Background music tape formats

[llama]

I'll start with a list and see how far I get. I'm doing this from memory but happy to check details by reference to my collection.

Reditune:
TP-1 used a loop tape that looks like a standard NAB B/C size cart but the head spacing is different so not compatible. The pinch roller rises up through a hole in the bottom of the tape cartridge, just like a NAB. Speed 3.75ips, single track

TP-48 The cartridge is the same size as above but it has an integral pinch roller. Speed 3.75ips and a head that selects one of 4 tracks by lifting the head (like an 8-track domestic cart).

TP-48a (need to check number) as above but tape speed 1 7/8 ips - this allowed the cartridge to be halved in depth.

TP-84 (need to check number) - as above but more powerful amp (100v line) and cart area enclosed. I've seen reference to a compatible in-flight system.

I've also seen on ebay a Reditune system using auto-reverse musicassettes.

Ditchburn
Symphonette - used a standard NAB C cartridge running at 1 7/8 ips, upper and lower track selectable by switch.

Tandberg
Series 13 - used a standard NAB cartridge. Its width allows a B size cart to fit in the same footprint but a C size cart can fit by allowing it to overlap the case. 3.75ips.

That's all for now.
Graham

[Richard_FM]

Thanks for the information, I'm not familiar with these systems but it's interesting to know they exist.

I did wonder how airliners managed to provide a selection of in-flight music for a few hours without it weighing too much. I presume a system like the TP-84 with a stack of players wouldn't take up too much space.

[emeritus]

The background music at a hotel in Austria I was staying at in the mid-1970's was via one of the Philips cassette recorders (players?), which could play a stack of cassettes one at a time and then play the other sides ad infinitum. When one cassette ended, it was ejected and automatically pushed to the bottom of the stack, which caused the one at the top to go down a slide to the play mechanism, turning over as it did so, and be automatically played. I had read a review of this model, but it was the only one I ever saw in the flesh.

[Welsh Anorak]

Didn't some (Ditchburn I think) use either a non-standard speed, track format or perhaps played backwards so you couldn't pirate the music or bring your own in?

[stacman]

I think ‘Techmoan’ on youtube has done a few videos on various formats of background music playing systems,
Regards, Alan.

[andrewferguson]

Originally Posted by stacman

I think ‘Techmoan’ on youtube has done a few videos on various formats of background music playing systems

Indeed he has. His video on the 3M Cantata 700 machine is how I discovered these sorts of machines existed (I admit I'd never thought about how background music worked before ... rather absent minded I suppose!).

He's then gone on to do videos on the Seeburg 1000 (not strictly on topic for this thread as it's not a tape format) and the Reditune.

And to bring this thread back to where it split off from the 'Interesting things on old tape reels' thread, Techmoan does have a 'Hammond Organ' background tape for his Reditune, although to my dismay he only played it for around 25 seconds and was quite dismissive of it... can't please everyone I suppose .

[In his video on the Reditune, the short clip of the Hammond Organ tape is at 11:45, in the (unlikely?) case that anyone was wondering]

[DMcMahon]

I really like Organ music, especially Hammond, will check Reditune out.

[Richard_FM]

Originally Posted by emeritus

The background music at a hotel in Austria I was staying at in the mid-1970's was via one of the Philips cassette recorders (players?), which could play a stack of cassettes one at a time and then play the other sides ad infinitum. When one cassette ended, it was ejected and automatically pushed to the bottom of the stack, which caused the one at the top to go down a slide to the play mechanism, turning over as it did so, and be automatically played. I had read a review of this model, but it was the only one I ever saw in the flesh.

I think there's a picture of one in the Guinness Book Of Recorded Sound.

[AC/HL]

Probably the N2408, although Philips had a few cassette changers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNvxESKLAcA

[lesmw0sec]

Many years ago, I used to do a bit of servicing on Ditchburn kit. I recall that it was an excellent company to deal with. They always sent out spares pronto and without having an account, were nonetheless happy for me to pay on receipt of invoice.

[Nickthedentist]

Nice pic of the Ditchburn factory here: https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net...f4&oe=5EFBC645

[lesmw0sec]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

Nice pic of the Ditchburn factory here: https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net...f4&oe=5EFBC645

Brilliant - always wondered what it looked like!

[DMcMahon]

Originally Posted by DMcMahon

I really like Organ music, especially Hammond, will check Reditune out.

Checked it out, apart from being very short, it was not good Hammond music so can forgive Techmoan for not liking it

[Paul Blackpool]

My dad worked for Ditchburns in the 60's and early 70's and by chance today he mentioned watching some 4 track recordings being made at a recording studio in Gorton Manchester. He is pretty sure they had hired the 'Stargazers' as the singers who worked a lot on the BBC and they recorded lots of cover versions for these 4 track recordings. He 'claims' they let him join in on a few of the tracks in the background including Yellow Submarine.

I had never heard of these 4 tracks before so by chance came across your forum whilst searching on them. Is it possible to get hold of Ditchburn 4 track recordings? Only asking as I have been collecting vinyl records released by the company and thought these may be interesting too.

Thanks for your time and a very interesting website.

[llama]

Hi and welcome. Glad you like our discussions and exchange of info.

I have some Ditchburn tapes (NAB 'C' size) and a couple of different machines - both are 2 track. One has a manual switch to change track, the other is automatic.
My understanding is that Reditune took over Ditchburn so maybe the 4-track recordings were Reditune ones though I've never seen a Reditune machine re-badged as Ditchburn.

And a little addendum to my initial posting - the TP-1 used a Moebius loop cartridge so they got twice the playing time out of it without having to move the head or switch tracks. I'm guessing it was at the expense of reliability - they probably couldn't use graphite tape.
Graham

[ben]

Then there was the Philips SM9900 reel to reel system.

[Richard_FM]

They music seemed to be a mixture from chintzy light jazz covers of contemporary songs (now generically known as Muzak thanks to the American piped music company supplying this kind of tune) to genuinely good sounding original music, often written by the composers of library music used on radio & TV.

[llama]

Up until a couple of years ago I thought Reditune only supplied (i.e.rented-out) their own cover versions of middle-of-the-road popular music. But then I bought a second TP-80 (it was cheap...) and it came with a few cartridges in the numbering sequence OA10 etc. On top they have a stylishly printed heading "Original Artists" and they are.

I've only played OA10 and it has hits such as all the main Buddy Holly hits, some Mamas & Papas, Len Barry, Surfaris, Leapy Lee etc. All mono, 4 "programmes".

I guess the rental charge was higher but I have no info on that.
Graham

[emeritus]

In the late 1960's I sometimes used to shop in an independant mini-supermarket in the Cardiff suburbs. Background music played via the PA system was provided by a ordinary tape recorder loaded with a 7" spool of tape running at 1 7/8ips.

[Joe_Lorenz]

Hello,
here is the German approach to the problem of playing endless music:

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/schaub...er_5001_1.html

Originally developed by Graetz, these heavy machines did sell astonishingly well. Even some restaurants did have one. One day I had one on the bench to fix and it did take me wonder how they managed to keep the track so precisely on the 4" wide tape. Almost 2 days completely to fill with music would have taken a lot of effort to record!

Regards, Joe