\ in Review

A return in retrospect to the greatest audio show of all. Until next year, that is.

HARRlE K. RICHARDSON

F YOURS WAS NOT the good fortune to attend the 1952 Audio Fair, you missed witnessing the culmination of the maturing process which has transformed the audio industry from a loosely-bound package of diverse interests into a monolithic mass which welds; together in common objective many of the basic arts and sciences. Of course, this is but another way of saying that audio has grown up-a thought we have been hearing for years on end. And we don't question the correctness of its expression in the past. On the other hand, we feel that the time has come to broaden its mean- ing-to give it the absolute quantity which prevails when an indus- try achieves the stability that comes with self-sufficiency. Impressive proof that the audio industry has reached this stage was disdayed in abundance at the 1952 Fair. Even the most casual analysis of visitors verified the belief that today's audio fan is far removed from the puttering individual whose chief satisfaction- whether in audio or anything else-lies in putting things together and taking them apart again. In the space of but a single year the character of the audio fan has undergone the transformation which the industry itself is now reflecting. Simply speaking, audio manu- facturers today are serving individuals who are interested in audio chiefly because of its ability to add to the richness of their existence, and who care little, if at all, about audio because of its technical enchantment. It is for these reasons that we believe audio has at last achieved maturity in the fullest meaning of the word. Among the 13,000 visitors who attended the 1952 function were hundreds of prominent persons, including the distinguished Dr. E. H. Armstrong, inventor of FM broadcasting, whose presence lent both dignity and authority to the Fair as the accepted meeting place of the audio industry. Following is this reporter's annual effort to convince you that, until you've thrilled to an Audio Fair, you just ain't been around. Success on a national scale was country's major distributors of clearly evident in the impressive fine , Allied display of Philadelphia's Acro Sound has gone all out in pro- Produets Company. In addition viding lovers and audio to the now-famous Acrosound fans with the industry's most output transformers which were pretentious demonstration facili- first introduced at the 1051 Fair, ties. there were shown many new de- As in previous years, vices with which the company is Wire Corporation gracedAl!k making its bid as a leading Fair with an informative shqw~ng manufacturer of audio compo- of wire and cable for practlcally nents. every coneeivable audio applica- tion. The importance audio is as- Packaged sound systems in suming in the general Geld of --hiehlv -- original cabinetra. to- electronics is wel! exemplified by gether with- an excellent switch- the annual partlc~pntionof Alphn ing system for A-B testing, made -major supplidr to the entire the exhibit of Allied Sound electronics industry-in the Fair. Corporation New York both inviting nnh satisfying. in both The title of Altec Lansing respects it reflected the firm's Corporation's exhibit might well lavish new sound studios in mid- have been "The Three Sixes", town Manhattan. Newest of the judging from the tremendous

Counterclockwise-Hal Blumenstein with Mrs. and Dave Hafler of Acro-Allied Sound Corp.-Altec Lansing Corp.- Electric Cow.- Corp. of America-Dave Sarser and sister Sebe for Audak Company-Audio Center of Arrow Electronics-Audio Devices-Alpha Wire-Berlant Associates-H. A. Hartley with H-T speaker--Cwk Labs and Bozak Speakers-Bohn Music Systems-David Bogen Company- Bell Sound Systems, 1nc.T. Robinson-Cox of Beam Instruments-Audio-Video Products' Instrumentation Exhibit-<. J. LeBel and L. S. Good- friend of Audio Instrument Co. Inc.-Audio Exchange teamed with Jeff Markell Associates with touch of humor, and the much needed aspirin.

