[QuadList] Fred Niles Studios

[Tom Evans]

Pat, Scott,

Thanks for the posting.

I sat at that switcher many a long day.  I worked at Fred A Niles Studios
from 1973 to 1977.  When I arrived, FAN was a film studio wanting to expand
into video.  It began with a 40-ft TAV truck with a pair of VR-1200s.  Then
we built a tape room and control room on a soundstage, Stage 3.  The truck
went back to the West Coast and we replaced the 1200s with 2 AVR-2s (serial
numbers in the 200's) and later added a third (serial number 6xx).

The early VTRs were built in Redwood City and were tempermental.  Director
of Engineering Bob Olsen discovered some coax shield clippings in the back
planes.  We performed a major vacuuming and got most of the gremlins out.
 The serial number 6xx machine was built in Colorado Springs and was far
less trouble to maintain.  By that time there were improvements in the
audio cable routing and an audio preamp close to the head, so its audio had
a wider dynamic range.

To the left of the switcher sat a Central Dynamics PEC-120, my first edit
system.  It worked on 4K of RAM (core memory) with a 5MB hard drive about
20" in diameter and about 2 feet tall.

An RCA TK-28A with TP-7 and TP-66 projectors along with a Phillips LDH-1
camera for studio shoots rounded out the equipment list while I was there.

-Tom

-- 
Tom Evans
705 Florence Drive
Park Ridge, IL 60068

tom at tom-evans.com
847-274-6496


On Sat, Aug 17, 2013 at 12:13 PM, Pat McGowan <pmcgowan at ncpvideo.com> wrote:

>
>
> Fred Miles was a Studio/Post Facility in the 1000 block of W Washington in
> Chicago (near west side). In the early 70's worked right down the street at
> 933 W Washington--Olympic Broadcasting, a Studio/Mobile Unit company owned
> by Olympic Savings and Loan of Berwyn, IL.
>
> Not sure, but think the Niles facility was built as a movie studio in the
> early days of cinima.
>
> Later purchased by Oprah and became Harpo studios and home to her show.
> Neighborhood has become very gentrified.
>
> That would have been quite a custom switcher in it's day and cost BIG
> $$$.  $149.00 on Ebay, Wow! Makes for a nice display piece in the living
> room.
>
> ------------------------------
> *From: *quadlist-request at quadvideotapegroup.com
> *To: *quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com
> *Sent: *Saturday, August 17, 2013 10:00:02 AM
> *Subject: *QuadList Digest, Vol 62, Issue 43
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. OT Produced by George Martin - just saw this on pbs.
>       (COURYHOUSE at aol.com)
>    2. Interesting Ebay item (Scott Thomas)
>
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 05:01:25 +0000 (GMT)
> From: Scott Thomas <scottgfx at mac.com>
> To: Quad List <quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com>
> Subject: [QuadList] Interesting Ebay item
>
>
> Saw this auction on Ebay today. A Central Dynamics switcher from a post
> facility in Chicago...?
>
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-DAY-ONLY-Vintage-Central-Dynamics-Quad-Production-Switcher-Control-Room-NR-/330992355980
>
> 3 M/E switcher with an edit controller that is said to have controlled
> four AVR-2 machines.
>
> Anyone here familiar with Fred A Niles Communications?
>
> --
> *Patrick McGowan
> *Engineer-In-Charge | NEP NCP
> C: 602-690-4410
> pmcgowan at ncpvideo.com
> www.nepinc.com
>
>
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