The following range of sound equipment can also be supplied with authentic accessories such as headphones, cables and cases.

Western Electric Portable
O.B Unit

Circa: Mid 1920's - Early 1930's

Used in radio's infancy, a very basic mobile microphone gain unit that could be wired into a telephone line to allow reports to be sent from an outside event back to the radio station.

Early 1920's Western Electric Microphone Mixer

E.R.P.I (Electrical Research Products) "Vitaphone" Mixer

Circa: 1930 - Mid 1930's

Small 3 channel microphone mixing unit which was used in the very earliest days of sound films or "Talkies", although from a props point of view it could equally used as a early radio or recording studio mixer.

Vitaphone Microphone

(see microphone page)

Presto 16 Inch Disc Recording Lathe

Circa: Early 1930's - Mid 1940's

Before magnetic tape came along the industry standard way of recording for radio broadcasting and early film sound was directly onto 16 inch cellulose coated aluminium discs, which ran at 78 or 33 1/3 RPM .

The Presto Recording Corp produced portable versions of these machines that could be taken out into the field. The discs could then played back for broadcast on a gramophone / record player.

Because of their portability several of these machines were purchased by Warner Brothers for recording "special-sound-effects" to be used on their then new "Loony Tunes" and "Merrie Melody" cartoons
.................That's all folks !

16 Inch Disc

In Metal Case

R.C.A Photophone
Portable Motion Picture Sound Mixer

Circa: Late 1930's - Late 1940's

Ex Shepperton Studios Sound Dept, this lightweight mixing unit could be used on the studio floor or taken out on location.

R.C.A Photophone Microphone

(see microphones page)

Telefunken WW2 German Radio
Outside Broadcast / Mixer Unit

Circa: Late 1930's - Mid 1940's

Portable German radio mixer for use at rallies, speeches, or even taken into battle, linked to a telephone line and relayed back to the radio station where it could be broadcast and used for Nazi propagander.

Tiewa Condensor Microphone

Typical type of mic taken out with this unit

(see microphones page)

B.B.C OBA/8
WW2 Outside Broadcast Unit

Circa: Late 1930's - Mid 1950's

Portable O.B kit used both in Britain and Overseas for reporting the war, continued in use at the B.B.C well into the 1950's for sporting events, news coverage and state occasions including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

B.B.C O.B Microphones

Selection of microphones that would have gone out with this unit

(see microphones page)

B.B.C Outside Broadcast
Gram Deck / Record Player

Circa: Late: 1930's - Mid 1950's

Used for radio play-outs of Gramophone records and recorded discs.

Western Electric Non-Sync Twin Turntables

Circa: Early 1940's - Late 1950's

These turntables were installed in cinemas and used for playing background music during intervals and while people were finding their seats.

R.C.A Audio Oscillator

Circa: Late 1930's - Early 1950's

Used in radio stations and recording studios to generate audio tones of varying frequencies to test signal paths, cables, speakers and recording equipment.

Gaumont & Kalee 35mm Optical Sound Recording Camera

Circa Late Late 1940's - Late 1960's

Ex Pinewood Studios Sound Dept , used for recording sound directly onto 35mm film by converting audio waveforms into beams of light that are then exposed onto film. The final recorded track is then processed alongside that of the matching picture and then both picture and sound are in complete synchronisation and on one single piece of film.

These recorders were mainly used in-house but were also fitted into mobile sound trucks to be taken out on location.

Gaumont & Kalee
Portable Motion Picture
Sound Mixers

Circa: Late 1940's - Mid 1960's

Ex Pinewood Studios Sound dept, lightweight and extremely high quality microphone mixing unit that would have been used on the studio floor or taken out on location.

Would have originally been used with the above optical camera and then in its later life used with a mag track machine such as below.

Gaumont & Kalee microphones

(see microphone page)

Klangfilm 16mm Mag-Track Portable Motion Picture Sound Recorder

Circa: Early 1950's - Mid 1960's

Portable recorder that records onto sprocketed 16mm magnetic audio tape, the sprocket perforations match that of the cameras film which allows you in the editing stage to synchronise them together, this method was known as the " double system"

These were used in studio or taken out on location.

Magnasync Portable 16mm
Mag-Track Recorder

Circa: Early 1950's - Mid 1960's

Lightweight version of the above recorder that was more suited for interviewing, documentary, news type filming.

Raytheon Sound Mixer

Circa: Early 1950's - Mid 1960's

Desktop Mixer that would have been used in radio or recording studios

1950's Recording Light

E.M.I Portable Tape Recorder

Circa: Late 1950's - Late 1960's

Small battery powered reel to reel tape machine, widely used by the B.B.C and other independent broadcasters for reporting and documentary film sound.

David Attenborough often used one of these for sound recording on his early nature films.

To the right are some of the microphones that would have been used with this recorder.

E.M.I / Gerry Anderson
Portable Sound Mixer

Circa Late 1950's - Late 1960's

Custom built E.M.I sound mixer originally owned by A.P Films, Gerry Andersons company who produced the classic Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5 and Stingray shows.

It was used as part of their "Natterer" system. Pre recorded characters voices were played back on E.M.I TR90 Tape machines on the studio floor, these machines were modified to trigger the lips of the puppets , the voices were all fed out from the on-set tape machines through "this" mixer and mixed down onto a single track optical film recorder. The optical soundtrack was then processed alongside the camera footage onto one single strip of film and then puppet lips, sound and the picture are all perfectly syncronised together.

B.B.C Gram Deck / Record Player

Circa Late 1950's - Late 1960's

Used for radio play-outs of gramophone records and recorded discs.

B.B.C LS3/1A
O.B / Studio Monitor Speakers & Amplifier Units

Circa: Late 1950's - Late 1960's

B.B.C designed speakers of exceptional sound quality that were taken out on O.B's, also used in radio and recording studios.

B.B.C Line / Audio Testers

Circa Late 1950's - Early 1970's

Internal use B.B.C Test Equipment.

Nagra III
Portable Motion Picture
Location Sound Kit

Circa: Late 1950's - Early 1970's

One of the most widely used recorders of its time, the Nagra III kit was the worlds first truly portable studio quality sound system , at last the soundman could go wherever the camera went, no longer were you tied to a large studio or location sound truck, the battery powered Nagra along with lighter cameras by Arri changed the way films were made forever.

Leevers Rich
Portable Location Recorder

Circa: Late 1950's - Early 1970's

These recorders were used throughout the broadcasting and film industry due to their amazing sound, robust build quality and reliability, this is an Ex B.B.C machine and was used for radio location recording, but they best suited to motion picture sound.

B.B.C MX6/1
Sound Mixer

Circa: Early 1960's - Early 1970's

Compact 6 channel microphone mixing unit that was taken out on O.B's

1960's BBC Cue Light

Perfectone EP Series
Portable Motion Picture Sound Kit

Circa: Early 1960's - Early 1970's

Ex Shepperton Studios Sound Dept, these kits were used by several film production companies throughout the 1960's, but the company were unable to compete with the favoured Nagra III machines and ceased production after only a few years, not many survive today.