Nagra – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

Video editor Ian Collins took photos of various pieces of post-production technical kit before the fixtures and fittings of Pebble Mill were sold off in auction in Autumn 2004.

These photos are of a Nagra audio recorder. They were used in the PSC (portable single camera) edit suites until the 1990s. They were very rugged and reliable.

Please add a comment if you can add information about how the Nagras were used.

 

 

 

The following comment was made by recordist Murray Clarke about location Nagras: ‘Of course the Nagra 3 and 4s were the standard sound recording machine for location recordists for many many years before DAT became more common. I bought my mono Nagra 3 in 1971 for a cost of around £3200. I took it up to Yorkshire for a couple of episodes of all Creatures Great and Small – and it rained solidly for a fortnight!!!. My ‘over-qualified’ boom op and assistant was Dave Baumber, then the Dubbing Mixer at the newly-built Pebble Mill studios.’

Christopher Hall adds the following information: ‘This is a Nagra T. T for twin capstan. They had a computer controlled synchroniser which could chase timecode from the VT machine in an edit suite at high speed. I went on a factory course for these in the late 1980s. We spent a whole day learning how to repair the motors, and when we asked how long they usually lasted for a discussion in French and German revealed that they didn’t know because none had stopped yet!’

Paul Vanezis: ‘I tracklayed 10 episodes of ‘Chalkface’ and 8 episodes of ‘Specials’ on a Nagra T…’

Peter Poole: ‘This must be the finest tape recorder ever made. I spent ages trying to get film unit to buy one for the transfer suite. It never happened. But after seeing the price I could see why!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Totally agree with you Peter……I used one to great effect recording a nightingale for a Radio Birmingham programme in the 70s. The standard reporter’s Uher was not up to the job and the simple version Nagra gave level control, mixing of two mics AND ‘off tape’ monitoring!’

Shibaden Tape Recorder – photos Ian Collins


Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

Before the Pebble Mill auction in 2004 and the demolition, VT Editor, Ian Collins decided to take record photos of much of the post production kit, particularly obsolete items which were being disposed of.

These photos are of the Shibaden 1/2 Video Tape recorder – model SV 700, which was the most popular model in the range.  These machines came out in the late 1960s and were used well into the 1970s.  They were open reel to reel videotape recorders, recording in black and white.  The tapes moved at 7.5 inches per second.  Shibaden also made cameras, sync generators and monitors, and were a rival to Sony.

Apparently this tape recorders are very rare now.

Relaxation on location – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

These photos were taken in July 1987.  The ones on the boat are probably from a day off on location from ‘Vanity Fair’, and the others are possibly from the journey to or from the location in Norfolk.

Included in the photos are cameraman Paul Woolston, and electrician Chris Glover, amongst others.

Messing about on the river – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by VT editor Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are from a day off on location on the Norfolk Broads, whilst filming nights on the drama series, ‘Vanity Fair’. The photos date from May, 1987.  Included are cameramen Paul Woolston (without shirt), and Bob Meikle, grey hair and glasses, and the man with the plastic cup is probably soundman Alistair Askham.  The man with the beard is Rod Bach, and the man foreground in the 2nd shot with blondish hair and sunglasses is broadcast engineer, Chris Glover.  The man in the 2nd shot on the back, right, is engineer John Bradley.

Thanks to Andy Frizzell, Lesley Weaver, Stuart Gandy, Ian Collins, Chris Glover and Richard Stevenson for identifying those included.

Outside broadcast, ‘Vanity Fair’ – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are from a Pebble Mill outside broadcast from May 1987. They feature VT engineer Paul Scholes, OB engineer Rod Bach, vision engineer John Bradley and PA Janet Redencowitz (sp?).

The outside broadcast was for the drama series: ‘Vanity Fair’, for which lighting director Dave Bushell was nominated for a BAFTA.  The location was Heydon Hall or Thetford, both in Norfolk.  The series was hosted at Pebble Mill, out of London.