RCA Living Stereo reel from 1958

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Beatle Terr, Dec 20, 2014.

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  1. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    I just got this in an email from a You Tuber that I subscribe to. :cool:

    I thought of nobody else but Steve Hoffman and this forum as this is a must see for all. :D

     
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  2. quadjoe

    quadjoe Senior Member

    Thanks for posting this! It's all too easy to forget that at one time stereophonic sound on a record was something new.
     
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  3. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Innocent Bystander

    That bit about "developed by RCA" must have surprised the folks at Westrex, who were pretty sure they developed it!

    Happy trails,
    Larry B.
     
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  4. quadjoe

    quadjoe Senior Member

    Yes, I was thinking about that too. However, the history of it goes back well before the late '50s. Here's a Wiki link for those interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound

    Here's a snippet of that to introduce you all to the true inventor of stereophonic (the 45/45 system) sound on records:

    "This system was conceived by Alan Blumlein of EMI in 1931 and was patented in the U.K. the same year, but was not reduced to actual practice as was a requirement for patenting in the U.S. and elsewhere at that time. (Blumlein was killed in a plane crash while testing radar equipment during WW-II, and he, therefore, never reduced the system to actual practice through both a recording and a reproducing means.) EMI cut the first stereo test discs using the system in 1933, but it was not applied commercially until a quarter of a century later, and by another company (Westrex division of Litton Industries Inc, as a successor to Western Electric Company), and dubbed StereoDisk. Stereo sound provides a more natural listening experience, since the spatial location of the source of a sound is (at least in part) reproduced."
     
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  5. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    I love the way the guy sounds in the video, it's like they were inventing the atomic bomb at RCA :agree: :laugh::laugh:.
    It sounds so secretive like it was an FBI the CIA reading classified information.
    THE ATOMIC AGE was coming to America!!!! :shh::shh: :goodie::cheers::bigeek:
     
  6. EasterEverywhere

    EasterEverywhere Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
  7. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    RCA Did it Again???? Check this out. WOW!!! Who invented the CASSETTE ???

     
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  8. 762rob

    762rob Forum Resident

    Did anybody notice the record being played on the video was slightly warped?
     
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  9. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    I did notice that BOB BAGGS looks quite a bit warped though,,, IMHO. :D
     
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  10. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    If they send it back to Amazon for a replacement, they may get banned!
     
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  11. Licorice pizza

    Licorice pizza Livin’ On The Fault Line

    And having a color TV set and telephone. ;)
     
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  12. mne563

    mne563 Senior Member

    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    That was pretty cool! Never ever heard of that particular format! I've also never seen one...
     
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  13. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    Neither did I as a matter of FACT.
    I can't help but still ask the question as to "Who invented the cassette"??

    I mean sure there is an answer but like you said, since I never heard or saw of this format with this type of Tape Playing system as well as the TAPE looking like a HUGE cassette from 1958.

    I think it's wicked cool and that it didn't seem to catch on.
    Or was it too expensive as opposed company's making records instead at that time period.

    I'd love to know the answer concerning this for sure. ???
     
    MAYBEIMAMAZED likes this.
  14. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    Philips, in the early 60's. It was, at that time, strictly a dictation format. The RCA tape format was for convenience, as sound quality was less than spectacular. The Elcassette didn't catch on, either. Another thing they did back in those days was broadcast in stereo. You needed two radios. One tuned to the broadcast on AM, which was one channel, the other radio picking it up on FM, which was the other channel. The other stereo record format, which I think was made by Cook, had two grooves being picked up by two tone arms.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2014
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  15. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    Thanks for that info JBS... :cheers:
     
  16. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    Here is a stereo demo from the 1950's. http://www.deepskyaudio.com/stereodemo.mp3 (WARNING: turn it down before 24:50, loud feedback squeal). One channel was on radio, the other was on TV. It's also interesting to hear the commercials for 1950's high fidelity equipment.
     
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  17. indy mike

    indy mike Forum Pest

    Looks like Richard Deacon's younger brother was presenting Living Stereo in that promo film... :cool:
     
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  18. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I feel like the thread title should probably be changed, as it is a bit misleading - came in expecting discussion on an actual RCA living stereo reel, not a YouTube video of a film about RCA living stereo which is probably physically stored on a reel.

    Maybe the thread can be merged with some of the other countless times this has been posted too.

    Definitely an interesting view for those who've yet to see it, just... not quite what's in the title.
     
  19. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist Thread Starter

    You have to admit that the one video about the Tape cassette unit is quite different and I know that I was never aware of this before.
    BTW.... MERRY CHRISTMAS to all !!!! :D:cheers:
     
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  20. CusBlues

    CusBlues Fort Wayne’s Favorite Retired Son

    Nice. It makes you want to don a tie and jacket, grab a pipe and listen to some Motzart.
     
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