[BC] 50's/60's Audio Processing

[Thomas G. Osenkowsky]

Having been an engineer in the 70's rock
era, I can say with certainty that your question
isn't an easy one to answer. I can tell you what
we used at 13-WAVZ in New Haven, CT
when I assumed duties and what the audio
chain evolved into. But many things have
changed.

The source material was dubbed from vinyl
to cart. The DJ mic had an Alison Research
Keepex followed by a Gain Brain (NE-2 displays).
There was an Altec (I may be wrong about brand)
EQ (actually the many sticks controlled attenuation
in each band. The device was intended to reduce
PA feedback), then a Quad-8 reverb in parallel
with a Cooper Time Cube into an LA-3A then
onto a 15 kc phone line. At the tx was a Pultec
EQ and a Volumax 400 into the MW-1.

I changed the airchain to have the Gain Brain
before the Keepex and gate below a certain threshold.
I used a Crown crossover feeding three LA-3A's with
new optics. A modified Volumax 400, letting the ME-1
do the clipping. Many DJ's and engineers said we
sounded like FM. I also broadbanded the antenna system.

If you asked me to recreate that sound, it would
be difficult if not impossible. Today, we have different
source material (CD). NRSC. Digital processing.

If you want single band pumping processing try the
Behringer MDX-2600. It is a stereo compressor/limiter/gate
with XLR balanced I/O. Single rack space. Does a LOT
for only $110. I connected it to a CD player and played
some Rhino CD's through it. They did not fade, juste ended
cold! 30 db of compression was no problem.

Popular reverbs were made by Fairchild, the classic Quad-8
and others. The Orban 111-B has a great sound and has two
modes of operation. Of course, digital reverbs abound and for
a reasonable price.

Tom Osenkowsky, CPBE