Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> History >> In search of... a small piece of cardboard! http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1292271736 Message started by simonm on Dec 13^th, 2010, 8:23pm

Title: In search of... a small piece of cardboard!
Post by simonm on Dec 13^th, 2010, 8:23pm

I must be a bit deranged: I've got a BBC RP2/10 in the corner of the living room, and it works! I find children especially are fascinated by the lights and switches etc. and it's useful for transcriptions to hard disk, But the groove indicator ("vernier" in the vernacular) takes a bit of explaining to the curious. They can easily see what the scale shows, but not why.

Hence my search for that elusive bit of cardboard: I remember in the early 1980s that stationery stores had a supply of these bookmark-sized things, with a hole in one end and a scale marked along an edge, matching the scale on the gram decks (including even the EMT 950s). I was told producers were supposed to audition disks in the office, and mark up the sections they wanted on the card, to hand to the grams SM when they got to the studio.

I think the idea dated from the TD/4 78rpm desks, and would have made more sense back then - microgroove was a bit to fine pitch for it to work well, and as I was (mainly) in the 33/45 RPM days, I was certainly never presented with one in a studio!

Anyway, my RP2/10 is in fine nick, and I'd love to find an original card to go with it if I can, or even a photo of one so that I can make a facsimile. It would certainly help with the explanation!

Optimistically,

Simon M. (ex- Audio Unit, Bristol)

Title: Re: In search of... a small piece of cardboard!
Post by Administrator on Dec 14^th, 2010, 2:38am

This posting on ebay gives contact details for a guy who apparently specialises in these:
http://bit.ly/fM4wle

Title: Re: In search of... a small piece of cardboard!
Post by F.M. on Dec 14^th, 2010, 10:46am

Administrator wrote on Dec 14^th, 2010, 2:38am:

This posting on ebay gives contact details for a guy who apparently specialises in these:
http://bit.ly/fM4wle

Fascinating...the e-bay seller states that the deck featured here weighs a ton so collection only from near tower bridge, London but the machine is ex-BBC Scotland... :-?
Perhaps The Proclaimers carried it that 500 miles! ;)

Title: Re: In search of... a small piece of cardboard!
Post by simonm on Dec 25^th, 2010, 8:39am

F.M. wrote on Dec 14^th, 2010, 10:46am:

Administrator wrote on Dec 14^th, 2010, 2:38am:

This posting on ebay gives contact details for a guy who apparently specialises in these:
http://bit.ly/fM4wle

They do travel these days!

I've two: one from the OUPC (RP2/10), which probably never spun a disc in anger, and a not-coded later design, ex-Bristol Studio D. When it was in service I operated it on a daily basis. Weirdly, I rescued it from a back room in Luton some 20 years later!

They're good turntables, but the folklore surrounding them now is surprising and a little odd in places. There are so many 'experts' trying to make quick money off the gullible (one site claims certain BBC models provided 33RPM only). Ho hum...

Meanwhile, the search for the elusive bit of cardboard continues...

Happy Christmas, and thanks for the replies,

S.