Vintage Ampex

[Alastair Reynolds]

Whilst not as rare as the Optronics offering, these are still rather uncommon in this day and age.
I have just acquired 2 x Ampex 3200 1/4 Inch Tape Duplicator lines.
These were the first 2 in Australia from around 1958 when AWA was the Ampex Agent and they originally belonged to 2CH and 2GB. The 2CH set is still original All Valve Stereo with one master and 3 slaves for high speed duplication of 1/4 Inch 2 track tapes for distribution/ syndication. They run at either 30ips or 60ips (Later models could run at 120ips) and had a Bias frequency of 1MHz driven by a pair of 6l6 valves in push-pull at around 25 watts, so you could 3 copies of copy a 15 min program in 2 mins.
They're based around the Ampex 300 chassis with high speed capstans and play only heads in the master and record and erase only in the slaves.

The 2GB set was 1 master and 4 slaves and was modified to solid state electronics and new head stacks in the 80s, but the old heads/ electronics and parts are all in a bunch of boxes.
My aim is to get the all valve 2CH set restored and operative.

Not a lot of info around on these though, even on the Ampex sites, so a challenge lies ahead.
Still , plenty of Valve Goodness and Audio History to enjoy

[rob]

So, what's the game plan? Keep it as a tape duplicator or combine the parts and make a full record repro machine?

[Alastair Reynolds]

What I was thinking was getting the Valve set all back to original as it's complete and in pretty good nick and it's historic.
I'll investigate making the second set into a Play /record machine, problem is the Capstan motors are different, the electronics is vastly different from the normal 300 series and the heads are quite different as well as it's all optimised for high speed use.
I may part out some of the record decks for common mechanical parts for 300 series decks and keep a good set of spares for the primary duplicator.
There's also an AG-440C 2 track to tidy up as well , which will mate nicely with the 440 4 track at home in the Garage.
I just hope the "Minister of War and Finance" doesn't read TR and find out I've got another 12 "washing machine" sized decks hidden away. I'm sure she wants me to stop this frivolity and collect something more compact , like stamps

[rob]

you must have a big shed!

[peat]

great as always Alastair

I would love to see an itemised list of whats in your shed.
Your manual collection alone is something that's always amazed me.

Those machines look beautiful!

[Alastair Reynolds]

There is a lot crammed in there as well as hidden in a few other places. I have always tried to have full documentation for any piece of gear and have an obsession with fire bottles.That said, I have plenty of solid state bits as well.I hate to see great pieces of gear on the tip being crushed by a dozer and the satisfaction of restoring something classic and hearing it and the character it imparts is fascinating,particularly when reproducing a well recorded piece from the same period,whether voice or music.It's more authentic to hear a Goon show through a large console AM radio than an mp3 through a set of 'buds or a Mercury , RCA or Decca recording through a Fisher or Quad Amp into Altecs or Tannoys.That's how they would have been heard at the time,not de-hissed,eq'd,processed and played through a Krell or Classe into B&W 800s or something more exotic.I like the idea of reproducing audio by the best system of the piece's era. So the new amps,speakers etc have their place with music recorded in their era.

My biggest worry though is if I keep collecting like this I'll take over Norm's crown.Must be something to do with being born in Bunbury. Maybe I'm Norm's long lost son ....