This
is a list of information we have gathered from a variety of sources on some of the major analog reel to reel tape recorder and related equipment manufacturers. While we have strived to provide the best information available to us, there will be corrections and additions. We include personal stories about the companies when they are provided to us. We always invite input on corrections and updates. Thank you!
Ampex recorders are well known as some of the best built American professional reel tape recorders.
In creating this segment on Ampex, I have researched everything I could find on the Ampex company history using books, magazines and AES media. I've also had discussions and correspondence with folks who worked on the Ampex equipment during the early period. There are some source differences and I have tried to represent the essence of the process as the original Ampex equipment evolved. Our Museum is always a work in progress and we welcome input to provide a better record of the development of sound recording companies. Opening comments by Martin Theophilus (Ampex 200A left is in our Museum's collection)
Michael Arbuthnot who worked for Ampex for 17 years donated his scanned Ampex library
Michael Arbuthnot worked for Ampex for 17 years. He has generously shared a wonderful collection of Ampex documents he professionally scanned from Ampex catalogs and brochures for audio, video and data systems. We sincerely appreciate Michael's donation and hope folks enjoy this valuable resource! The files may be accessed at this link.
John "Jack" T. Mullin
After WW II , John "Jack" T. Mullin, who was in the US Army Signal Corp, brought back to the US, 2 German Magnetaphon reel to reel magnetic tape recorders. Mullin took the 2 Magnetophons apart and shipped them back to the US in 18 boxes to comply with US war souvenir size requirements. Also included were 50 rolls of German magnetic tape.
In late 1945 as Mullin was returning from France, he shared the Magnetophon information with a friend, Col Richard Ranger. Ranger decided to go to Germany, research the information and build an American version of the Magnetophon.
When Mullin arrived at his home in San Francisco he was happy to find the 18 boxes had arrived safely. He decided to go to work with a friend William A. Palmer who had founded W.A. Palmer & Co., a film production company in San Francisco in 1936.
AES interview with John "Jack" Mullin
After tweaking the electronics and converting to US tubes the Magnetophons were used to support Palmer's film business. To their knowledge, this was the first time magnetic tape was used to record motion picture sound with the subsequent transfer to film.
A Palmer-Mullin demonstration of their magnetic recorders at the MGM studios in Hollywood in October, 1946, gained a great deal of attention when they provided a stunningly clear recording of a studio performance by the MGM Symphony Orchestra.
The first public demonstration of the recorders was to the local chapter of the Institute of Radio Engineers in San Francisco on May 16, 1946. Attending the demonstration was Harold Lindsey.
Following a number of demonstrations, Mullin and Palmer attracted Bing Crosby's production folks. Crosby had been frustrated by the poor end quality of disc editing for his radio program. After Mullin and Palmer demonstrated the ability to not only capture a great recording, but also to be able to edit the content with no loss of quality, the Crosby folks decided to adopt the technology.
Mullin eventually went to work for Crosby as his Chief Engineer, using the 2 Magnetophons and the 50 reels of German tape. He edited the Crosby shows splicing the various tape pieces together as Crosby and his producers directed. Crosby expressed concern regarding there being only 2 recorders and a limited supply of tape.
In an article written for the db magazine published in December of 1977, Harold Lindsay describes how excited he was about the magnetic recording technology Jack Mullin was demonstrating. Lindsay worked for the Dalmo Victor Company in California and a company named Ampex was building radar motors and generators for Dalmo to supply the US Navy. Given the lessening demand for the motors, Ampex was looking for another product to produce. Lindsay connected Alexander M. Poniatoff with Jack Mullin and Pontiatoff agreed that magnetic tape recorders was the way to go. He asked Lindsay to join Ampex and work with Myron Stolaroff to develop an Ampex tape recorder.
At Jack Mullins suggestion, they began by developing a playback head. It proved to be superior to the one Mullin had on the original Magnetophons. Mullin had by this time agreed to record and edit for Bing Crosby and Bing Crosby Enterprises. As Mullin had committed to help Col. Richard Ranger with a recorder for Crosby, he could not share the electronics information with Ampex. However when Ranger's work failed to meet Crosby's expectations, Mullin encouraged Ampex to make a presentation.
Several interesting things occurred. As there was limited tape available from Mullin, Ampex was in a bind to have tape for testing. Luckily within a few weeks of each other, two tape manufacturers (Audio Devices and 3M) approached Ampex asking them to test their tape development. That solved the tape problem and the tape quality improved as did the development of the first Ampex recorder
By the end of August 1947, the Ampex 200-A development was progressing well and the Crosby demonstration was scheduled. Just before the Crosby presentation, the Ampex 200-A record electronics developed a bug. The prototype was demonstrated anyway with playback only using Jack Mullin's tapes. It was lucky that in their development, Ampex had decided to match Mullin's Magnetophon tape speed (which = 30 ips), or the playback would not have been possible. In spite of there being a wide range of engineers who witnessed the demonstration, no one asked to see how the unit recorded.
A few days after the demonstration, folks from Crosby Enterprises approached Ampex with a request to distribute the recorder in eleven western states. An agreement was reached, contracts signed and immediately Crosby's reps gave Ampex an order for twenty Ampex 200-A's. They were all for ABC in New York, Chicago and Hollywood.
As Ampex geared up to meet the demand they realized they had no funds and banks were not willing to loan to them given the new technology. However Lindsay states in his db article, an envelope arrived with a Hollywood postmark and inside was a check for $50,000 from Bing Crosby with no strings attached. Pretty amazing!
Ampex was named after the company's owner, A. M. Poniatoff , using his initials plus EX for excellence. Alexander Mathew Poniatoff was born in the Kazan District of Russia,about 400 miles east of Moscow, on March 25, 1892. His middle name is the first Christian name of his father, such designations being a Russian family tradition. Mathew Poniatoff was a successful businessman with a couple of dozen employees engaged in cutting timberland and producing firewood and parts for carriages and sleighs. (tonbandmuseum)
As 3M was working on developing magnetic recording tape and the products were tested, Mullin and the ABC folks decided the high end 3M tape was not as good as their low end product. Interestingly the iron oxide for the low quality tape was called 112 Raven Red which was also used for red barn paint.
