GATES TRANSCRIPION TURNTABLE

[tolivac]

The HOSHO tape machine is pretty cool-I too like the "Eye" tube indicators better than meters if you are using them for tuning or peaking-more responsive.The device is actually a miniature cathode ray tube-the grid controls the deflection of the electron "shadow" on the bowel shaped plate that has the phospor on it.
The wooden tone arms are supposed to dampen tone arm resonances better than metal ones-sometimes when the arm is tracking a really low frequency cut in a record-it can start to vibrate and mistrack-have seen this.You have to adjust the tracking force and anti-skating to correect.

 

[sudsmaster]

What was kind of cool about the Hosho is that there was a tape on it when I got it. Turns out the tape was made by a US serviceman in Janaury, 1970, relating his travels to and from a US military base in northern Thailand. He recorded his comments (evidently he wrote them out beforehand and recited them somewhat woodenly into the tape recorder later), as well as sounds of Bangkok traffic outside his hotel room window, which he said was 7x24, and various band music.

 

[tolivac]

I would have to think the tape found on the Hosho recorder would have been precious to the person who recorded it.Bet its interesting and emotionally moving to listen to it.Its too bad the tape didn't make it to the recipient.It sounded like the serviceman cut the tape and was going to send it to his family or his wife.I looked up the mico-Trac arms and no longer find them listed-and yes I have seen them on other Gates TT's.Typically if the TT was in an AM station it had a mono cartridge-the GE reluctance was common.For FM stations the TT's would have stereo cartridges-Stanton,Shures were common.The styli was conical-to withstand the "back-Q'ing" DJ's used while cueing records for airplay or production.In much later years--80's on until TT's were retired in favor of CD's and Computer managed programs-All TT's had stereo cartridges.They were converted to mono in the TT preamp if at an AM station.At that time 80's onward-station suppliers could no longer get mono cardridges.There was no more call for them.Now when I looked up Broadcast suppliers-only one still has TT's-typically Technics or Numark.

 

[bobofhollywood]

mono cartridge

I am enjoying my mono GE pickup.
The gates is really working well now, and it makes happy feelings to all who hear it.
I've been playing 1949 and 1950 10" Lp's on it while taking photos of the Maytag AMP recently, and the mono pickup is perfect for this.
I also painted the arm rest and loaded the arm with some felt to reduce harmonic resonation, and that arm is actually performing to my satisfaction now. I would like to replace the Gray Research arm though.

 

[tolivac]

I can vaguely remember WHFS-an album rock FM station near Wash DC-later it moved to Annapolis If I got it right.It would make sense the Gates TT was equipped with a stereo cartridge for FM stereo airplay-I wonder how many people "listned" to that TT when they had their radios tuned to WHFS?I always wondered when I manned stations transmitter sites-like TT's manned transmitter sites went out too.Now they are unmmanned and remote controlled.The studio unit can even "read" the transmitter readings and sound an alarm if they get out of tolerence.When I visited their transmitter site years ago-they Had Gates FM transmitters.10Kw I beleive.

 

[jasonl]

Album rock, FM radio, and Cajun music

There ain't nothing like those old FM stations. Then in the 80s, the term "Classic Rock" was invented and in New Orleans, there were 2 stations that played it. WRNO which played both new and classic album cuts, and WCKW which was nothing but classic album rock. Corporate takeover later: The stations now the clearly define themselves as Classic Rock now play the same Queen, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd songs over and over. While those songs are great, I have them on mp3s and have heard them millions and millions of times.

The good news is, the good album rock in on Satellite radio. Sirius 16: The Vault, and XM's Deep Tracks play the stuff you USED to hear on FM. Some of the songs I remember but alot I'm hearing for the FIRST time.

The better news is there's a station in Baton Rouge (Red 93.7) that's owned by a small corporation. It has no live DJ but I've heard them play Patsy Cline and then turn around and play Ozzy Osbourne. How's that for variety? They play almost everything. Yes, pop and rock hits but they have a large library. I also think WTIX is going strong in New Orleans. They are independant and definitely deeper cuts. JD the DJ at night especially will get into the albums and play some rare stuff. KBON 101.1 is in a league all their own. They sometimes play new country but their specialty is Lousiana music all the way from an early 78 to the newest song out there.

