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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 5th Apr 2019, 11:08 am   #1
Frank.Keane
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Default Brenell Mystery

Can anyone throw some light on this mystery Brenell? I can't find another one like it anywhere on Google. It doesn't appear to be factory spec. And I'm surprised to see the words Sunco Solid State on the front panel. Perhaps it was cobbled together?
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Old 5th Apr 2019, 2:20 pm   #2
lesmw0sec
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

Never seen one of these before. My guess would be a minor manufacturer who has chosen to incorporate a Brenell deck.
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Old 5th Apr 2019, 2:22 pm   #3
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

Undoubtedly a one-off - Brenell decks were often used for home-brew machines, because of their high quality and versatility. The NAB version was the cheapest to offer this capacity by some margin ( if you ignore the Revox, which was an integrated design), and the provision for four heads made custom configuration easy.
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Old 5th Apr 2019, 3:10 pm   #4
wd40addict
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

The magic eye doesn't look very solid state!
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Old 5th Apr 2019, 3:14 pm   #5
kalee20
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

I've only ever seen one piece of equipment with the Belling-Lee coax socket used to carry audio, and that's the Eddystone FM tuner!
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Old 5th Apr 2019, 3:34 pm   #6
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

Belling-Lee coax sockets were used for audio signal purposes quite a bit way back - I think they were specified on most of the Mullard valve designs and the Williamson PX4 amp my uncle built also used one. Other than 1/4 inch jacks and those poxy little paxolin connectors there wasn`t a lot else readily available then - if you didn`t fancy American Phono / RCA types.
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Old 5th Apr 2019, 5:55 pm   #7
Frank.Keane
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

Yes I did wonder about that Magic Eye myself. And the fact that the sockets seem to be the wrong vintage for a solid state preamp. The mystery deepens. And as for the name on the panel - can't find any reference whatsoever to Sunco audio equipment no matter how hard I search.
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Old 6th Apr 2019, 2:21 pm   #8
rontech
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

It looks like a home construction using parts from various non-Brenell electronics added to a a somewhat modified Brenell deck. I think it may have done for amateur cinematography purposes to synchronise the sound with 8 or 16mm film.

I was in an amateur film society in the 60s and members made all sorts of strange systems to achieve that goal.

No problem nowadays of course.
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Old 7th Apr 2019, 7:59 am   #9
brenellic2000
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

Almost certainly a home-brew job cobbled up for a specific purpose.

Brenell decks were readily available to the DIY/amateur market but while Brenell bent over backwards to help such enthusiasts (many companies wouldn't), they did draw certain red-lines! The ambitious Cadey for example was tolerated by Brenell while allowing their semi-freelance chief engineer, Frank Underhill, to assist, but they didn't and wouldn't officially support the project.

Other oddities developed with specialist companies were more successful: auto-reverse decks, cassette replicators, ultra low-speed multi-channel decks etc...

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Old 9th Apr 2019, 12:04 am   #10
Michael Maurice
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

Quote:
Originally Posted by brenellic2000 View Post

they did draw certain red-lines! The ambitious Cadey for example was tolerated by Brenell while allowing their semi-freelance chief engineer, Frank Underhill, to assist, but they didn't and wouldn't officially support the project.

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What was the Cadey?
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Old 9th Apr 2019, 12:19 am   #11
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

An early attempt at a budget multitrack - the one I briefly possessed was 8 track, 1 inch, incomplete and unbelievably crude. The tape which came with it suggested that it had worked once, though I couldn't really credit it...
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Old 12th Apr 2019, 11:00 am   #12
brenellic2000
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Default Re: Brenell Mystery

The first Cadey was a Mk.510 deck modified with solenoid controls and 1" 8-track heads... so far so good. The cabinet and electronics were an amateur DIY'ers paradise stuffed full of cables best described as a bird's-nest... every time I open the case to think about tidying it up... I immediately close it!

They did work though, albeit on a shoe-string budget and were praised by some as a stepping stone to home studio. The next Cadey was more successful if only briefly. See my "Brenell - true to life performance history.
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