26 AUDIO ENGINEERING DECEMBER, 1952 interest shown in the company's !ive perfornrerd taking ovep at urw Wlrl. W2.L uud WC cuaxlal unannounced intervals. So excel- . spealiers. Still another six might lent \vua the reproduct~on that euter the pr~2ure11 we uffork.erl anv distinction 1)ettvern th~tdu unr attention to the WfiA cururr wi lurgeli K mait& bi-3ulks: s~~~akt.r-~uci~sure.-kitfi~u::hutl~t.rwork. Adding to the cleinonstra- Alttr: products - including the tion's dramatic proportions was hmons 21U n~icrophoueand Peer- the fact that both musical in- less transformers - were dls- struments emDl0~ed,were Stradi- aiuved. The Three Sixes won the vari, valued dt well over a hum- battle Por attention hands down. dred thousand dollars. Strictly This was the first publip show- big time. ing ~f the newAltec speakers in As might be expected Audio the East. Devices Inc., provided on; of the The growing interest of music Fair's &ore interesting showines lovers in professional tape re- of recordine materials. Rrvce ,corders for home use was evi- Haynes, ad '.manager, and Bob denced in the Ampex Electric Browne. who handles the A-n nr- Company display of the famous count for ~ickard-&-C&pany Ampex 'Type 400 recorder housed advertising agency, were on hand in n handsomelv finished ma- to receive their annual congratu- hogany-cabinet. Also shown were lations from ~rominentindustrr the latest Ampex models for figures for publication of anothek broadcast stations and recording fine directory of tape recorders in studios. including the new stereo- "The Audio Record." Herewith phonic - portable. we tender our own thoughts of approbation for a job well done -one which is of distinct value to the audio industry. Living evidence that andio fans are not without a sense of humor was offered by The Audio Ex- change, Jamaica, N. Y.. with a prominently displayed sign be~r- ing the message, "Another Audio Exchange Service--FRE.E AS- PIRIN." Sharing this suite with The Audio Exchange was Jeff Markell Associates New York, who presented an inusual ,show- ina of custom cabinetrv. There was no exhibit more sitisfvine to the true music lover-the"per7 son who thinks of audio as an adjunct to his living room which is both functional and decorative. Precision audio equipment for specialized professional usage was the keynote of the Audio Instru- ment Company exhibit. Design and develooment eneineers landed here as a sort of niiofflcinl head- High Quality Audio auarters. On handto explainLnd demonstrate the phenomenal in- struments shown was the "dean" of the audio industry, C. J. LeBel. company president.. founder and secretary of the AES, and vice- president of Audio Devices, Inc. Entry. of Ampex into the field of multidimens~onalsound repro- duction held the spotlight in the exhibit of Audio & Video Prod- nets Corporation, New York. If we had to name a sin le Superb program material and ex- most popular display at the Fa%, cellent switching facilities per- it is a certainfy that The Audak mitted listeners to A-B high-qual- Company exhibit would be the ity single-track recordings with probable choice for top honors. Ampex's new "Stereophonic Maximilian Weil Audak presi- Sound." Interesting to note in- dent long known'for his virtuos- cidentally, the tremendous grbwth ity in the field of pickup design. of Audio & Video Products since nave graphic evidence that his last year's Audio Fair. In addi- reputation as a capable showman tion to operating one of the coun- is equallv well deserved. Two try's most complete recording noted musicians-David Sarser, studios, recording and distrihut- violinist with the NBC Symphony ing pre-recorded tape through its and co-designer of the famous subsidiary A-V Tape Libraries, Musicians Amplifier together Inc Audio and Video has formed with his lovely sister bebe. cellist an 'instrumentation Division and with the City Center Opera Com- a Commercial Products Division, pany-gave half-hourly perforni- both of which are among the ances in the Audak exhibit, dem- nation's leading purveyors of onstrating the fidelity of the new audio equipment to industry. Audak Chromatic reproducer. Prior to the Fair Dave and Sebe This was the second appearance made a series of'recordings; the at the Audio Fair of two British demonstratiop consisted of play- products - Acoustical Q.U.A.D. ing these recordings, with the and Tannoy dual-con-

Counterclockwise-E featured by British Industries Corp.-The Carduners of British Industries, Leonard and Gene-E's Sandy Cahn with Vic Brociner-Brook Electronics-Browning Laboratories-Cook Laboratories' binaural disc played with special Livingston arm--Cinema Engineering 50.-Collins Audio Products' kits and tuner-Lucite enclosure shown by Jensen-Kelton speaker-C. G. Barker of Magnecard with new synch- Ing device-General Electric Co. with diamond styli-Mrs. and Mr. E. J. Gately, Jr. with new corner speaker-Jim Parks of Fisher Radio Corp.- over-size Fairchild dynamic pickup--Electronic Workshop's small new speaker enclosure-Electro-Voice's display well populated, Wiilard Wilson ef Wilmington (Del.) Electrical Specialty Co. in foreground-Daven prexy Louis Newman-Danby Radio Corp. speaker enclosures.