So going back to the Gates. All I can say is WOW. I remember seeing WKRP in Cincinatti and going "Where do you get such a huge turntable"? Now I know. Great job on the TT. I bet it sounds wonderful!

 

[rickr]

Oh I HATE it! It was great for the first 32 years or so, but enough is enough! I am SICK of it already! Classic Rock is what pushed me over to Hip Hop and Rap music. Last night they had the radio on Classic Rock at the gym. I asked the instructor to please change the station from the "oldies Station" She laughed and changed it over to one of the Rap/Hip-Hop stations! YEAH!! Thats something you can work out to.

 

[sudsmaster]

Tolivac,

I picked up the Hosho tape recorder at a sidewalk garage sale... for all of $5. Chances are the seller knew what was on it, but decided to sell it anyway. Or perhaps they in turn had gotten it from someone else. And it's possible the recorder was never in Thailand, but was bought and used in the USA to play back tapes received in the mail. All sorts of possible combinations apply. Unfortunately by the time I discovered the tape had the narrative on it, but by that time I had forgotten the location of the residence. I have since wondered who it was and what happened, if anything, to them. After all, the war was still going very hot in 1970.

 

[jasonl]

Classic rock vs rap

Nahhh... Give me "Walk This Way" and "Stairway To Heaven" anytime before I have to hear hip-hop and rap.

There are some exceptions. Yesterday I heard a remake of "Do ya wanna go party" by KC and the Sunshine Band. It was some girl rapper but the song was very upbeat and made you wanna shake your groove thang.

Rock and roll is 50 years old and still going strong. Long live rock! I've been listening to Pink Floyd lately. Not just "Money" and "Wish you were here", but all the other stuff. They wrote the book on ambient/progressive rock. They started out as 60s psychedelia. After Syd Barrett went crazy, the rest of their albums were like haunting dreamscapes. I'm only sorry I never got to see them in concert. I can relate to The Wall. I had a "wall" myself and it came down about 5 years ago. I didn't have the hallucinations or the drugs but I had the isolation that came with it.

 

[rickr]

I have it all on 33 1/3, but I am sick of it......

Sorry Jason, rock is dead. The only thing left to play is the old stuff now. The head banging stuff is still out there being recorded, but that stuff is just noise, not "rock" and I would still rather listen to Rap/Hip-Hop than that stuff. Most people 30 and younger are listening to Rap/Hip-Hop, not head bang stuff.

 

[jasonl]

Agree to disagree

It's all good.

I'm not too much into the headbanging stuff but I'll listen to it over rap given a choice. Rock ain't dead as long as there are people like me that appreciate it.

 

[tolivac]

WOW-Hosho tape machine for $5 interesting buy.the recording on it--Priceless"
HIp-Hop-Rap music-burn it-shred it-hate the stuff.Oldies rock--much better.

 

[jasonl]

Rick, if you're sick of those LPs, let me know. Esp, if you have some Zepplin and Pink Floyd. I can't wait to see the look on Helen's face when I blast The Wall, Dark Side or Whole Lotta Love on the Logitech z-5500.

I don't want to "gank" other people's likes and interest so I'll keep my mouth shut about rap. Honestly, I like the old skool stuff. That jammed. It's just when it all got hateful and curse-word driven and the actual beats weren't fun to listen to anymore, I dropped it altogether and turned to oldies/classic rock.

Thank God for the Vault on Sirius. That and Elvis channel is pretty much all I listen to.

 

[rickr]

Jason, email your address to me, and I will send some stuff your way. I would send the recordings via UPS Ground Service. The cargo area of the trucks are not air conditioned. Do you think that would be ok? I can recall records warping, if they were left in a hot car. Perhaps we should wait until Fall??

 

[jasonl]

That's fine, wait till it cools off, because they will sit in those hot trucks and warehouses. Or ship Fedex Saver and I'll pick up the tab.