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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 16th Dec 2018, 12:28 am   #1
Phil G4SPZ
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Default “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

A friend of mine has had this really old tape recorder in his loft for thirty years, and today it was bought to me for a quick look-at. The owner is very keen to transcribe any recordings that may be on the tape, and I plan to help him do this using a more modern machine.

The Simphonic 2B has a 2-speed deck (3.75/7.5ips) and the direction of play is from right to left. There appear to be three motors, yet there is no fast forward wind function. Judging by the look of the heads, which are not badly worn, this is a single-track machine. The large diameter capstan is rubber tyred, whilst the pinch roller is steel.

I’d be very grateful for any information on Simon Sound Services and whether any similar models survive elsewhere.

Phil
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Old 17th Dec 2018, 4:30 pm   #2
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

I believe the deck is a Bristol Sound Clifton with joystick control to the 3 Garrard motors. It dates from c.1950/1, speed by aluminium capstan sleeve.
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Old 14th Jan 2019, 4:59 pm   #3
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

There’s no joystick - just the four-way rotary switch you can see. I guess the date’s about right though!
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Old 14th Jan 2019, 6:30 pm   #4
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Hi Phil

there is a bit about Simon on my website see:

http://ferrographworld.com/simon.html

I dont have any techical info on this one nor do I have this model so if your friend wishes to rehome it sometime perhaps you could bear me in mind.

Hope this helps

best regards

Terry
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Old 15th Jan 2019, 12:23 am   #5
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Hi Terry, and thank you so much for the information about Simon Sound Services. My friend Bill's machine is very similar to the Model 1A pictured on the second page of your section on Simon. I note that it a half-track machine, and that's going to be helpful when we try to transcribe the tape. I know that some very early half-track recorders such as those by Grundig used the lower rather than the upper half of the tape, before the latter arrangement became standardised. The Simon 2B plays from right to left. If I am lucky, it will also record on the lower half of the tape, meaning it will play back normally on a modern half-track machine, otherwise I'll need to use my 1/4-track Philips. Before we can start though, the tape in question contains numerous splices, and they are all extremely fragile and fall apart when you just look at them, so this may be a lengthy and painstaking process!

On technical data, I've just consulted a 1965 copy of H W Hellyer's 'Tape Recorder Servicing Manual' which believe it or not contains four pages of circuit diagrams and adjustment information for the Simon models SP2 and SP3. The model 2B would presumably have been well obsolete by then, but the circuits will be a good guide. The valve line-up for the SP2/3 is EF86, ECC83, ECC81, EL89 bias osc, 2 x EL84 o/p, EM34 magic eye and EZ81 rectifier. I doubt the B2 is the same but it may be similar. The wiring of the 3-motor deck will definitely be different.

Bill did tell me that he's more interested in what's on the tape than in the machine itself. I will be seeing Bill this weekend, and I'll certainly mention your interest in the machine.

Many thanks once again Terry,

Phil
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Old 15th Jan 2019, 8:56 am   #6
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Re the tape, assuming it was recorded on the Simon and is half track, even if when playing it on a more modern mono half track machine it is reversed, that can easily be flipped digitally with a mouse click. I often capture both sides of a mono half track tape using a stereo half track machine, and then reverse side 2 digitally.
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Old 15th Jan 2019, 11:30 am   #7
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Thanks for the tape flip tip, Tim. I usually capture the audio onto MiniDisc before transferring it to cassettes. I do have the home version of Audacity, but I only use it when it’s necessary to save the audio to CD or MP3, as I find the process very time-consuming.
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Old 15th Jan 2019, 12:37 pm   #8
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Hello Phil

You will find most early RtoR at the time this dates from, fitted with EF37a 6SN7 6V6 types etc in a totally convential circuit. This early Simon will almost certainly have these in situ. But unlike the SP2 is will not have a PP output. I suspect (although cannot confirm) that the circuit may have been printed in the original instruction booklet or issued as a dyline drawing. These always seem to part company with one another!


Best regards


Terry
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Old 15th Jan 2019, 3:36 pm   #9
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

The "home" version of Audacity is the "full" version. It's Open Source software, which anyone can modify and distribute as long as they don't try to restrict anyone else from further modifying and distributing it.
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Old 15th Jan 2019, 11:22 pm   #10
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Ah! Thanks for that, Julie.
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Old 18th Jan 2019, 10:11 am   #11
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Attached is an 1950 advert for the Clifton. Teenage entrepreneur Maurice Mindel was selling the machine in London.