The Ampex 200A was first demoed at Radio Center in Hollywood in October of 1947. It had cost $76,000 to develop. When the Ampex 200A was released for sale in April of 1948, it cost about $7,500. That was later reduced to $5,200. Ampex numbers 1 and 2 went to the Bing Crosby Show and were used to record his 27th performance of the 1947-1948 season. Weeks later ABC ordered 12 more recorders and record companies and broadcasters soon followed. Other sources indicate that ABC ordered 20 Ampex 200-As.
There were only 112 Ampex 200A's built.
The 200A ran at 30 ips and threading was called a "B" wind with the backing to the inside. This was later reversed. The over-engineered deck was built into a polished or stained wood console weighing 240 pounds. (right the Ampex 200A #33 in theReel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection)
We can hardily attest to the weight as it is most difficult to move around. The recorder was full track using 14 inch reels, 1/4 inch tape and was capable of a performance that was flat within .5 db from 30 hz to 15 kHz.
Bing Crosby bought 20 Ampex 200As for $4,000 each with a 60% down payment in 1948. In April 1948 two 200As went to Jack Mullin for the Cosby Show and many of the others went to ABC to do tape delayed broadcasts. Model 201 - As the result of progress made with the Ampex 300 in early 1949, Ampex decided to retrofit all the 200A's with the better electronics. This upgrade was released on June 15,1949. The remaining Ampex 200As were released as 201s.By May of 1949 most major recording studios had one. By June, 1950, NBC, CBS, Mutual, Dumont, etc. had at least one.
There are quotes with folks stating the Ampex 200-A was a wonderful sounding machine. Songs said to have been recorded on one of the Ampex 200A's included "(We're Gonna) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK" ,Nat King Cole's "MONA LISA", "UNFORGETTABLE", Mario Lanza's "BE MY LOVE", Frank Sinatra's "YOUNG AT HEART" and Tennessee Ernie Ford's "SIXTEEN TONS"
Ray Dolby's comments regarding viewing the Ampex 200A for the first time.EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG
Les Paul used his Ampex 200A and later the 300, 400 (actually a pair of 400's were provided to Les Paul by Bing Crosby) and a 350 8 track to make his amazing records with Mary Ford. The 8 track,Ampex 350 based recorder produced by Ampex in 1957 was sold to Les Paul for $10,000. Les Paul loved the recorder, however commented that he never recorded a hit on it. Les Paul's son Rusty shared with us that the Ampex 8 track took 8 years to perfect with many changes going back and forth between his Dad and Ampex. Ampex Sel-Sync 1955 • Mix Magazine Les Paul story by George Peterson 10/01/2005
Ken deGruchy shared with us - " I obtained a pair of Ampex 401's that groomed me on professional equipment. I really learned those electronics well and it paid off some years later when I became close personal friends with Les Paul (because of his association with things Ampex) and had the honor or repairing and restoring some of the recording electronics on his famous Octopus (8 CH - right) that featured 350 electronics which are very similar to the 400 series machines electronics. "
Our museum's Ampex 200-A, Serial Number 33 was originally bought from Bing Crosby Enterprises, Inc. by Capitol Records in Los Angeles, California in 1948.
News clips detail some information regarding ABC and Capitol Records decisions to acquire the new technology. They include one in October 1947 saying that if magnetic tape was to air on radio really "materializes" ....reflecting a tone of reservation regarding the technology. And even in May of 1948 an article talks of capitol Records recording on both tape and a disc cutter to check the quality.
Comments by Martin Theophilus - The first time I saw Ampex in action was in 1964 when I was helping a band called the Believers in Alpine, Texas. I recorded the band on a Webcor Music Man reel to reel tape recorder as they developed some new songs. In late 1964 they went to a San Angelo, Texas studio to record a song called "Motor Mouth."
The San Angelo studio belonged to Ron Newdoll and his company was Accurate Sound Company. Ron was using the Ampex 350s and had just recorded the number one hit "Last Kiss" for J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. To view and hear the difference between consumer and professional recording equipment was amazing to me. The whole experience of assisting musicians capture their creations and being in a studio that included a full basement echo chamber influenced the rest of my life.
When I entered Sul Ross University's Music Department, I was given the task of recording all the school's band and choir concerts and tours, as well as their music recitals. I was using the Ampex 600 reel tape recorder and its companion Ampex 620 amplifier and speaker system. The $545 dollar Ampex 600 first came out in 1954 and Ampex ads boasted that it met the specs of the 350s. 80,000 Ampex 600s were manufactured in various configurations. I'd also evolved my own Webcor recorder to stereo Sony and Concertone units and took them on tours as well. We used EV and Shure mics on 40' telescoping stands.
We have Capitol Records detail regarding the Ampex 200-A, #33's upgrade in 1949. This upgrade was to the Ampex 201 specs and involved the replacing of the original head cover and installing an Ampex 300 head cover and tape lifters. They also updated this Ampex 200A in 1954 and 1955.
Our Ampex 200A #33 may now be seen on the third floor of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin Texas.View video View the "Ampex 200A move" at this link.
The 1948 reel tape recorder is on display with items from Asleep At The Wheel, Floyd Domino and George Strait. While the Bullock Museum is temporarily closed due to Covid19, we hope it will be available again soon! Please stay safe!
Our Ampex 200A was subsequently acquired by Leo De Gar Kulka, known in the record and recording industry as"the Baron." Documents indicate he moved the Ampex 200A from Los Angeles to his Golden State studio in San Francisco around 1964. The Baron is remembered for his recordings of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sonny Bono, among others. One story states Cher worked as the Baron's receptionist for awhile. He also produced the song "Tequila."