AUDIO ENGINEERING DECEMBER, 1952 Counterclockwise-Gray Research's pickup arms-Edward Gray of Grayline with Phono-Card-Harrison Radio Corp.-Harvey Radio Co. Inc.- Hudson Radio & Electronics Corp.-Karlson speakers-Klipsch with large photo of typical living-room installation-Lafayette Radio, of New York-new Mclntosh corner speaker-Pilot, new hit with tuners-Revere tape recorder-Peerless transformer display-Newcomb amplifiers- Music Masters' displaying record making facilities-Mark Simpson Mfg. Co.'s G. Leonard Werner with latest product-peace at last, in Meas- urement Corp.'s exhibit-Leonard Radio, of N. Y.-Jim Lansing speakers-happy Langevin Mfg. Corp. salesmen.

28 AUDIO ENGINEERING DECEMBER, 1952 Counterclockwise-Pentron recorders draw interest-Permoflux binaural exhibit always crowded-new Pickering turnover cartridge--Grommes amplifier of Precision Electronics-Presto Recording Corp.-Jules Bressler beaming over Radio Craftsmen preamp-Rangertone studio recorder -Reeves Soundcraft tape in handy 5-drawer boxes-Stromberg-Carlson shows exquisite cabinetry-W. L. Brooks, tapeblaster chief Engineer, with lab model of new hi-fi recorder-Sonocraft covers the field-Sun Radio stresses balanced systems--Stephens Mfg. Corp. shows speaker cabinets, with Stephens speakers installed-(; & H Wood Products teamed with Electronic Workshop to create Sound Workshop-Soundcrafters, Manhattan dealer-H. H. Scott--Collaro record changer being shown by Jack Willson-River Edge Industries cabinets-Rek-0-Kut line of disc equipment.