The deck pictured is not identical to the Simphonic.
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Old 18th Jan 2019, 11:10 am   #12
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

I can only assume that Maurice Mindel went on to become a wealthy man... the ‘amazingly low price’ of £45 is equivalent to around £1,600 today. 1950s tape recording must have been the preserve of the well-heeled enthusiast.

The Clifton deck is indeed different from the Simon. I note that speeds of 7.5 and 12 IPS are quoted. Was that a misprint, or was 12 IPS an early standard that didn’t survive?
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Old 18th Jan 2019, 1:52 pm   #13
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

He did alright as he went on to found the 'Arrow' photo accessories brand see:

http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Arrowtabs.html

I suspect 12IPS is a misprint, note wonky typesetting at this point.

The decks do share a lot of similarities, it could be the Simon deck was a development of the Clifton. Could be Clifton went bust and Simon bought the tooling, at this distance I doubt we'll ever know.

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Old 27th Jan 2019, 10:54 pm   #14
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Quote:
Originally Posted by wd40addict View Post
I suspect 12IPS is a misprint, note wonky typesetting at this point.
I've now spent some time transcribing the contents of the tape that came with the machine, and there are some short passages recorded at a speed higher than 7.5 IPS but definitely not as fast as 15 IPS, so I conclude that the quoted 12 IPS is most likely correct after all.

Incidentally, the tape has been recorded full-track, as I originally thought.

Terry, you have a PM.
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Old 2nd Feb 2019, 4:25 pm   #15
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Quote:
Originally Posted by wd40addict View Post
He did alright as he went on to found the 'Arrow' photo accessories brand see:

http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Arrowtabs.html

I suspect 12IPS is a misprint, note wonky typesetting at this point.

The decks do share a lot of similarities, it could be the Simon deck was a development of the Clifton. Could be Clifton went bust and Simon bought the tooling, at this distance I doubt we'll ever know.
I talked to members of the Quintrell family when I was researching my 'Guide to British taperecorders', years ago. Their core business in the early 1950s was 16mm film hire which encouraged them to develop a tape recorder for music accompaniment hence possibly 12ips synch. The later Clifton 1952 had 15ips. Reg Simon developed his first disc recorder for the film industry. The connection is tenable.

Barry
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Old 2nd Feb 2019, 5:37 pm   #16
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Hi Barry, I thought of possible film use, but can't make make any of the standard speeds match 12ips. 24fps 16mm is 7.2ips, 16fps is 4.8ips.
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Old 2nd Feb 2019, 9:49 pm   #17
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

A March 1951 copy of Wireless World shows an ad for a Simphonic giving the tape speeds as 7.5 and 12ips.Peter.
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Old 2nd Feb 2019, 10:57 pm   #18
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Quote:
Originally Posted by wd40addict View Post
Hi Barry, I thought of possible film use, but can't make make any of the standard speeds match 12ips. 24fps 16mm is 7.2ips, 16fps is 4.8ips.
I came to a similar conclusion regarding 16mm film, but then I thought of 35mm film, the early silent forms of which ran at 16 frames per second, which does equate to 12 IPS. This may be purely coincidental, although I had wondered whether the 12 IPS tape speed was chosen to facilitate the recording of audio soundtracks on tape, to be somehow retro-fitted to early 16 fps 35mm silent films, but this is entirely conjecture on my part.

An article in the March 1951 "W.W." on tape recording mentions the then standard speeds of 30, 15, 7.5 and 3.75 IPS, but not 12 IPS. Sadly the edition of W.W. that has been digitally stored at the excellent American Radio History website has had the adverts edited out, so if Peter is able to scan and post the advert concerned here, I'd be most interested and grateful!
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Old 3rd Feb 2019, 12:45 pm   #19
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Understanding the mechanics of film speed synch is enough to drive anyone potty!
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Old 3rd Feb 2019, 3:13 pm   #20
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Default Re: “Simphonic” model 2B (early 1950s)

Hi Phil,I hope the scan is helpful to you.12ips does seem a bit weird.Peter.
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