We were told that "the Baron" was always striving to keep up with the latest technology. The Ampex 200-A we acquired was upgraded to stereo using Inovonics amps. We are in the process of restoring the Ampex 200A recorder to its 201 state. We have acquired the 200, or "White" tube electronics (pics right).
In interviewing Ray Benson and Floyd Domino with Asleep At the Wheel, our Museum also learned that when "The Wheel" completed some of their original San Francisco, CA demos with Leo De Gar Kulka's Golden State Studio, our Ampex 200A had 4 Inovonics amps enabling four track recording. Floyd recognized the Ampex 200A when he was in our studio from an interview. Ray said the recorder had been converted to a four track machine. You can see the two Inovonics amps and the open screw holes below them where the other two Inovonics amps were installed.
MOMSR's Ampex 200A #33 was known for having mastered the Champs singer "Tequila." Tequila won "Best R&B song at the very first Grammy's in 1958.
The following is from a May 28, 2015 auction of The Champs' 1958 Grammy award.
"Grammy award won at the very first Grammy Award ceremony, won by The Champs for the song "Tequila". Established by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the first Grammy award ceremony was held on 4 March 1959, awarding just 28 Grammys for musical achievements in the year of 1958. Written and performed by The Champs, "Tequila" reached number one on the billboard charts in early 1958, and its legacy in pop culture is still felt today. The song has been re-recorded in countless forms, by legendary musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Wes Montgomery. Award was a gold-plated metal representation of a gramophone affixed to a wooden base, with a plaque reading "National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences / 1958 / Presented to / Dave Burgess & The Champs / Tequila."Posted for an auction by Nate Sanders Auctions - 05/28/15
Our 1948 Ampex 200-A #33 was originally bought from Bing Crosby Enterprises, Inc. by Capitol Records in LA.
It was acquired by Leo De Gar Kulka, Golden State Recorders in San Francisco, known for his recordings of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole,Sly Stone, Grace Slick, and Janis Joplin.
The Grateful Dead recorded Autumn Sessions at Golden State Recorders in San Francisco in Nov1965. The band used the space under
the assumed name of The Emergency Crew
Leo De Gar Kulka
At International Sound, Leo De Gar Kulka recorded artists such as Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Little Richard, Herb Alpert, Sam Cooke, and Sonny Bono.
Leo De Gar Kulka is credited with working with numerous well known artists including: Sly Stone, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Michael Bloomfield, Big Brother, The Sons of Champlin, It's A Beautiful Day, and Quicksilver Messenger Service.
He also founded of the San Francisco Chapter of the NARAS. He chaired the San Francisco AES for several terms, and organized the 93rd AES Convention in San Francisco.
The Big Hurt
Leo deGar Kulka engineered for Wayne Shanalin's Big Hurt. They tried to play two machines on playback they flanged and the could not get it in synch.
Thirty years later White Light Productions (Chris Njirich & Bob Giudice) the Big Hurt, hiring Barry Beam and Riche Ray to co-produce, and a vocalist named Marianna and the "big hurt begins." Because of it's reputation we mastered at Sonic Arts only to find out that Leo who mastered the first Big? Hurt now owned Sonic Arts and mastered our Big Hurt.
SFLightBear
Tequila
This was originally released as the B-side of "Train to Nowhere." Disc jockeys flipped the single and played this instead.
Not performing on this record, but later members of the group were Glen Campbell, Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts of 70s fame). Rio wrote the song. (thanks, WC - Charlotte, NC, for above 2)
According to Leo Kulka, who was the second engineer, this song was an afterthought after the band recorded "Train to Nowhere" (the A-side of the record). Some of the musicians had already left the studio when it was brought up that nothing had been recorded for the B-side. The remaining musicians were rounded up and the song was written on the spot. The "Tequila" part of the song was simply a silly attempt to cover up the holes in the song. After all, it was just the B-side. (thanks, Keith - Reno, NV)
This was featured in the 1985 movie Pee Wee's Big Adventure. It was used in a scene where Pee Wee Herman wins over the crowd in a biker bar by doing a dance to the song. The movie was the first feature film directed by Tim Burton, and Danny Elfman wrote the score.
This won for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1959. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
The First Grammy ever
On May 4, 1959 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Champs were awarded the very first Grammy in the "Best Rhythm and Blues" category for their 1958 song, "Tequila," .
The Champs Tequila Grammy (the very first Grammy) was auctioned off in April of 2015 for $30,000. infoGrammy program
Quicksilver Messenger
Located on San Francisco's Harrison Street, Golden State Recorders attracted a number of Northern California hippies looking to lay down some tracks.
Owned by Leo De Gar Kulka and home to the Golden State label (which had artists like Wally Cox and The Real Thing and the TCBs), Golden State Recorders was most well-known for being the recording hangout of Dino Valenti's Quicksilver Messenger Service, who recorded their Happy Trails album there in 1969.
Golden State Records
Billboard - October 26, 1968
"Golden State Records also has 8-track equipment and a four-man engineering staff. Business is double over last year, says owner Leo Gar Kulka. Upstairs Kulka has installed a rehearsal room(with a 2-track machine) renting for $7.50 an hour. Because his business is almost all pop groups, Kulka helps them study their performance by giving them a tape of their studio session "to analyze exactly what they've done."
Kulka's side business of managing and recording local groups has resulted in his placing 32 acts with a number of labels. E.H. Morris recently took over world-wide administration of Kulka's publishing companies."
Grateful Dead
The Autumn Sessions was recorded at Golden State Recorders in San Francisco in November 1965. The band used the space under the assumed name of The Emergency Crew (originally the Warlocks, however, one of the band members saw another band using the name).