AUDIO ENGINEERING 0 DECEMBER, 1952 their respective flelds. One a accorded both of these instru- plifler' were improved' models in miniature wire recorder kn6tn ments by the daily press made the Masco line bf moderakip. as the Minifon, is no larger than the Hawey exhiblt one of the priced tape recorders. /I an average novel is battery-oper- Fair's focal points. ated and perhits up to 2% No exhibitor showed greater houis of uninterrupted recording. The Fair offered no better dis- tions. the disulav clearlv bkueht signs of com any expansiok since The other, a portable ta e re- play of thb equipment of all lead- home the com-pany's great accoin- last year's #air than did Mu& corder known as the cub-8order ing manufacturers than that af- plishments under its competent Masters Inc New York. In 1953 also is battery-operated, reseml forded bv Hudson Radio & Tale- president, Donald Morgan. ---a mbdest') display centered bles a small brief case in a largely around LP recordings pearance' and opens an entire?; - James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., in 1952--one of the Fair's 'mold new field of informal interview to introduced a new rupner in the interesting dis lays 02 everything broadcast reporters thanks to its erpetual race for the title of from pickups !o am lifiers. More 'best" of system% It portability. Widespread publicity than.- -- normal- .- --- .. - attentrou.. .. . --. - .- was.. - ae-- . won that it's a safe bet that you is the. new Model D-31050 a mas- aorded the firm's dubbing servicec can't recall the flrm's tormer sive corner system which'is truly -an economical means of ' pre- monicker. remarkable in its ability to de- serving rare recordings on ace- liver superb andio performance. Shown also were the various tate discs. Lansing driver units-from the Thankful to the Went were 15-in. D-1308 woofer to the 175- w air visitors for giving them the DLH tweeter-lens assembly- fascinating display ~f fine andio first time by Jensen Manufsctur- which have aecured for Jim Lan- equipment shown by Hollywood's ing Company. Naturally, other sing a position of leadership in Newcomb Audio Products Com- Jensen speakers were on display the speaker field. pany A broadened line of hi h but it must be admitted that thd The Fair offered no more com- aualitv ~mulifiers and oorta%le Triplex stole the show. plete display of the audio equip- Three speaker enclosures lined ment of all leadin manufacturers up side-by-side, and set &p for than that affordefby New York's A-B testing, permitted visitors to Leonard Radio, Inc. Featured was a showing of the new Tape-Sonic see for themselves that the new tape recorder which Leonard first in uFoducine- tou-flieht-- audio announced publicly through its equipment. advertisements in 22. An accessory stole the show in Newsworthy indeed was the the exhibit of Pentron Corpora- exhibit of Magnecord Inc., not tion. Many prospective buyers of Hsrlson Associates Brooklyn are alone for its showing 6f fine tape taue recorders for home use were the first to strike the market kith recording equipment but for the heard to decide that 'the recorder a mar-proof Formica finish. public introduction df MaVoTa e to buy was the one which per. mitted the use of 10-in. profes- Good aerfnrmanw frnm a a new full-range, pre-recor8d speaker eiciosGismaii dTmen1 tape library. Tape recordings un- sional reels, just in case they der the trad?, name "Magnecord- might enter the advanced sta es slons was demonstrated by The of their hobby. And it goes wifh- Kelton Company, Cambridge. !rigs by Vox are now available Mass. Internal constructiozial in both aingie- and dual-track at out saying that 'the standard features gave the impression that 7% ins./sec. recording speed. Pentrou tape recorder when fitted MaVoTape Inc., producer an& with the Model ~-d02Adapter the Kelton enclosure was built in Kit is the only unit in itti price keeping with the so-called-M: I. distribute; of the new tape li- brary, is owned jointly by ranke which will handle the big T. speaker, designed by profes- spools. sors Baruch and Lang although Magnecord and Vox productions. it dirl not require corn& installa- Something new was added to Despite the excellence of Per- tion for optimum performance. this year's showing of McIntosh mofiux speakers and enclosures, Sharing honors with the fabu- Engineering Laboratory. In ad- the Permoflux Corporation ex- lous Klipsch speaker system was dition to the world-renowned Mc- hibit was dominated this year its inventor Paul Klipsch in the Intosh amplifier there was dis- as it was last year by the mag- exhibit of klipsch ~asteinInc. played for the first time the new nificent tonal reproduction of the In one of his infrequent visits to McIntosh speaker. A corner en- company's high-fidelity d namic the East Kfipsch who prefers closure, the new McIntosh de- . A solid test&onial Hope ~rkansast6 the big city velopnlent may well be expected to the high quality of these satiseed many ' visitors with diversify the leadership which phones lay in the fact that, with truly authentic explanation of is maintained by the name Mc- one exception, wherever binaural how and why the Klipsch system Intosh in the audio industry. equipment was demonstrated, through the years remains the they were chosen to provide lis- Under a colorful sinn whirh teners with the full dynamic im- standard of comparison with bore the iutrinukn--Fn>it; pact afforded by multi-dimen- thousands of audio connoisseurs. sionab sound. Speaking infor- Lafayette Radio, Inc., demon- mally and personall those strated graphically the reasons phones are really some&ing. for its longevity as one of the ~mentwhich gave liberal at- industry's oldest mail-order testation to the compan 's world- houses. Displayed was the equip- wide reuutation. ~resfded nver ment -of practically all leading by geniai ~erry.Mint& ~easur6: manufacturers. Attendants were ment Corp's chief engineer, this uick and able to ex lain why exhibit was one of the Fair's high eafayette offers ready gelivery to spots for designers of precision High-Bdelity enthusiasts have mail order buyers as well as to audio equipment, lone awaited a cartridee of this customers who vikit any one of the company's three stores in Emuhasized in the- - rahihit------nf- - Newark, Boston, or New York. ark- Simpson Manufacturing Company was the new Maaco Con- Long known in the andio indus- cert Master 20-watt remote-con- try the name Langevin once more trol amplifier. First described the uresence of gentle and com- is Achieving the eminence which publicly in last month's issue of uetent Norman Pickerine. com- it relinauished several years ago. B. the Master. althou~h pany founder and prominent Evidence to this effect was moderate. in price, is 'superb-?n audio pioneer. graphically afforded by the im- the quality of its performance. pressive exhibit of Wgevin Sharing honots with the new am- [Continued on page 601

