Extracts from Marconi Catalogue......

 

1960

 

The Company is specialising in modern system planning even to the most exacting customers' specification.  Marconi consultants, project engineers, architects, and acousticians are always at the service of clients during all early stages of their organisation.  Marconi engineers also deal efficiently with the whole aspects of installation, staff training, and initial traffic of the service.

 

No two organisations use identical methods of operation.  The widely differing function and usage that has evolved has prompted the Company to the first developments of custom-built sound equipment.  The Company's 'tailor-made' apparatus, accessories, studio suites, reporting and recording vehicles and whole broadcasting-house schemes have become a well-established branch of its business and have earned a fine engineering tradition second to none.

 

1963

 

The past few years have shown a great increase in the demands made on sound equipment, both in broadcasting and in television.  Not only have the number of control channels increased but far more complex and flexible auxiliary facilities have been required for studio and outside-broadcast work.

 

We therefore provide a range of sound equipment which will meet these demands without losing sight of the more modest, but equally important, requirements of the small studio operator.

 

There has been an increase too in the number of outside broadcasting vehicles equipped by the Company for sound broadcasting authorities.  Our experience with sound, to day nothing of television, radar and military communication vehicles enables us to bring expert knowledge to bear on the many problems of broadcasting and recording vehicle design and equipment.

 

1964

 

"Over the past years there has been a great increase in the demands made on sound equipment, both in broadcasting and in television.  Not only have the number of control channels increased but far more complex and flexible auxiliary facilities have been required for both studio and outside-broadcast work".

 

"We therefore provide a range of sound equipment which will meet these demands without losing sight of the more modest, but equally important, requirements of the small studio operator".

 

1965

 

Broadcasting Division's range of sound equipment has changed considerably during the past few years and even the most modest operator can find a performant solution to meet his particular requirements.

 

The following two items exemplify the wide range of equipment available:

 

• Small, elegantly styled transistor peak-performance meters and volume meters
• 12-channel Mixer type B1103 is a very competitive sound mixer offering all the facilities required for television broadcasting

 

 

Sound Equipment

 

Model number	Description	Comments	Date (approx.)	Details
BD970	Transistorised Sound Console		1962	here
B1005	Transistor Sound Console		< 1965	here
B1102	Transistor OB Mixer with B1701 Monitor		< 1965	here
B1103	Sound Mixer		< 1965	here
B1005	Transistor Sound Consoles		c. 1969	here
B1103*	Sound Mixer for Television		c. 1969
B1333	Universal Sound Amplifier		1966
B1334	Sound Distribution Amplifier		< 1968
B1336	Dual Loudspeaker Amplifier		c. 1969
B1750 Series	Programme Meters (VU and PP)		< 1968

 

*  Article available on the B1103 Sound Mixer is available here

 

 

Sound control desks

 

Model number	Description	Comments	Date (approx.)	Details
BD646	Mobile Commentators Communications units		c. 1952	here
BD647	Moble Production Console		c. 1952
BD648	Mobile Engineering Console		c. 1952
BD536	Sound Control Desk	8 channel	c. 1952	here
	Mobile Sound units		1961	here
BD521	Continuity Control Desk		1952	here
BD964	Television sound control desk "Major"	35 channel	1961 - 1964	here
BD965	Television sound control desk "Medium"	27 channel	1961 - 1964
BD966	Television sound control desk "Minor"	13 channel	1961 - 1964
BD554	Portable Amplifier and Mixer	4 channel	< 1958	here
BD580	Mobile Sound Control equipment, includes:	5 channel	< 1958	here
BD591 BD592 BD579	Mobile Amplifier unit Mobile Power Supply unit Control Panel
BD582	Studio Sound Control equipment	7 channel	< 1958	here
	Broadcasting Studio Control		< 1960	here
BD956	Outside Broadcast Transistorised Mixer		1960	here
BD956B	Outside Broadcast Mixer with Monitor 1701	Note 1	1963	here
BD972	Sound Mixer	Note 2	c. 1964	here
	Transistorised Sound Consoles		1960	here
BD545	Studio Control Console		1952	here
BD545 and BD595	Studio Control Console		< 1963	here

 

Note 1

The BD956B Mixer with associated 1701 Loudspeaker Monitor are primarily designed for outside broadcast use offering four low-level inputs for microphones or transcription heads.  Both units can operate off a variety of standard mains voltages and 12 volt batteries.

