[QuadList] Question of the week-RCA AE 6000 editor

Mon Mar 7 18:11:59 CST 2011

The ECCO unit was an add on to the VR-2000.  The first one that I saw  was 
in Hollywood at a post house that put in the mass duplicator by  Merlin.  It 
was where I think Jack Calloway worked.  Being old now has  memory fades 
from 40 years ago.  Could it be Teletronics?

I will see if I can get my scanner to work again.  The we can show the  
different units.  The TEP was a device that did not work using SMPTE time  
code.  It put a cue tone down and then you used the thumb wheels to move  the 
edit points.  The cue tone was put down 14 seconds before the  edit.  Then you 
do the rehearsal.  

I believe that TEP was a single machine system.  I remember the  blue 
ribbon connector on the TR-60 that was labeled TEP.  I saw one at  one 
installation but never had a chance to see it in operation.

Chris Hill

In a message dated 3/7/2011 6:40:06 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
dwnorwood at embarqmail.com writes:

Hi David:

Chris is right about the other picture, but this EECO on a 2000 is  
something else that I don't remember seeing.  Do you know the date?   Interesting 
that it still used thumbwheels.

Don Norwood
Digitrak Communications, Inc.
_www.digitrakcom.com_ (http://www.digitrakcom.com/)   

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _David  Crosthwait_ (mailto:david at dcvideo.com)  
To: _Quad List_ (mailto:quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com)  
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 6:08  PM
Subject: Re: [QuadList] Question of the  week-RCA AE 6000 editor

Chris,  

This is the one your are referring to I believe (EECO unit on the VR  2000):

David
_www.dcvideo.com_ (http://www.dcvideo.com/) 

On Mar 7, 2011, at 2:50 PM, _Chill315 at aol.com_ (mailto:Chill315 at aol.com)  
wrote:

This is not the TEP.  That had thumb wheels only.

This is actually a programmer that was made by ECCO for RCA.  It  consisted 
of a number of parts.  
The top display was an auxiliary display panel.

The Unit Programmer is the middle unit that is a couple of rack  units.  

The bottom was a transport control panel.  

It was possibly a system that was first used on Laugh In.  Can  someone 
confirm that?

Chris Hill

In a message dated 3/7/2011 5:31:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
_david at dcvideo.com_ (mailto:david at dcvideo.com)  writes:

Hello Trevor,  

Thanks for the insight and the confirmation of similar problems  with the 
TR 600's. At least I can say now "It wasn't just me".

In regard to the TEP, here are two shots (for those who have no  idea what 
we are talking about):

<RCATEP.jpeg><NBCedit2TEP.jpeg>

The TEP actually worked pretty well with the TR-70's. However, it  was a 10 
second pre-roll on the record VTR and five seconds on the  source. Edit 2 
and 3 at NBC Burbank had TEPs. 

David
_www.dcvideo.com_ (http://www.dcvideo.com/) 

On Mar 7, 2011, at 9:08 AM, Trevor Brown wrote:

Ted  thanks for the heavy weight credit

We  had one three machine edit suite with equipped with  TR600’s
If  the crew leader had asked,  do you want to go and try and get the  TR600
’s to lock up
or  go see the nurse she needs to stick pins in someone’s eyes I might  
have opted for the nurse

Like  a lot of things the AE 600 was a good idea with poor  implementation
It  used an 8080 micro (big step up from RCA’s TEP is anyone remembers  it  
“Tape Editing Programmer”)

Machines  had to be pulled into sync, but unlike previous systems that used 
TSO  to speed up or slow down the capstan
and  create major servo disturbances  

The  AE 600 reprogrammed a counter chain in the capstan  servo
This  was I think 4.3. 4 in pixlock  and either 4.4.4 or 3.4.3 to speed  
the tape up or slow it down (cannot remember the original numbers or  what 
they were counting)
So  the lock to station sync slipped one way or the other without major  
servo disturbances, and so station lock was a quick recovery process  after 
time pulling the time codes into the correct  sync

It  was a poor lockup system and frequently failed

Worst  was the non standard logic to drive it, it was complex with a mix  
needing the third machine to stagger start
Numerous  keystrokes and only an external event to drive the mixer, so if 
the  preview was OK you had to remember to reset the mixer or it would  
toggle the wrong way on the print

Add  to that a ¼ tape deck (again external event fired) to lift audio and  
mix it across the edit which again needed re cueing after a  preview
and  the  operating alone could make grown men cry, before machine  lock up 
problems.

Easy  to look at the director and ask is that what you wanted, it was so  
long ago when you explained I have forgotten
and  if you did like the P/V can I repeat it, I never smiled like the guys  
in the picture

Trevor  B
UK  Member

From: _quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com_ 
(mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com)  [mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com] On 
Behalf Of Ted  Langdell
Sent: 07 March 2011  15:54
To: Quad  List
Subject: Re: [QuadList] Question of  the week-RCA AE 6000 editor

Here's  a shot of what looks very much like a version of the AE-6000 in an 
RCA  trade show booth:

_http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/TV/rca-tr600.jpg_ 
(http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/TV/rca-tr600.jpg) 

Perhaps  someone on the list remembers this particular  booth?