Disc 1 - Autumn Records sessions (tracks 1 to 6);
Producer - Tom Donahue, Bobby Mitchell
Engineer - Leo De Gar Kulka
Recorded on November 3, 1965 at Golden Gate Recorders, San Francisco
The Emergency Crew - The Emergency Crew (Autumn ) The pre-Warlocks Grateful
Dead recorded this on November 3, 1965 as a demo record at Golden State
studios in San Francisco for DJs Tom Donahue's and Bobby Mitchell's Autumn
label. Mother's was a club run by the two DJ's. The recordings was made on a
two track tape, at 7 1/2 ips. It includes: "Can't Come Down" (Jerry Garcia
on vocals); "The Mindbender" (also known as "Confusion's Prince") (Phil Lesh
on vocals); "The Only Time Is Now" (Phil Lesh on vocals); "Caution (Do Not
Stop On Tracks)" (Pigpen on harmonica and vocals); "I Know You Rider" (Jerry
Garcia on vocals); and Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" (Phil Lesh on
vocals). Garcia wrote most of the lyrics for "Can't Come Down". Lesh wrote
most of the lyrics for "The Mindbender". Golden State Recorders was located
at 665 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, 415-781-6306. The club
Mother's is presently The Stone, which is across from The Mabuhay Gardens.
Billboard - May 20, 1967
Ampex 200A #33 Golden State Recording Studios - David Buell
David provided the following information which includes his time at Golden State Recording Studios in San Francisco when Leo De Gar Kulka had the Ampex 200A #33 which is in the MOMSR collection.
In 1978, I temporarily moved from Dallas to San Francisco to attend The College for Recording Arts, which was held at Golden State Recorders. At the time, it was one of the only schools in the country teaching recording, disc mastering and other aspects of the music business. As you know, Leo was the owner of Golden State and Sonic Arts disc mastering.
Leo was VERY proud of his Ampex 200 and enjoyed telling stories about it and it’s use at Capitol. He was also very protective of it and wouldn’t allow anyone to use it. Somehow, I managed rise up to be one of the top in my class. I only mention that because, during my final recording project, I talked Leo into letting me record a wind chime sound effect onto the 200 that I then flew into my mix. I had plenty of tracks left on the Stephens 16-track, but for some reason (the challenge maybe?) I wanted to fly it in live during the middle 8 of the song, while we bounced the mix to the 2-track. The 200 performed flawlessly and the high end on the chimes sounded so much better coming off a full-track mono piece of tape, rather than being recorded on the Stephens with a track width of approximately 1 channel of a 2-track 1/4”. On top of that, the Stephens didn’t have any noise reduction (no NR at all, anywhere in the studio).
The Stephens also operated flawlessly. I remember that the meter panel on the front of the machine opened like a door and you had to peer around the panel as you aligned the machine to see the meter readings. Certainly not very convenient. :) I was also intrigued by the closed-loop 3M transport. The machine had no remote. We had a dedicated tape op running it and the 2-track.
I learned so much from Leo and all the instructors there. Leo was bigger than life. Tall with a booming voice and a Czechoslovakian accent, I can still see and hear him coming down the hall, arms out wide and saying, “David! So GOOOOD to see you!!”
One practical thing he taught was how to do a full band recording with no overdubs. Placing the players on the room so they could communicate and play off one another and how to have mic leakage be usable and musical.
One philosophical thing he left me with when I graduated (and I think about now as I’m about to retire) is that a lot of people will help me on my engineering journey and it’s my duty, in turn, to help others on their way up the ladder. I’ve tried to do that in my career, but the business now is nothing like it used to be. Not many positions available where you sweep floors, get coffee and work your way up to engineer.
Thanks for letting me ramble on and please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s ANYTHING that I can do for you and your very worthwhile endeavor…
Leo in his office at Golden State Recorders; ca. 1978
Michael Mason at the Stephens 16 track; The Ampex 200 is in the background; An Ampex AG-440 2 track is underneath the tape boxes in the foreground. We mixed down to a 2 track Ampex 350. Leo was tube man. He didn’t really like the sound of the 440. :)
Me behind the Quad Eight console, recording my final project. In the picture on the right, a fellow student mans the monitor section of the console. No inline channels on this baby!
Hi David!
It’s interesting that you mentioned the Ampex 200A as a mono machine. At some point the original electronics were removed. When Asleep At the Wheel demoed on the recorder, it had four Inovonics amps and was being used as a four track. I bought another 200 that was supposedly known as the “White” 200s, just to get a set of electronics. Unfortunately the restoration was incomplete, so it will be a work in progress. Cheers! Martin
Hi Martin!
Well there you go, getting me thinking again! :)
I said it was mono, based on nothing but a lingering memory. But now that you ask, currently, I’m not exactly sure of that. I dug out my 1/4” Master of the song, which SHOULD have the wind chimes on it (I also “smuggled out” my 2” 16-track of the session, by replacing it with a new roll of tape-but that’s another story). Once I get a machine hooked up so I can listen, that MIGHT provide us a clue. A LOT of variables, but if the chimes are in stereo, then that would then prove that it was a 2-track, since I'm 100% sure I used the 200 for the chimes, and I’m 100% sure it was on 1/4” tape. If the chimes are mono, then I either recorded it on one channel of the 2-track, or it was a mono machine. I’ll let you know what, if anything, that produces…
I only have a fleeting memory of what was behind the front cabinet doors, As I said, Leo was VERY protective of that machine and took the position of, “there’s nothing to see in there that any of you need to be concerned about”. We didn’t do any kind of alignment on it before the session. It just was what it was. I’m feeling like he told us that to align it, it need some test equipment (VTVM, etc.) hooked up to it and the maintenance department needed to do it. Not the normal front panel adjustments and look at the level meter alignment. He may have made that up to justify not touching anything inside. I'm struggling to form a picture in my mind of what was in there, the one time he did open it up. I do remember him talking about “bathtub (or maybe just “tub"?) electronics, but I didn’t then, nor now, really understand what that meant by that. Does that term mean anything to you?
