Philips Studio Tape Machines - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

freemp31 · 8th Oct 2011, 12:25 pm

I recently visited the Philips museum in Eindhoven (fascinating, by the way - well worth a visit) but was saddened to see that although they have tons of domestic wirlesses, radios, tape recorder and TV's, they have no professional tape machines (I was hoping for a nostalgic moment with one of the machines I learned to edit on!).

Have they all disappeared off the face of the globe?
Also, I'd appreciate any old BBC type reminding me of the model numbers. I'm particularly interested in the lovely mono NAB-sized reel-to-reel machine which came with a angled tray above it; just right for holding your script. It also had (although these wsere probably a BBC-mod) 3 pins on the LH side of the tray, just right for 2 reels of leader (front and back) and a roll of editing tape.
These machines must have been current in BBC network studios in the early/middle '60s, as they ended their days in Local Radio stations in the late '60s/early '70's. And were, in turn, replaced by stereo machines (Levers-Rich, Studers etc.), all lovely, but none of them a patch on the Philips for simplicity of lacing up, and therefore speed of editing.

Ted Kendall · 8th Oct 2011, 3:05 pm

These were the EL3503, or Pro20. The Pro35 was the same deck with transistor electronics. The trolley you mention was, as far as I know, a BBC special. As you say, lovely machines to edit on. I rebuilt two ex-BBC machines as a stereo unit long ago, with Branch and Appleby heads - and jolly nice it was. I 've had a ex-Decca Pro51 for years which I must get around to fixing up...

60 oldjohn · 8th Oct 2011, 4:59 pm

Did they have an Philips EL3400 ? VTR 1inch tape dates from the mid 1960s. Massive machine. John.

yestertech · 8th Oct 2011, 6:26 pm

Ah memories ! ....although the Studer C37 was the tape machine for me
("scissors" edit button sensibly disabled ! )
There's quite a good view of the Philips machines in action in this
old pic of the radiophonic workshop

http://whitefiles.org/rwg/large-39.html

Andy

McMurdo · 9th Oct 2011, 12:42 am

They also feature in the 'Alchemists of Sound' programme quite a bit

snippet here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDX_C...eature=related

mrmagnetophon · 9th Oct 2011, 1:52 am

Love the pro philips machines, have the philips el3505, 3509 has round buttons not square, and im getting the philips el3503, stereo valve machine. Beautiful, i had believed their museum had them?
-Chris

8th Oct 2011, 12:25 pm	#1
freemp31 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Bazelat, Limousin, France Posts: 1	Philips Studio Tape Machines I recently visited the Philips museum in Eindhoven (fascinating, by the way - well worth a visit) but was saddened to see that although they have tons of domestic wirlesses, radios, tape recorder and TV's, they have no professional tape machines (I was hoping for a nostalgic moment with one of the machines I learned to edit on!). Have they all disappeared off the face of the globe? Also, I'd appreciate any old BBC type reminding me of the model numbers. I'm particularly interested in the lovely mono NAB-sized reel-to-reel machine which came with a angled tray above it; just right for holding your script. It also had (although these wsere probably a BBC-mod) 3 pins on the LH side of the tray, just right for 2 reels of leader (front and back) and a roll of editing tape. These machines must have been current in BBC network studios in the early/middle '60s, as they ended their days in Local Radio stations in the late '60s/early '70's. And were, in turn, replaced by stereo machines (Levers-Rich, Studers etc.), all lovely, but none of them a patch on the Philips for simplicity of lacing up, and therefore speed of editing.

8th Oct 2011, 3:05 pm	#2
Ted Kendall Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 3,675	Re: Philips Studio Tape Machines These were the EL3503, or Pro20. The Pro35 was the same deck with transistor electronics. The trolley you mention was, as far as I know, a BBC special. As you say, lovely machines to edit on. I rebuilt two ex-BBC machines as a stereo unit long ago, with Branch and Appleby heads - and jolly nice it was. I 've had a ex-Decca Pro51 for years which I must get around to fixing up...

8th Oct 2011, 4:59 pm	#3
60 oldjohn Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 3,988	Re: Philips Studio Tape Machines Did they have an Philips EL3400 ? VTR 1inch tape dates from the mid 1960s. Massive machine. John.

8th Oct 2011, 6:26 pm	#4
yestertech Nonode Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Coulsdon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,135	Re: Philips Studio Tape Machines Ah memories ! ....although the Studer C37 was the tape machine for me ("scissors" edit button sensibly disabled ! ) There's quite a good view of the Philips machines in action in this old pic of the radiophonic workshop http://whitefiles.org/rwg/large-39.html Andy

9th Oct 2011, 12:42 am	#5
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,273	Re: Philips Studio Tape Machines They also feature in the 'Alchemists of Sound' programme quite a bit snippet here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDX_C...eature=related __________________ Kevin

9th Oct 2011, 1:52 am	#6
mrmagnetophon Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 757	Re: Philips Studio Tape Machines Love the pro philips machines, have the philips el3505, 3509 has round buttons not square, and im getting the philips el3503, stereo valve machine. Beautiful, i had believed their museum had them? -Chris