast quality playback.
> Starting it was an exercise in learned coordination.

 Sounds complicated ! ( I'm sure it was )

 First delay I built, was a cart machine !
 Fairly simple. Reverse the playback and record heads, and
 leave the stop queue wires disconnected.
 Delay was whatever amount of tape was wound onto the
 chosen cart.
 Of course, cart machines didn't erase the tape, so a small
 refrigerator magnet glued to the tape guide between the
 heads did a very nice job of wiping the tape completely.
 Input was the audition buss, and output was the only thing
 potted up on the program buss.
 Dump was achieved by simply switching "live" back to the
 program buss temporarily.
 Starting it was done by playing a program announcement to
 program of exactly the same length as the delay cart, while
 simultaneously starting the program on the audition buss.
 A "delay cart" lasted about 5 hours of program, more or less.

-- 
Cowboy