I was just looking at the pictures of the “White” 200 electronics on your website. I see the two Inovonics electronics, in addition to the chassis electronics, that have the Dymo labels “PB EQ”, “NOISE” (love that one-is that bias?), PB LEVEL etc.. Did those two Inovonics take the place of the electronics in the bottom of the cabinet? Those (I’ll call them the Dymo electronics) are what I remember inside the studio machine. I don’t have a memory of Inovonics amps or anything like a 300 electronics inside, but that memory is over 40 years old and was from probably the first week of school. I feel like those were maybe what he was referring to as “tub electronics”...
Instrumentation reel tape recorders
Many folks are not aware that many of the professional reel tape recorders that Ampex produced were "data" or "instrumentation" recorders. The US Defense Department and NSA were early adapters. Here's a declassified document from the NSA detailing some of Ampex's work with their agency.
View David Bockholt's YouTube video of his Dad's 16 mm Ampex FR-600 demonstration.
David Bockholt's dad Walter Bockholt worked at Ampex from 1958 to 1987. He passed in 1996.
"One of the 1962 newsletters from AMPEX in Redwood city where my dad worked listed Ken Patton as the company photographer. He would be the judge for employee photo contests.
Of note, I included a US PATENT invented by my father Walter Bockholt. It has to do with testing and controlling the distortion levels in magnetic recording.
I do not know what some of the equipment in the stack of photos are, but some to have labels on the edge of the photo or you can make out the model number in the photo." Dave Bockholt
My dad Walter on the far right (above).
Ampex Pro Photos donated to MOMSR by David Bockholt
View David Bockholt's YouTube video of his Dad's 16 mm Ampex FR-600 demonstration.
David also converted Ampex's 16mm "The Miracles of Magnetic Recording" and made it available at this link.
Ampex Magnetic Tape Division
During the early 1950s Ampex began marketing one- and two-track machines using ¼" tape. The line soon expanded into three-and four-track models using ½" tape. In the early 1950s Ampex moved to 934Charter St., Redwood City, California. Ampex acquired ORRadio Industries in 1959, which became the Ampex Magnetic Tape Division, headquartered in Opelika, Alabama. This made Ampex a manufacturer of both recorders and tape. By the end of that decade Ampex products were much in demand by top recording studios worldwide.
In 1952, Ampex was approached by movie producer Mike Todd, who wanted to develop a high fidelity movie sound system using sound magnetically recorded on the film. The result of this development was the Todd-AO motion picture system, which was first used in movies such as Oklahoma and The Robe. In 1960, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Ampex an Oscar for technical achievement as a result of this development.
In the mid-1960s, Ampex developed a magnetic disc recorder for use in slow-motion replays in televised sporting events. It was considered that tape would not be sufficiently durable for this application. As with tape recording, the disc recording concept found diverse applications in many industries.
Ampex vigorously pursued derivatives of its innovative technologies. In 1962, Ampex introduced a recorder especially designed for closed circuit (CCTV) applications: the VR-1500. At $12,000, it was relatively affordable and could record for five hours on a single tape. In 1963, Ampex introduced EDITEC, which allowed frame-by-frame control in tape editing. In 1970, Terabit Memory, a high capacity digital storage system utilizing videotape technology, was introduced.
In 1966 Ampex built their first 16-track recorder, the model AG-1000, at the request of Mirasound Studios in New York City. In 1967 Ampex introduced a 16-track version of the MM1000 which was the world's first 16-track professional tape recorder put into mass-production. Both used a 2 inch tape transport design adapted from the video recording division. The 16-track MM-1000 quickly became legendary for its tremendous flexibility, reliability and outstanding sound quality. This brought about the "golden age" of large format analog multitrack recorders which would last into the mid 1990s.
MCI built the first 24-track recorder (using 2 inch tape) in 1968 which was installed at TTG Studios in Los Angeles. Later machines built by Ampex starting in 1969 would have as many as 24 tracks on 2 inch tape. In addition to this, the introduction of SMPTE time code allowed studios to run multiple machines in perfect synchronization, making the number of available tracks virtually unlimited.
Alexander Poniatoff was named chairman emeritus in 1970. He continued to maintain an interest in the foundations whose research he sponsored in health and preventive medicine. He died on October 24, 1980.
Ampex Records started in 1970. Its biggest hit was "We Gotta Get You A Woman" by Todd Rundgren (as "Runt"), reaching #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1970. Ampex also originated two subsidiary labels, Bearsville and Big Tree. Ampex Records ceased around 1973 and Bearsville and Big Tree switched distribution to Warner Bros. Records and Bell Records, respectively. Later on, Big Tree was picked up by Atlantic Records.
By the late 1970s Ampex faced tough competition from Studer and Japanese manufacturers such as Otari and Sony (who also purchased the MCI brand in 1982.) In 1979 Ampex introduced their most advanced 24-track recorder, the model ATR-124. It was considered by many to be the finest machine of its type. The ATR-124 was very ruggedly constructed and had outstanding audio specifications which nearly rivaled the first digital recording machines. However, sales of the ATR-124 were slow due to the machine's very high price tag @ $62,500. Only 62 of the ATR-124 machines were sold. Ampex withdrew from the professional audio tape recorder market entirely in 1983.
In 1983, Signal Cos. bought Ampex, which failed to produce a profit the next year. In 1985, Allied Corp. merged with Signal. The following year, when revenues were $532 million, Henley Group Inc. bought part of the company. Allied-Signal sold the rest of the company to the New York-based Lanesborough group (later renamed Sherborne Group Inc./NH Holding Inc.) in 1987 for $479 million. In 1992 Ampex was incorporated as a public company.
April 6, 1987 - UPI -SAN FRANCISCO -- Allied-Signal Inc. Monday said it has agreed to sell its Ampex Corp. subsidiary to Lanesborough Corp. for $479 million. The sale is part of an Allied-Signal strategy, announced by the company in December, to 'really sharpen our focus on our aerospace, automotive products and engineered materials' business, said Michael J. Ascolese, an Allied-Signal spokesman. Lanesborough intends to finance its purchase through a combination of its own equity and an offering of debt or equity securities, a spokesman said. In the interim, the company has received a $475 million line of credit from an undisclosed New York commercial bank.
