bjoneson
Well-known member
A little bit of background...
Around 1970 my grandfather worked as an engineering coordinator for the Johnny Cash show down in Nashville, and later was involved in engineering duties at several local TV stations after moving to Omaha, NE (my home town). During this time, he was developing what's been described to me by my father as a tape / programming automation "computer" for TV. My grandfather died of a heart attack in 1974 long before I was born, but my dad has kept this unit and all of the schematics my grandfather was developing. It's been untouched for the last 40 years.
While the original use for the unit has long since been filled with computers and automated equipment, I've always thought it would be really cool to salvage it, and create something useful with it. I know it's a little silly and esoteric, but the thought of passing signal through something my grandfather (a man I never met, but have come to deeply respect) labored over, would be kind of special and bring a little extra "energy" to the work I do (mainly mixing).
The unit itself is a about 5u 19" rackmount, with a series of about 8 "modules" very similar to the API 500 series format.
What I think I'd like to attempt is to create a summing mixer / amplifier, split into 8 input modules (2-3), and a make up / sum amp module. 2 busses (L-R).
At this point I'm considering a passive / unbalanced summing design, into ClassicAPI's summing board. I could potentially add additional summing amp modules for different flavors, but the classic API one seems like a good starting point.
In regards to the input modules, I'd like to incorporate an L-C-R switch for bus assignment, but don't need any pots or faders.
I'm a very self motivated guy, and will be happy to do leg work and reading, but hoping there's more experienced folks around here who would be willing to lend a hand with the design process.
I'll be getting ahold of the actual unit later this week, and will post some pictures for reference. In the meantime, I need to start developing schematics for the input modules, and get a better understanding of how they would then be wired to the ClassicAPI summing amp.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Around 1970 my grandfather worked as an engineering coordinator for the Johnny Cash show down in Nashville, and later was involved in engineering duties at several local TV stations after moving to Omaha, NE (my home town). During this time, he was developing what's been described to me by my father as a tape / programming automation "computer" for TV. My grandfather died of a heart attack in 1974 long before I was born, but my dad has kept this unit and all of the schematics my grandfather was developing. It's been untouched for the last 40 years.
While the original use for the unit has long since been filled with computers and automated equipment, I've always thought it would be really cool to salvage it, and create something useful with it. I know it's a little silly and esoteric, but the thought of passing signal through something my grandfather (a man I never met, but have come to deeply respect) labored over, would be kind of special and bring a little extra "energy" to the work I do (mainly mixing).
The unit itself is a about 5u 19" rackmount, with a series of about 8 "modules" very similar to the API 500 series format.
What I think I'd like to attempt is to create a summing mixer / amplifier, split into 8 input modules (2-3), and a make up / sum amp module. 2 busses (L-R).
At this point I'm considering a passive / unbalanced summing design, into ClassicAPI's summing board. I could potentially add additional summing amp modules for different flavors, but the classic API one seems like a good starting point.
In regards to the input modules, I'd like to incorporate an L-C-R switch for bus assignment, but don't need any pots or faders.
I'm a very self motivated guy, and will be happy to do leg work and reading, but hoping there's more experienced folks around here who would be willing to lend a hand with the design process.
I'll be getting ahold of the actual unit later this week, and will post some pictures for reference. In the meantime, I need to start developing schematics for the input modules, and get a better understanding of how they would then be wired to the ClassicAPI summing amp.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
