[QuadList] VPR-2 was ACR-25 Cue Times was: Ampex Models

Sat Mar 12 11:07:39 CST 2011

David...

I knew I was "off the hook" after the  CBS EIC couldn't 
get the machine to roll!!

Yes indeed...  the PL was "HOT" at the time!!   ;-)

Don

In a message dated 3/12/2011 9:39:34 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
david at dcvideo.com writes:

Don,  

I know that feeling, the worst night mare of all! A great play has  
occurred, you're cue up and the producer says that X has a great shot. The  
director says "standby X, roll X, take X. ROLL X!!!  ROLL X!!!" Then the TD and the 
producer starts yelling  "ROLL X". As you said, it  seems like an eternity 
as your machine is feeding a huge audience across half  the country or more 
with a still frame, potentially a career ender for you.  There is already 
enough screaming on the P.L going on normally with out your  name being added. 
You sweat, your blood pressure goes up, and it's a bad day.  There will  be 
a meeting after the game is over. If it was the machine's fault  (or sticky 
tape such as in your case), you are out of the  barrel. 

Yes, we used 90's  also, usually 3M. 

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

On Mar 11, 2011, at 5:31 PM, _W4wj at aol.com_ (mailto:W4wj at aol.com)  wrote:

David and Gary...

Regarding "slo-mo" VPR-2...

During a CBS football remote at The orange  Bowl...

I had a 90 minute reel of tape loaded on the  machine
and after a lot of pre-pro and stuff...  we went  into
the LIVE game...  of course I had the first  replay...
and the machine WOULD NOT ROLL...   Either hitting PLAY
or by hand!!!  My machine was ON LINE for what seemed  like an
eternity, BUT just a FREEZE FRAME!!   DAM!!

Well the CBS EIC came storming into the tape  truck
screaming various phrases!!  

He couldn't get the tape to roll either!!  we were a  
non-union house, so he could "touch" the  machine!!

The problem was "stiction" at the head of that big  reel.

After all the pre-pro, we were told to rewind to the head  of bars and roll 
on the game from there.  The machine
didn't like the tape for some reason.

Got around the problem by winding into the reel  a
bit.  The EIC was not happy...

BTW, CBS supplied and specified the 90s for the  game.  ;-)

Don Murray, W4WJ
Retired from 40 years of Miami TV Engineering
35+ years at NBC O&O  WTVJ  

In a message dated 3/11/2011 4:50:33 P.M. Central Standard Time, 
_david at dcvideo.com_ (mailto:david at dcvideo.com)  writes:

Gary,  

"Ampex was the absolute best at designing such  systems.  Very good at DC 
servos for max acceleration and  deceleration with a gentle touch... On the 1”
 machines, the ability to grab a reel and  move it to jog the tape by hand. 
 Nice touch. "

I'd say that's why so many NBC sports slo-mo guys from NYC preferred  a 
truck with 1" VPR 2's so as to be able to grab the reels and do the  slo-mo by 
hand, as apposed to the controller running the transport. The  VPR 2  most 
likely would not spill tape if done right, a must on live  sports.

Don's truck had VPR 2's. Ran them on NFL football in Miami in the  80's.

<Ampex-VPR-2.jpg_250_250_0_70_1_50_50.jpg>

David
(So-mo operator back then...)
_www.dcvideo.com_ (http://www.dcvideo.com/) 

On Mar 11, 2011, at 11:08 AM, Gary Adams wrote:

I  would say that Ampex was the absolute best at designing such  systems.  
Very good at DC servos for max acceleration and  deceleration with a gentle 
touch.   Very impressive.  RCA  stuck with the old AC motor drivers for 
everything just about and that  made for a very rubbery control of reel servos 
and belt drive.  On  the 1” machines, the ability to grab a reel and move it 
to jog the tape  by hand.  Nice touch. 

Gary

From: _quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com_ 
(mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com)  [mailto:quadlist-bounces at quadvideotapegroup.com] On 
Behalf Of _W4wj at aol.com_ (mailto:W4wj at aol.com) 
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 1:50  PM
To: _quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com_ 
(mailto:quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com) 
Subject: Re: [QuadList] ACR-25 Cue Times  was: Ampex Models

Ah...   Forgot about that one Dennis...  Very  good!!

All  the movement parameters in the ACR-25

were  designed to minimize the time required

to  perform an operation...  i.e.  NO OVERSHOOT!!   ;-)

Don  Murray, W4WJ

Retired  from 40 years of Miami TV Engineering

35+  years at NBC O&O  WTVJ  

In  a message dated 3/10/2011 4:33:06 P.M. Central Standard Time, 
_DennyD1 at verizon.net_ (mailto:DennyD1 at verizon.net)  writes:

On Mar 9, 2011, at 5:20 PM, _W4wj at aol.com_ (mailto:W4wj at aol.com)  wrote:

> The  machine spun the carousel the shortest distance to get to  the  
next bin  to play...

I add:

It also used a ramping profile to accelerate and decelerate the  bin  
carousel  as it rotated from bin to bin.

Dennis Degan, Video Editor-Consultant-Knowledge  Bank
NBC Today Show, New  York

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David Crosthwait
DC Video
Archived Media Transfer and Re-mastering Services
177 West Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA. 91502
818-563-1073
818-563-1177 (fax)
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_DAVID at DCVIDEO.COM_ (mailto:DAVID at DCVIDEO.COM) 
_WWW.DCVIDEO.COM_ (http://www.dcvideo.com/) 

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