In addition to the purchase price of $479 million, Lanesborough has agreed to assume certain unnamed liabilities of Ampex, Ascolese said. A privately-held, wholly-owned subsidiary of Allied-Signal, Ampex had pre-tax earnings last year of $53.7 million on revenues of $511 million, slightly up from 1985. Allied-Signal, an advanced technology company based in Morris Township, N.J., had net sales of $11.8 billion in 1986, up from $9.1 billion in 1985. Under the purchase agreement, Ampex will be acquired by a newly formed subsidiary of Lanesborough, which plans to operate Ampex with its present management and organizational structure.
Ampex spokesman David Jensen said Lanesborough's bid was chosen from several others in part because of Lanesborough's promise not to change the management or organizational structure of the company. 'We intend to make sure that Ampex has the financial and other resources to continue investing in its future,' said Edward Bramson, Lanesborough's president and chief executive officer.
'Ampex is a strong company with outstanding capabilities,' Bramson said. 'We think the company's prospects for growth are excellent.'
Ampex has 6,700 employees at production plants and distribution centers in California, Colorado, Alabama, Hong Kong, Taiwan and England.
'we are extremely pleased to be affiliated with Lanesborough,' said Charles A. Steinberg, Ampex's president and chief executive officer May 1963 – March 1988.
Steinberg also expressed satisfaction that Ampex, a publicly-held company from its inception in 1944 until its sale to Allied-Signal in 1981, will once again be operated under its own name by Lanesborough, as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
In the late 1980s, Ampex employed approximately 8,000. In 1989, the company cut its work force by approximately ten percent due to sales growth that was less than expected. Low cost foreign producers by this time had made Ampex the only remaining American videotape equipment manufacturer.
While digital video recording and processing equipment offered unprecedented picture quality and superior flexibility, its high price inhibited buyers. Ampex introduced a sales strategy in 1991 that allowed broadcasters to convert from analog to digital facilities in a gradual, piece-by-piece process.
Terming the U.S. television broadcasting market "mature," Ampex shifted its emphasis away from the analog videotape recording to digital recording and to other applications for digital data storage. It took time for this to prove profitable. In 1995, the company sold its Recording Media division (Ampex Media Holdings Incorporated), which reduced the size of the company considerably but also helped the company retain its profitability. Ampex's "keepered media" technology for extending the capacity and performance of hard disk drives excited investors in 1996 and again stirred rumors of a takeover.
The former parent company, Ampex Corporation, no longer has any employees. Between March 30, 2008 and October of that year, Ampex Corp. reorganized under Chapter 11 and divested itself of its remaining going concerns in October, 2014.
Some former subsidiaries of Ampex Corporation, Ampex Data Systems Corporation, Ampex Data Systems International and Ampex Japan Ltd, remain as part of the Delta Information Systems group, manufacturing rugged recording systems for the aerospace and defense industries, and which previously also produced digital archiving systems for both broadcast and aerospace/defense applications.
The Ampex video system is now obsolete, but many thousands of quadruplex videotape recordings remain. Machines that survive are used to transfer archival recordings to modern digital video formats.
Ampex Corporation supported the Ampex Museum of Magnetic Recording, started by Peter Hammar in 1982. The contents of that museum were donated to Stanford in 2001
Ampex's description now states "Ampex Data Systems Corporation (“ADSC”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Information Systems. Inc and is headquartered in Hayward, California with a service center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In turn, ADSC has wholly owned subsidiaries in Great Britain, Ampex Great Britain, Ltd., and Japan, Ampex Japan, Ltd. Its products are also offered in other major overseas markets through distributors. The principal products produced by the company are high-capacity, high-performance digital storage systems capable of functioning in demanding environments on land, at sea or in the air. ADSC products are principally used in applications to gather digital images and other data from aircraft, satellites and submarines. These products are also used in flight and sensor test applications." There is no mention of the1946 Ampex legacy.
The Ampex Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording
In January 2017, Martin Theophilus, MOMSR, had an opportunity to visit with Peter Hammer, the Curator of the Ampex Museum of Magnetic Recording which was abandoned by Ampex during the series of mergers.
Peter shared that the Ampex museum's collection included all the Ampex commercialized products (audio, video, data, etc.) and excluded prototypes. The collection also held the Magnecord SD-1 professional wire recorder and other significant recording devices from other companies including Studer and original Tonscribers.
The Ampex museum was 2,500 sq ft and Peter had a separate warehouse as well. He knew Marvin Camras, Joe Tall and many of the legendary Ampex founders. Peter has a wealth of other stories and plans to share a list of the items the Ampex of Magnetic Sound included, so we may add photos to our site. Peter also was interviewed by the History Channel regarding the German development of magnetic recording. It may be viewed at this link. Ampex summary by Perter Hammer and Bob Wilson - Ampex History Site
Ampex Audio Recorders Time Line
This information is based on ad and catalog information in our collection
1947 - 1948 Model 200A $7,200 > $5,200
Bing Crosby bought 20 Ampex 200As for $4,000 each with a 60% down payment in 1948. In April 1948 two 200As went to Jack Mullin for the Cosby Show and many of the others went to ABC to do tape delayed broadcasts.
- Model 201 - As the result of progress made with the Ampex 300 in early 1949, Ampex decided to retrofit all the 200A's with the better electronics. This upgrade was released on June 15,1949. The remaining Ampex 200As were released as 201s.
1983 Ampex and Nagra also developed a broadcast quality video recorder - "The VPR-5 is a 1-inch C-format portable broadcast video recorder. Developed as a joint-venture with the AMPEX corporation of America it was introduced in 1983 as the world’s smallest, lightest broadcast quality portable video reorder. Available in both PAL (for European) and NTSC (North American) television formats the VPR-5 allowed broadcast quality video to be shot on-location."
