Summer 2000 - The Association of Motion Picture Sound
Summer 2000 - The Association of Motion Picture Sound
Summer 2000 - The Association of Motion Picture Sound
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<strong>The</strong> main difficulty then was the portability <strong>of</strong><br />
equipment. Magic magnetic TI4" tape !141'!t_",<br />
anived. As a recorder I had to use a 100<strong>of</strong>t 35mm<br />
newsreel film camera with a glow lamp up the<br />
back, focussed on to the main sprocket. <strong>The</strong><br />
accompanyingvalve amplifier required a 6 volt<br />
car battery for the filament supply and 360 volts<br />
<strong>of</strong> B batteries were needed for the plate supply<br />
and glow lamp power. <strong>The</strong> amplifier and B<br />
batteries were contained in a heavy duty case<br />
approximately 7" x 18" x 30". I can't remember<br />
the total weight <strong>of</strong> the camera and sound gear<br />
except that it was bloody heavy. However in<br />
those youthful enthusiastic early days, weight<br />
didn't seem to be a problem. What a difference a<br />
Nasra would have made but that was still 20<br />
yeis into the future.<br />
- I bought my first Nagra 3 in January 1964,<br />
although I had used one on several occasions<br />
before that, rented from Edgar Vetter, who like<br />
Dudtey Plummerhad the imagination to see the<br />
Nagra's potential. It cost f34O plus 13 guineas<br />
for an ATN power supply unit. A little later on I<br />
bought a BM microphone mixer unit and a DH<br />
speaker amplifier. I already had a pair <strong>of</strong> AKG<br />
D25 mics and two pairs <strong>of</strong> RCA BK6lavalier<br />
mics that had been part <strong>of</strong> my lrevers-Rich outfit.<br />
So now I was equipped with a recording<br />
machine that I could carry almost anywhere slung<br />
over my shoulder, able to record music (even<br />
bells) let alone good dialogue and all manner <strong>of</strong><br />
natural sound effects.<br />
Besi des countless documentaries, short fi lms,<br />
commercials and episodes <strong>of</strong> TV Series, 42 <strong>of</strong> the<br />
54feature pictures I recorded production sound<br />
for were recorded on Nagras (3,4.2,45). During<br />
all those productions, using over 200O 5" spools<br />
<strong>of</strong> tl4' tape, my Nagras never failed me.<br />
I would like to say an enormously grateful<br />
public thank you to Stephan Kudelski for<br />
desi gning and manufacturin g recording machines<br />
that for 28 years <strong>of</strong> my career enabled me to<br />
produce quality results without undue wory or<br />
hardship, and added greatly to my financial well<br />
beins.<br />
And why shouldn't all producers whose movies<br />
were recorded on Nagras and all production<br />
mixers who used Nagras, along with facilities<br />
companies that rented out Nagras, also extend<br />
grateful thanks to Stephan Kudelski and the<br />
people he employed in his factory manufactg.tttg<br />
lhe precision recording equipment produced by<br />
Kudelski SA in Lausame Switzerland.<br />
Footnote: Nagra becrtme a lulme as well known as<br />
Kodak but unlike Kodak it was a proper word<br />
chosen by Stephan Kudelski from his rwtive<br />
Polish language, meaning "It will record".<br />
Another fact for Michael Caine to add to his<br />
collection <strong>of</strong> 'not wnn\i people know that"<br />
BOB AI-I,EN<br />
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<strong>The</strong> Newsreel souncl-o n-film o tillit<br />
Side view <strong>of</strong> wall catr,era showing glov lamp<br />
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A 1960s Nagra 3 outfit as rented out lty location<br />
sound.facilities. Cant you list the gear?