[QuadList] TBC
Don Norwood
dwnorwood at embarqmail.com
Fri May 6 19:47:57 CDT 2011
Bill:
The experience you share from the inside of the industry is a real treat. Thank you!
For what it's worth, I know someone who has married a TBC-790 to a TR-22. I use a TBC-7 with a VPR-7900 and it works great, but I have a TBC-790, so maybe I'll try it with a 1200 one of these days. Seems like maybe a fun project for a weekend next winter.
Don Norwood
Digitrak Communications, Inc.
www.digitrakcom.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Carpenter
To: Quad List
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: [QuadList] TBC
Hi Don & Park,
Yes, you are correct Don, but let's put some dates on these things.
I did some work trying to get the VR-7800/VR-7900 to work thru a Amtek/Colortec in late 1970's, and I was still working in Elk Grove, IL.
At this time I got into the Anderson Lab's TBC contract.
August of 1971, I moved to California with Ampex,
Late that year the Anderson Labs prototype was tested in California and was found unacceptable.
Early 1972, I saw the Ampex "mini-buffer" (with Anderson delay lines which was created by the AVR-1 buffer folks, which were engineers who worked with Charles Coleman) which was to be available in a VR-1200, to be renamed the VR-1400.
This became the TBC-790.
I also saw the prototype work on the DTBC.
I also moved from the Helical Group, to the Broadcast Group, and was assigned some GREAT products, the VR-1200B & C models, the VR-3000, and all the quad accessories.
Also I had a new product in development, code named "NOVA"
The Nova product was going so well that we gambled at the NAB show in Washington,in 1973.
First, I had a prototype console assembled photographed after hours in the Engineering Building lobby. I created a secret brochure with VR-1400 as the model number, and I burned all 1000 copies in my fireplace after NAB 73.
This prototype was shipped to the Washington, DC area, but not shown.
Note: Another milestone was when I was standing in the background in the CVS demo suite,at about 6PM, of the first day of the show and heard the Anderson Labs design teams comments on the New CVS DTBC, which was the shock item of the show.
Later, I went to dinner with the CVS management folks and had only one comment, Great Job Fellas, but I think you are "leaving money on the table".
So, CVS got the credit for the first DTBC at NAB 1973.
One year later we introduced the "Nova" product, as the AVR-2 and the TBC-800 for helicals.
One month later, with a AVR-2 in a demo suite in a Canadian trade show in Calgary, I gave a iimpromptu AVR-2 paper, right after as CBS Labs paper was read, that stated that the DTBC was a great product, but not ready for Broadcast use
.
I told the audience that they could be the judge of that statement, and they all came and saw the broadcast product in the suite.
Note: The first AVR-2 was on the air in Nashville, less than 48 hrs from leaving the NAB show floor in Huston, Tx.
Bye for now, Bill & Gewyn & Ginger (whoof...whoof)
--- On Fri, 5/6/11, Don Norwood <dwnorwood at embarqmail.com> wrote:
From: Don Norwood <dwnorwood at embarqmail.com>
Subject: Re: [QuadList] TBC
To: "Quad List" <quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com>
Date: Friday, May 6, 2011, 12:15 PM
Park:
Not to preempt Bill, but yes, it was slightly before the days of Bill Hendershot and his CVS digital TBC, but there was market overlap during the product lifespan. CVS was first, so NEC would have followed sometime later. The Microtime box was an all analog signal path using switched delay lines with some digital control and timing circuitry. It's advantage originally was its "large" correction window.
Don Norwood
Digitrak Communications, Inc.
www.digitrakcom.com
----- Original Message -----
From: C. Park Seward
To: Quad List
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: [QuadList] TBC
Hi Bill,
I assume this Andersen project was before CVS sold the standalone TBC? And before NEC had TBCs?
Charlie Steinberg is great. Quite a blow to Ampex when, after 25 years, went to Sony as President of their Broadcast Division. I don't know the back story of why he left but he sure did well at Sony and I'm sure took a lot of business away from Ampex.
Best,
Park
C. Park Seward
Cell: 818-535-2747
Home: 541-476-6657
2" Quad and 1" "C" transfers
Visit us: http://www.videopark.com
On May 6, 2011, at 7:26 AM, Bill Carpenter wrote:
Hi Scott & Don,
Yes you are correct, the glass delay lines used in the AVR-1,ACR-25, and the TBC 790 were Anderson Labs products.
The president came to me in Elk Grove, and wanted to sell us a simple TBC, which they had in a very rough form.
They had shopped it around and nobody would buy it.
We had a short term need & I signed the development contract.
They knew there delay lines, but did not know how to handle video properly and sync handling was very poor. We tested it after we had moved to California in mid 71, and it did not work with the 7900.
They went away, redesigned with some new engineers, brought the product to market and then sued Ampex for breach of contract, because we had deep pockets.
I gave a couple days of depositions, and then one day I met our President, Charlie Stienberg in the hall, and we decided on a $ figure of a "go away" payment to end the litigation. They accepted, and went away as victorious for less than the price of a single TBC.
I learned a lot about contracts from that exercise.
Bye for now, lBill & Gewyn & Ginger (whoof...whoof)
--- On Fri, 5/6/11, Don Norwood <dwnorwood at embarqmail.com> wrote:
From: Don Norwood <dwnorwood at embarqmail.com>
Subject: Re: [QuadList] TBC
To: "Quad List" <quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com>
Date: Friday, May 6, 2011, 6:49 AM
Hi Scott:
Yes, that looks like the manual I have. A very fair price if someone needs one. Copying or scanning this would be a considerable task as many of the pages are 11x17 foldouts.
My impression of the company during the time that these were made was that Microtime was a company created to utilize some of the technology that the parent company, Andersen Laboratories, manufactured. I believe Andersen made the delay lines that were used in the TBC's. Perhaps Bill can shed some additional light on this.
Don Norwood
Digitrak Communications, Inc.
www.digitrakcom.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Thomas
To: Quad List
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 3:37 AM
Subject: Re: [QuadList] TBC
I found a manual for sale online...
http://www.dantiques2.com/vpasp/shopexd.asp?ccode=26768
Fascinating story. I started tracing the company and it appears that whatever was left was sold to Avid. (Along with Pinnacle, DF/X, Dubner)
On May 2, 2011, at 3:27 PM, Bill Carpenter wrote:
Hi Don & Everyone,
I spec'ed that unit in early 71, and entered into a contract with Andersen to build it, on which they delivered a prototype in late 71, may be Nov, and then the fun started. It did not work, got rejected, contract into default, litigation began, gave depsitions, recommended how much for our president to pay them to " Go Away", end of Andersen File.
I had the "mini-buffer" TBC-790 available, before the Legal case was started
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