FYI - I contacted the Stanford Ampex archivist in 2014, he responded with the following.
"Martin,
In a nutshell, there are three categories:
1. Documentation, media, photographs (everything but hardware) is fully processes and accessible. The finding aid is available online via the Online Archive of California.
2. Select hardware (original 200A, original VR/VTR-1000, and a few early audio recorders) are on display, the first two items in Green Library, Information Center, and the audio recorders (just one or two) in the Music Library.
3. The remainder of the hardware is in storage. We have on rare occasions provided access, but it is quite a distance away and that portion of the collection is unprocessed.
Since you mentioned Larry Miller, I am guessing that you know he restored the 200A on display here. Fantastic job and he was wonderful to work with - my unsolicited recommendation!
Best,
Henry"
The sad thing is that since its donation, the Ampex archive has had several curators. Many of the documents have been catalogued, however are mostly available to researchers and not the general public. The restored Ampex 200A is in the Stanford Library in a glass case vs out to be demonstrated.
Here is additional information and their site stats "no online items"
Title: Ampex next hit Corporation records - Dates: circa 1944-1999 - Collection number: M1230 - Collection Size: circa 577 linear feet
Repository: Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Abstract: Artifacts (including audio and video recording devices, recordings, and memorabilia) formerly comprising the previous hit Ampex next hit Museum collection; approximately 25,000 photographs (including negatives and prints) and related indexes; documents in hard copy or microfilm form (including manuals, memos, sales materials, public relations materials, articles, drawings, engineering notes, specifications, and manuscripts); and other miscellaneous material relating to the history of the previous hit Ampex next hit Corporation and the recording industry.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English
Access Collection is open for research; materials must be requested at least 24 hours in advance of intended use.
Publication Rights Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
Founded in 1944 in San Carlos, California by Alexander M. Poniatoff, an electrical engineer born in Russia. previous hit Ampex next hit is a technology leader in high-performance digital information recording and storage products utilized in a variety of fields, including scientific, government, finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, data processing, oil and gas exploration, engineering, aerospace, film and video. Primarily known for their mass storage systems, instrumentation/data recorders, helical scan tape drives, robotic storage libraries, post-production switchers, digital special effects, tape cartridges, and system components.
Scope and Content of Collection
Artifacts (including audio and video recording devices, recordings, and memorabilia) formerly comprising the previous hit Ampex next hit Museum collection; approximately 25,000 photographs (including negatives and prints) and related indexes; documents in hard copy or microfilm form (including manuals, memos, sales materials, public relations materials, articles, drawings, engineering notes, specifications, and manuscripts); and other miscellaneous material relating to the history of the previous hit Ampex next hit Corporation and the recording industry.
Indexing Terms
1. Ampex Corporation Records circa 1944-1999
Contributing Institution: Stanford University::Manuscripts Division
Description: Artifacts (including audio and video recording devices, recordings, and memorabilia) formerly comprising the Ampex Museum collection; approximately 25,000 photographs (including negatives and prints) and related indexes; documents in hard copy or microfilm form (including manuals, memos, sales materials, public relations materials, articles, drawings, engineering notes, specifications, and manuscripts); and other miscellaneous material relating to the history of the Ampex Corporation and the recording industry.
416 search terms found:.Ampex Corporation Records; Ampex Corporation records;12 Manual : Ampex 351…
2. Ampex Collection Addenda 1944-1998
Contributing Institution: Stanford University::Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound
Description: Various smaller collections related to the Ampex Corporation, the development of magnetic recording on tape, and stereophonic sound.
34 search terms found:Ampex Collection Addenda...
; Ampex Collection Addenda; Guide to the Ampex Collection Addenda ARS.0109...
Collection Title:Collection Number:Get Items:
Preliminary Guide to the Ampex Corporation Records
M1230 No online items
Collection location Contact Stanford University::Manuscripts Division
Bodine Motors - Ampex
Growing up in Loomis, Nebraska, Carl and Paul Bodine, two Swedish immigrants, were fascinated by the town's first electric generator. So they began to send away for every available catalog and pamphlet to find out more about this exciting "new" source of energy.
Some years later, with the promise of jobs in Chicago, the Bodines set off for this thriving prairie metropolis. While working various jobs in the electrical field, the brothers spent their spare time refining their motor design skills in a small workshop at Mrs. Johnson's boarding house. General purpose fractional horsepower motors were relatively new when Carl and Paul produced their first 1/20 - 1/12 hp "D-type" motors in 1905.
Just two years after they opened for business, their first custom motor job came in. An Iowa dentist, tired of his foot treadle drill, approached the Bodines during the 2nd annual Chicago Electrical Show in 1907, and asked for their help. He was so satisfied with the modified "D" motor they provided that he recommended the young men to a major dental equipment company. The Bodines had found their first large customer!
The 1920s: America Swings
By 1927, 63% of American households had electrical power, and by 1929, it powered three-fourths of American industry. The first consumer radios were introduced in 1920, and within a decade found a place in more than 12 million homes. Bodine entered the booming radio market in 1924 with a specially designed loop aerial antenna.
Phonographs represented another breakthrough in communications. But the early phonographs had several drawbacks: cranking the old Victrolas was a chore, and the new electric turntables were continually breaking down. After extensive testing, Bodine engineers developed a quiet, dependable turntable which maintained a constant speed. Within a year of its introduction, Bodine's RC-10 motor claimed a fifth of the company's sales, with many going to the growing new audio industry. In 1928, Seeburg purchased Bodine motors for their first commercial phonograph - the jukebox.
The Lean Years
The crash of the stock market in October of 1929 had a devastating impact on American life. While production and incomes sank to record lows, American resourcefulness and ingenuity took over. Bodine’s business dropped sharply between 1929 and 1933, but the company managed to hold on. A contract to make motor parts for Sunbeam's new food mixers provided jobs for factory employees, while the engineering team began to improve existing motor designs.