Down and across-Fred Cunow with Talefunken -two-motored :Jhorens chattger, plays top and bottom-Tung-Sol tubes make new friends-4-P Sam Baraf of United Transformer Co.--attractive display of V-M record changers-Waveforms, Inc. display always crowded- Webster-Chicago with disassembled Web-Cor changer-Terminal Radio Corp. spbttighted Tapak portable tape recorder-University Loud- speakers Inc. in new cabinet-Ultrasonics' 2% CU. ft. corner speaker-Paul Weathers with his capacitance pickup.

AUDIO ENGlNEERlNG DECEMBER, 1952 (from page 32)

Entering the Fair for the first time Pilot quick location of any desired portion of a inclusive display of radio receivers ampli- Radio Corporation gave graphic evidinee of recorded reel. fiers, speakers, and, o! course, the noded Tele-' the reasqns for its ascension to a position of fnnken condenser microphone. Long known leadership in the audio industry within the Another Fair newcomer was River Edge as a world. pioneer in the science of sound,, space of one short year. Obvious to the high- Industries River Edge N. J. In every respect Telefunken exhibited eaui~mentwell in keep- fidelity hobb ist and were the ~iver'Edgedispliy reflected the firm's ing with the company's brilliant reputation. the excellent iesign and perfo,rmance features advet;tising theme-"Audio's Finest Cabin- of the new Pilotuner and Pilot amplifiers- etry. Formerly devoted entirely to the As a result of visiting the.Terminsl Rrtpio just as obvious to contemporaries and com- manufacture of TV cabinets, River Edge Corporation suite shortly prlor to the Fair's petitors was the adroit sales management of today is one of the country's major suppliers official opening, this observer finds himself Adol~hGross. lone known as one of the of fine enclosures for home music systems. in possession of the first distributed copy country's more astute merchandisers of An introductory showing of the British- of what is by all odds the largest and most electronic equipment. made Collaro record changer was featured in compl~tecatalog ever devoted solely to audio the display pf Rockbar Corporation, Collaro's equipment. Whether you be amateur or pro, From out Chicaeo way came Precision American distribut~r. Various models were music lover or recording engineer -no matter Elecfironics, Inc., with a thoroughly interest- arranged over mirrors, thus ~ermittingvisi- if you need an intercom system br an inter- ing display of the compan 's well-known tors to inspect each changer ahrough a com- modulatior meter-you are certain ts find Grommes am~lifiers. The &ommes Model it in this new Terminal catalog. Messers. 50PG incidentally is probably the country's plete playing cycle, and see for themselves Filler, Miller, Simon ct a1 are to be thor- top ieller in its $rice bracket. Although re- the manner in which the Collaro operates. oughly congratulated on an unusual accom- markably performing were the Grommes ani- Both professional and home equipment plishment. Terminal's equipment displa plifiers equally impressive to this observer came in for just share of attention in the gave feature billing to the new Travis ~apae was th;! youthfulness of Precision's prikident exhibit of Hermon Hosmer Scott, Inc. Audio portable tape recorder. personable Bill Grommes. He, along wit; and acousticar en lneers gathered around another Bill-Shrader of Washington-and the famous Scott gound Level Meters and The record changer to end all record Norman Pickering of Pickering and Com- the new Type 140-8 Decade amplifier while changers was observed in the exhibit Of pany, are great morale builders because music lovers found substantial inteiest in Switzerland's Thorens Company. Along with they make the rest of us old-timers in the the various Scott amplifiers for home music standard models which play records in the audio industry feel that-perhaps, after all svstems. At the risk of being repetitious we usualIv nrescribed manner, there was dern- -we do have an oat or two left. are going to quote from last year's Audio, onstrated a two-motored unit which, in ad- Fair Review in which .was expressed the dition to intermixing, will follow almost thought that "the new Scott amplifiers are any desired sequence. Thorens, you may