 

Note 2

The BD972 Sound Mixer has been designed for television outside broadcast units and small television studios.  It is fully transistorised and can easily be mounted in a customer's control desk.

 

 

Television sound control desk "Minor" as installed in the Intertel OB van.

 

 

 

 

Module System of Sound Control units

 

These modules comprise:

 

• Channel / Echo Amplifier
• Channel Splitter Amplifier
• Group Splitter Amplifier
• Booster Amplifier
• Programme Amplifier
• Single-Input Isolation Amplifier
• High-level Unit
• Triple-input High-level Unit

 

Each module is an assembly in the shape of a book which can be built into a studio console or desk.

 

1962 information click here

1963 information click here

1964 information click here

 

 

Programme Meters (V.U. and P.P)

 

There are two types of Programme Meter:  

 

1. Volume Unit (VU) meter, or Standard Volume Indicator (SVI), which displays a representation of the signal level 
2. Peak Programme (PU) meter which shows the peak level of the waveform no matter how brief its duration

 

The following units make up the range of programme meters:

     

Model number	Description	Comments	Date (approx.)	Details
	Programme Meters		1961	here
BD529	V.U. Meter		1964	here
6289	V.U. Meter		1964
6288	P.P. Meter		1964
BD520E	P.P. Meter		1964
7188	P.P. Meter		1964
	Programme Meters		1965	here
	Programme Meters		1966	here

 

 

Audio Amplifiers and Programme Input equipment

 

The following list indicated the wide-range of amplifiers which could be configured to meet the exacting requirements of any customer.  Most units mount in standard 19" racks.

 

Model number	Description	Date (approx.)	Details
BD517	Microphone Amplifier	c. 1952	here
BD522	Trap Valve Amplifier	c. 1952
BD528	Line Amplifier	c. 1952
	Programme Input equipment - 1952	1952	here
	Programme Input equipment - 1958	< 1958	here
	Programme Lines and Input equipment - 1960	1960	here
	Programme Input equipment - 1963	< 1963	here
	Audio Amplifiers	< 1963	here
	Audio Amplifiers and Programme Input equipment	< 1964	here
	Audio Amplifiers and Programme Input equipment	< 1965	here
B1333	Universal Sound Amplifier	1966	here

 

 

 

Sound Distribution Amplifiers

 

Model number	Description	Comments	Date (approx.)	Details
BD967	Sound Distribution Amplifier		c. 1964	here
B1309	Sound Distribution Amplifier		< 1965	here
B1337	Sound Amplifier		c. 1980	here

 

 

Microphones

 

From long experience of many types Marconi singled out several excellent microphones designed to suit all applications.

 

Model number	Description	Date (approx.)	Details
BD506	Ribbon microphone	1952	here
	Microphone stands	1952
BD512	Commentator's microphone	1952
	Microphones	1961	here
4021	Moving coil, general purpose	c. 1964	here
4032	Moving coil, outside broadcast	c. 1964
4033A	Cardioid, orchestral	c. 1964
4035	Moving coil, wide-angle	c. 1964
4037	Moving coil, stick	c. 1964
4038	Ribbon, orchestral	c. 1964
4104	Lip	c. 1964
4105	Small, directional	c. 1964
LFV / 39	Moving coil, talk-back	c. 1964
	Microphones	< 1965	here
	Microphones	< 1966	here
	Microphones	< 1968	here

 

 

Loudspeakers

 

Marconi supplied a comprehensive sewries of loudspeakers which covered the whole range of sound broadcasting studio, concert-hall or small-room reproduction applications including stereophony.  All models are designed and manufactured for Marconi by specialised manufacturers.

 

Model number	Description	Date (approx.)	Details
BD516	6-watt loudspeaker amplifier	1952	here
BD513	20-watt loudspeaker amplifier	1952
BD504	Concert Hall loudspeaker Loudspeaker Monitor	1952	here
BD525	Table loudspeaker	1952
BD526	Floor mounted loudspeaker	1952
BD527	Portable loudspeaker monitor	1952
BD510	Portable Amplifier and Mixer for BD527	c. 1952	here
	Loudspeakers for studio use	c. 1964	here
	Loudspeakers for studio use	c. 1965	here
	Loudspeakers for studio use	< 1966	here
	Loudspeakers for studio use	< 1968	here

 

 

Studio Signal Light systems

 

For further information:

 

1964 click here 

1965 click here

1966 click here

1968 click here