Bodine's "N" motors were designed during the early 1930s, and made a significant contribution to the fractional horsepower motor market. The new line was particularly useful for driving office machines, scientific instruments and recording equipment. The "N-line" offered several sales advantages: they were quieter, performed better, and most importantly, were designed with interchangeable frame sizes for both AC and DC operation.
The War Years
World War II provided the U.S. economy with a new sense of purpose. Electric motors were critical to industrial and military equipment. But, unfortunately, magnet wire, ball bearings, steel, copper, and aluminum were all in short supply. People were also in short supply. Like many other manufacturers, Bodine turned to women to keep production running. By 1945, women represented 45% of the company's workforce. And the early 1940s were not all about military supplies. Bodine motors were also part of the 8 million volt atom smasher at Notre Dame, and the advanced astronomical equipment at the Fremont Pass observatory station in Colorado.
The Boom Years
The end of World War II marked the beginning of an automated America. People had money to spend, goods that were scarce became plentiful, and peoplewere fascinated by new gadgets and machines. The most popular new product of the late 1940s and early 1950s was, of course, the television set. Electrical machines and appliances became part of everyday life, electrical energy use increased by 333% between 1940 and 1954. Bodine found many new and expanding markets, for example, automated office equipment. One of the most significant introductions was the "K-4" motor, used in the first Royal electric typewriter. The "K-4" series was quieter than competitor’s motors, and it gave off no radio interference to affect neighboring machines. Bodine also supplied motors for calculators, duplicating equipment, and adding and mail room machines.
Perhaps the most exciting development in office equipment came in the late 1950s when the Haloid Corporation approached Bodine to provide a motor for a new kind of copying machine. Bodine supplied the motor for the first of what was to be called the "Xerox®" machine (photo: Xerox 914).
The 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s
In the 1960s, Bodine entered the rapidly developing electronics field with a new line of silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) DC motor speed controls.
The early 1970s saw the introduction of Bodine's permanent magnet (PM) DC motors and gear motors. These efficient new PMDC motors and gear motors met industry demands for a smaller and more powerful DC motor, especially in applications like welding apparatus and elevator door openers.
In the late 1980s, Bodine Electric developed and introduced its first brushless DC (BLDC) motors, gear motors, and BLDC motor speed controls. Metric motors and gear motors were another 1980s product line expansion. Bodine was the first American manufacturer to produce fractional horsepower (FHP) motors to international standards.
Ashland Motors
Ashland Electric Products, Inc. was founded in 1953 in Long Island City, New York, subsequently moving to Bush Terminal in Brooklyn, NY. For many years Ashland supplied performance hysteresis and specialty motors for a variety of customer applications including the recording, television, computer, medical, and industrial markets. Ashland was bought by the current ownership in 1985 strengthening the company’s motor and manufacturing knowledge base.
In 1989 the company was relocated to a new 20,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Rochester, NH. Around this time the company expanded the fans, blowers and air mover product lines marketed to aerospace, defense, transportation and other specialty industries.
In 2012 Ashland purchased the assets of Dack Blower and has continued production of Dack’s high performance fan blades – now offered under the Ashland Electric Products name. As a family owned and operated company Ashland continues to provide quality manufactured motors, fans and components to a variety of markets and industries.
Ashland’s highly skilled employees have many years of experience in motor and rotating equipment manufacturing and are crucial to the company’s success as a design house and original equipment manufacturer. Over the years Ashland has collected many awards and acknowledgements for quality, on-time delivery and strategic supply. Management’s commitment to continuous improvement and lean principles allow Ashland to remain competitive in a market dominated by foreign manufacturers.
More about the Ampex recorders, accessories and documentation in MOMSR/Reel2ReelTexas' vintage reel tape recorder recording collection
Ampex ATR-100 and ATR -800 professional reel to reel tape recorders in the Reel2ReelTexas.com vintage reel tape recorder recording collection. The ATR-100 was manufactured by Ampex. Whereas the ATR-800 was manufactured to Ampex specifications by Teac.
1958 Ampex Video Flxible Eyebrow Starliner - photos provided by Larry Blomberg
Apparently a number of companies around that time fitted out buses to hawk their wares to bigger companies. I know of another company named Neely who used to do the same with their electrical wares, also in an eyebrow Starliner.
Larry
Miriam Himelfarb shared this information and the photos below of the AMPEX S.A. NIVELLES, BELGIUM Assembly Plant. The Ampex Corporation, based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, was a diversified manufacturing and service company with worldwide production, service and marketing operations primarily in the fields of magnetic recording devices and magnetic tape, computer data storage equipment, photo-electric color sorting devices, geophysical exploration services and instruments, and television transmission equipment. In 1970, Ampex set up a European operation (Ampex Stereo Tapes) in London, England, with manufacturing in Nivelles, Belgium, to promote 8-track product (as well as music cassettes) in Britain and in Europe, but it struggled and folded in 1974. These photographs, purchased from the estate of a gentleman involved in the plant. The photos include: Reception - Ampex S.A.; Final Assembly - VR 2000 Professional Video Recorders; Final System Test VR 2000; Final System Test Laboratory for Professional Video Products; Video Head Rebuild; Core Memories Assembly Area; Digital Transport TM7-TM 9 Assembly Area, etc.), and one smaller black and white exterior picture of the building at the front of the book. We sincerely appreciate Miriam Himelfarb's giving us permission to publish these photos.
Our Ampex 200A Reel2ReelTexas.com - MOMSR.org - before and after
The non-profit Museum was dissolved on December 31, 2017. Donations are NOT tax deductible and are now processed by Phantom Productions.
All donations to MOMSR go 100% to support restoration of vintage magnetic recording devices in the private collection and help fund the web site development and hosting.