re- exceptional in the scope of they call manufactured the changer whlch was provide for all types of recordings." useb: in the RCA Westminster series of radio-~honographswhich were marketed Sev- Probably the Fair's most varied display eral years ago. of fine recording equbment-both aisc and Of tape recording equipment was that offered tape-which meets highest professional by Sonocraft Corporation, New York. Justi- Lone tube manufacturer to exhibit at the standards. fied was the company's reputation as one of Fair was Tung-Sol Electric, Inc., whose Type the country's leading distributors of tape 5881 is just about the hottest thing yon can The long-awaited Model 300 equalizer-pre- recorders te home and industry with par- get in output tubes. Many visitors (present amplifier was the highlight of The Radio ticular emphasis on its represent&ion amon company not excepted) left the Tung-Sol Craf$smen Inc exhibit Sharing honors was schools, colleges, and institutions. sonocrag suite considerably better informed on the the new odd C-800 'AM-FM tuner. John made many new friends through the gra- subject of tube design as a result of discus- Cashman president of Radio Craftsmen Inc., ciousness of its competent and likeable presi- sion with the firm's engineers. is d6ing9the audio industry a great eervice dent Herbert H. Borchardt. Ultrasonic Corporation, manufacturers Of with a national advertisine camoaien de- "Packaged " was the theme the small corner-speaker assembly desi ned around which was built the exhibit of The by Drs. Baruch and.Lang of M. T. T., o;8ered Sound Workshop a new compan demonstrations deslgned to verify for 11s- formed by ~lect;onic Workshoa gaGFC"8;Y teners the remarkable measurements pf the poration, New York, and G -& H Wood unit made in the M. I. T. lab. According to Products Comoanv. Brooklvn. Introduced an interview with the inventors which a poser and critic. Would that more manu- were completelf-asiembled high-fidelity home peared in the New York Times M. I. 8: facturers emulated this gesture by stressin music systems which compete in price with measurements of the spealter are'clalmed to the advantages of high fideli& in generaf conventiorial radio-. prove its ability to reproduce fundamentals along with advertising the merits of their as low as 40 cps, although it occupies a Space own products. Excellent in tastefully de- of only 241, cu. ft. signed enclosures-in a nutshell that's how The pride of Col. R. E Ranger was more we can summarize the exhibit of Stephens A new 20-watt version of the. famous Wi!- than ustlfied as He demonstrated the newest Manufacturing Company. At least that's the liamson amplifier was featured in the exhibit modejs of Rangertone tape recorders. As story frqm the music lover's viewpoint. For of United Transformer Company. Quite natu- president of Rangertone -Inc., his is the the audio pros there was the Stephens rally, it conta~nedUTC transformers as did guidance which has brohght to the audio "wireless microphoneM-the little gadget the 10-watt Williamson with which it was world a line of tape recording equipme~~t which permits TV and stage performers corn- compared In addition to completed ampli- which is unexcelled in the precision of its plete freedom of hnovement and the studio- fiers there was displayed an impressive SeleC- construction and the perfection of its per- model Stephens condenser' nlicrophone for tion' of UTC transformers for most every formance. Strictly professional items the high-quality recording. conceivable audio application. Rangertone recorders are supreme exahples of quality without compromise. Among the more liewsworthy of the Fair's Along with the hi-fi speakers for which exhibits was that of the Strombcrg-Carlson the company is justly noted, Uniqersity Diversity and expansion have been the Company. Here was shown the complete line Loudspders, Inc., intrpduced a new line of year's keynote for Reeves Soundcraft Cor- of amplifiers, speakers and tuners introduced speaker enclosures designed to complement uoration-diversitv in the sense that Mnma- by a major manufacturer as a mark of recog- hoth neriod and modern furnishings. With nition to the growing importance of the the-i

AUDIO ENGINEERING DECEMBER, 1952 ,;