Or  the people in that shot or this one:

_http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/TV/rca-tr600(nab77).jpg_ 
(http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/TV/rca-tr600(nab77).jpg) 

The  guy in the blue suit and glasses could be the person sitting in the  
director's chair at the editor console.

Ted

On  Mar 7, 2011, at 7:36 AM, David Crosthwait  wrote:

The  answer is the 

RCA AE 6000  "Automatic Computerized Editing"  devise.

"A new  sophisticated editing system providing optimum simplicity and  
efficiency to enhance creative expression". (I've had  some "creative 
expressions" when editing with TR-600A's  which cannot be printed here).

<RCA  AE 6000 bro1x.jpeg><RCA AE 6000 bro2x.jpeg><RCA AE 6000  
bro3x.jpeg><RCA AE 6000 keyboard1.jpg><RCA AE 6000  screen1.jpg><RCA AE 6000x1.jpg><RCA 
AE 6000  bro4x.jpg>

I  do not know if this product ever came out, but certainly from what I  
can tell by pulling brochures from the DC Video file cabinet is that I  picked 
up this printed material in 1978 or so and it appeared to be a  real 
product. But I never heard of any implementation. Perhaps the  heavy weights here 
on the list i.e. Gary Adams, John Turner, Don  Norwood, Chris Hill, Trevor 
Brown and others who were associated with  RCA gear (perhaps the recipient of 
a sales pitch or two) could  elaborate. If 1978 is an accurate time period 
for this product to be  marketed, then I think we have to keep in mind what t
he competition  was then i.e. Ampex ACE, CMX 340, ISC, Mach 1, and perhaps 
some others  that I've failed to mention. If one looks at the CRT display 
here,  it's a bit convoluted compared to the industry standard at the time  
(in my opinion), that being the CMX 340. So perhaps the RCA AE 6000  was a 
little too late to come to market. 

I  once worked with a woman who had just come from a religious network  
editing facility who had four TR-600A's tied to (I think) a CMX edit  system, 
and she swore by them. 

There  were four 600As tied to a CMX 340 (no AE-6000) in edit five at NBC  
Burbank, and those machines would move tape very fast, even dual edit  
record under CMX control. However, they were not very reliable in  other aspects. 
That edit room had been originally projected to have  four AVR-3's, but an 
"upper level decision" placed the 600A's in that  project instead. 

One  last note: The brochure mentions that this editor has a "switcher  
control system designed to interface with any 1600 series Grass Valley  E-MEM 
equipped switcher" (did not scan that page yet but can if  someone wants to 
see it). I can't recall RCA ever mentioning another  major manufacturer in a 
brochure, although I could be dead wrong.  Perhaps this was a no brainer as 
RCA was (?) totally out of the  switcher business by then.

David  Crosthwait

DC  Video

_2"  quad transfers_ 
(http://www.dcvideo.com/obsolete-video-formats/2-inch-quad.html)  and _more..._ 
(http://www.dcvideo.com/obsolete-video-formats/2-inch-ampex-vr-660.html) 

_www.dcvideo.com_ (http://www.dcvideo.com/) 

Not  seen this before, but I'd say it's an RCA multi-machine edit  
controller circa 1983-86.  

Perhaps  a product that didn't make it into any facilities before the door 
was  shut and Nipper's doghouse closed.

Ted

Looks  like a "super-duper" CMX type editing device for the TR-600 or above 
 RCA quads. BIG floppy drives to hold edit info (reminds me of the 4100  
Chyron's). Buttons and panels very similiar to the TR-600 edit system  at 
Olympic Broadcasting Studio in Chicago mid to late 70's. Machines  had come from 
Montreal Olympics, no 2 quite alike, what complete DOGS.  Thankfully the 
truck had HS-100!

Pat

Good  stumper.

It  looks like it was done by either CDL or  Telemation.

The  5 inch disc drives give it a time frame of the 70's or early  80's.

It  has to be after the original CMX as the unit has some features that  
were enhancements.

Have  no idea other than that.

Chris  Hill

_________________

On  Mar 4, 2011, at 9:33 AM, Trevor Brown wrote:

Looks  like an RCA AE600 edit panel 
You can clearly see the  gold key as in 66 gold key 6 (Change Pal Phase)
There should be a  Blue key too (edit replay)
Picture is a little burnt out to  identify

Don't remember the 5 1/4 discs or the comments key  board 

TrevorB
UK  member

-----Original Message-----
From: _quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com_ 
(mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com) 
[_mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com_ 
(mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com) ]  On Behalf Of David
Crosthwait
Sent: 04 March 2011 15:59
To:  Quad List
Subject: Re: [QuadList] Question of the week

Here  is a photo from the file cabinet.
The questions for the contest  are:
What is it?
What is the model number?
Did anyone ever  see one in action other than on the showroom floor? 
Was it a product that was  "Dead On Arrival"?

Other documentation will be posted about  what this is (or was supposed to
be) once the questions have been  answered. 

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Ted Langdell

Secretary

Skype:    TedLangdell

e-mail:   _ted at quadvideotapegroup.com_ (mailto:ted at quadvideotapegroup.com) 

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