Vocal Reverb

[Doug Ring]

Back in the days of steam-driven tape machines one of my colleagues was working with a radio drama producer who really liked the sound of the reverb my colleague was using. "Can I have a tape of that reverb to take away and use in other studios, please?" asked the producer. Of course he was given a loaded 5-inch reel marked "Reverb." We never did hear how he got on with it.

[daeron80]

Ah, steam powered recording... Our days as second engineers, being sent to the machine room to shovel coal... Talk about burning it to tape, we really did, didn't we?

[albee1952]

Steam powered..........Heck....I remember the REALLY old days when we recorded direct to STONE

[1ace1]

was that the 2 inch or the more recent 1/2 inch tablets?

A:)

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Steam powered..........Heck....I remember the REALLY old days when we recorded direct to STONE

Speaking of that...I recall seeing a TV show recently...may have been mythbusters, or one of the History Channel shows. Anyway, someone had dug up a very well preserved complete pot from ancient Greece (or Egypt) on the side of which were a series of wavy lines that very much resembled what you'd expect to see on a record album from a recording. The thought was that it may have happened that some sort of reed may have dug into the clay of the pot while it was on the wheel and somehow captured the sounds, perhaps voices, in this way, like a needle would for making a record.

To be honest, I can't recall if the outcome was that they thought they did pick up some vocal sounds or not. But the idea was interesting none-the-less. It was surmised the artisan chose to leave the marking there most likely because he/she just liked the novelty of the design.

Attempt to replicate the possibility of a reed of some sort caputuring sound did prove to have some efficacy, but perhaps not as good as hoped. Anyway...perhaps that was the very first plug-in!

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

Speaking of that...I recall seeing a TV show recently...may have been mythbusters, or one of the History Channel shows. Anyway, someone had dug up a very well preserved complete pot from ancient Greece (or Egypt) on the side of which were a series of wavy lines that very much resembled what you'd expect to see on a record album from a recording. The thought was that it may have happened that some sort of reed may have dug into the clay of the pot while it was on the wheel and somehow captured the sounds, perhaps voices, in this way, like a needle would for making a record.

To be honest, I can't recall if the outcome was that they thought they did pick up some vocal sounds or not. But the idea was interesting none-the-less. It was surmised the artisan chose to leave the marking there most likely because he/she just liked the novelty of the design.

Attempt to replicate the possibility of a reed of some sort caputuring sound did prove to have some efficacy, but perhaps not as good as hoped. Anyway...perhaps that was the very first plug-in!

I saw that too. Pretty amazing. And yes it was the older 2" stone(the half inch kept breaking)

[Alan Z]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Steam powered..........Heck....I remember the REALLY old days when we recorded direct to STONE

You guys are old, the best I can do is remember recording to clay tablets using sharp pointed sticks.

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by albee1952

I saw that too. Pretty amazing. And yes it was the older 2" stone(the half inch kept breaking)

Albee, do you remember if they were able to discern any actual audio off the vase? I can't recall.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

Albee, do you remember if they were able to discern any actual audio off the vase? I can't recall.

If I remember right, they couldn't understand what was there, but they were able to record something on a new chunk of clay. It was quite a while ago that I saw the episode(almost as long as its been since recording to stone

Sorry, my mother told me a million times not to exaggerate

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by albee1952

If I remember right, they couldn't understand what was there, but they were able to record something on a new chunk of clay. It was quite a while ago that I saw the episode(almost as long as its been since recording to stone

Sorry, my mother told me a million times not to exaggerate

Cute!