Phonogène universel

[saint gillis]

Hello,
A guy named Francis Coupigny created a device called "Phonogène Universel" in 1963, it was a tape machine capable of making some time stretching without changing the tune, and also capable of correcting the pitch without changing the time.

Does anyone have an idea about how it works ?

 

[Tubetec]

There was another machine from days goneby called the 'tempophon'
same idea , independant variation of pitch and tempo , it dates back to the mid 50's
used rotary heads .

There isnt a whole pile of info about the machine , but a few German sites have some stuff about it .
https://www.auditive-medienkulturen...lturgeschichte-eines-akustischen-zeitreglers/

 

[JohnRoberts]

Bell Labs developed a rotating head tape machine... Mechanically the VCR rotating head used a similar principle to attain video bandwidth with slow linear tape speed.

For audio the rotating head can alter the relative head vs tape speed. This means you could speed up the linear tape speed but adjust the relative head vs tape speed to deliver normal pitch, alternately you could slow down the tape speed but again correct the pitch.

The Bell rotating head machine delivered excellent sound quality because it used 4 heads splayed at 90' from each other so as each head moved away from the tape, the adjacent head approached. A typical problem with pitch shifting is splicing samples together but the rotating head neatly summed longer wavelength bass from both heads...

pitch shift article

JR

 

[saint gillis]

Very interesting, thank you

 

[zamproject]

Have a good friend I have some project with, some time ago, who was at the GRM (Groupe de Recherche Musicale) in the mid/late 60', he was at beginning the assistant for Parmegiani IIRC, later he -score- and produce/build the sound design (musique concrete) for the famous (in France) Shadoks animation series. I Once go with him in 2 or 3 days retrospective/conference of the whole GMR history. Pierre Henry was here too, with a 35mm copy of a carzy psychedelic film for the -Messe pour le temps présent- (there where visual/film experimental research too by that time)
All this to say there was a technical research group too at the ORTF and my friend told and explained me the principle of a -tape machine- with multiple head all around, for all kind of loop/stretch/pitch probably, I suppose only one machine was build by in house engineer, I don't remember how this machine was called nor in which GRM production it was used...definitely need a search (or call my friend...time fly) !

Cheers
Zam

 

[zamproject]

called "Phonogène Universel"

In fact that's the same family ! we talk about the same machine
Before there is the -Phonogène chromatique-

https://sites.inagrm.com/grmstudio/activities/Historique_Manipulations.xhtml

 

[Tubetec]

To all intents and purposes its like a tape based sampler long before the term was coined ,
The French are indeed very passionate about their 'Musique Concrete'

Desmond Leslie managed to wangle one of Rupert Neve's early consoles on the never never , I dont think the balance was ever paid ,

 

[saint gillis]

Yes this is the previous version by Pierre Schaeffer, I think this one only changed pitch + time equally
But with the keyboard you could make sing a "concrete" sound like a hammer, a zip or some water noise, and this was revolutionary

 

[soapfoot]

It seems mandatory to mention the Eltro

https://www.wendycarlos.com/other/Eltro-1967/
It used rotating drum heads to do the Hal 9000 voice effect in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and was used in some pioneering work by Wendy Carlos

 

[saint gillis]

It seems mandatory to mention the Eltro

https://www.wendycarlos.com/other/Eltro-1967/
It used rotating drum heads to do the Hal 9000 voice effect in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and was used in some pioneering work by Wendy Carlos

Yes, it's mentioned by Tubetec and in the article posted by John

 

[thomasdf]

Awesome thread, awesome machines... The level of imagination / design & engineering is out of this world ! I'm amazed