Jack Mullin with Ampex Model 200, Which Revolutionized The

Just after World War 11, Mullin introduced Bing Crosby to tape recording, a move that boosted the performer's career. Working with Bing Crosby Enterprises, U.S. broadcasters, and manufacturers, including Ampex in Redwood City, Mullin was instrumental in helping launch high- quality audio magnetic tape recording in America. He also built the first suc- cessful prototype of a video tape recorder (VTR), which led to the commercial VTR for television broadcasters, the forerunner of to- day's consumer VCR. In 1946, Mullin redesigned and im- proved his two German Magne- tophons with financial and mechani- cal engineering assistance from his partner, W. A. Palmer, a pioneer film- maker. Mullin and Palmer created new methods for producing high-fidelity sound on 16-mm film using "wild"(unsynchronized) magnetic tape, a first in the U.S. The Mullin- Jack Mullin with Ampex Model 200, which revolutionized Palmer Magnetophons were used to the entertainment and ~nformationindustries. produce the first American commercial entertainment disc professionally mastered on tape, "Songs by Merv Griffin," released in 1946. The first ohn T. (Jack) Mullin, audio and broadcasting. Mullin reasoned the public demonstration of hi-fi tape, on video engineer, and honorary Germans had some kind of outstand- May 16, 1946 in San Francisco, JAES member, died of heart fail- ing, new recording technology. stunned the audience of engineers, ure on Thursday, June 24, at his home In Paris, starting in the late summer who could not believe they were not in Carnarillo, Califomia, at the age of .of. 1994, Mullin's missjon was to ex- hearing live music. 85. Mullin introduced America to amine captured German electronic As word spread during 1946, Amer- high-fidelity magnetic tape recording equipment and report to the Signal ican film, recording, and radio execu- and helped create the postwar stan- Corps and to Allied Intelligence. A tives began to consider adopting tape dards for the technology. year later, just after the war ended, since the new medium was far superi- Born in 1913 in San Francisco, CA, Mullin visited a studio in Germany or to the methods of transcription disc Mullin graduated from Santa Clara occupied by the Allies and was and optical-film recording. The 16- University with a major in electrical shown the source of those high-fideli- inch discs sounded so bad that most engineering, a career choice that ty recorded nighttime broadcasts he programs were live, with recorded would propel him into the role of im- had heard in England: the AEG Mag- shows forbidden on most networks. portant catalyst in the development of netophon K-4 studio tape machines In 1946, fledgling ABC Radio Net- postwar entertainment technology. with AC bias in the record circuit, the work, desperate for big-name talent, Stationed in England during World key to its great quality. MuMin filed invited megastar Bing Crosby to War 11, Mullin worked on Allied extensive reports with Army and Al- record his show on the transcription radar and other electronics. In his lab lied engineers. He also obtained offi- discs. Crosby hated live radio- two at night, he sometimes listened to cial permission to send home two of shows a week, for each coast - and German radio, the only classical mu- the German transports, head assem- liked the more relaxed studio environ- sic on the air. The performances blies, and 50 reels of I. G. Farben ment. But the "Philco Radio Time" sounded live, with none of the telltale (BASF and Agfa) Type L blank tape on ABC sounded awful, and the rat- noise of the 16-inch transcription for his own postwar use. He later ings plummeted. Bing threatened to discs-33% and 78 rlmin records- designed and built his own electronics quit radio. Mullin was hired in the that were the norm in American in his San Francisco home. summer of 1947 to record and edit the J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 47, No. 9, 1999 Septernbc show on his two machines. The rat- ings immediately shot up, with listen- ers convinced Bing was performing live again. The now-hit show remained tape-delayed, setting a precedent in broadcast production that remains the norm to this day. Mullin's tape machines liberated performers and producers. Thanks to the seeming miracle of scissors-and-tape editing, the engineer was able to cut out the bloopers that had terrified a generation of live radio performers. The entertainer and his producers were amazed by this sleight of hand. Mullin's two prototype machines proved the feasibility of the new tape technology to Ampex Corporation, a Mullin in an ABC radio network control room with the only two "portable" Ampex small northern California company Model 200 tape machines ever built (in oak cases on the left). On the right, early that audaciously decided to become portable Model 300 (black case). The Model 200s replaced Mullin's two, well- the first American manufacturer of worn modified AES Magnetophones that put Bing Crosby on tape in 1947. the radically new German invention. Ampex went on to design and build Bing Crosby sold his electronics leagues, Jack will be remembered America's first professional high-fi- lab to 3M in 1956, which led to the most for his openness, kindness, and delity audio tape recorder, the Model creation of the Camarillo-based 3M generosity. Those qualities allowed 200, which was used in Hollywood, Mincom electronics division, a maker him to share his "secret" of high- Chicago, and New York on all the of military and civilian data recorders fidelity tape to everyone who would radio networks in the spring of 1948 and later professional and consumer listen. He was a gentlemen in the for producing and time-delaying audio machines. Mullin was Mincom's truest sense of the word. Jack was shows. They used the newly devel- chief engineer until his retirement in always willing to take time to talk to oped 3M Scotch #I11 tape that re- 1975, when he began a second career anyone about what he knew. His im- placed Mullin's dwindling supply of of voluntary teaching, .writing, and lec- mense talent for electrical design and German Type L tape. turing, in addition to helping Record- his thorough knowledge of electronics That same year, other American ing for the Blind and Dyslexic. He theory benefitted colleagues, students, manufacturers began building com-' voiced ovef 2000 hours of Books on friends, and convention audiences. mercial audio tape machines for both tape that now reside in their national His collection of antique radios, professional and consumer use. library in Princeton, NJ, and are still microphones, record players, tape Mullin's pioneering work became the nationally distributed to the sight- recorders, and documentation was basis for many recording industry impaired. shown at the AES Convention in Los standards, including the famous NAB Mullin was a long-time member of Angeles in 1988. A video of Mullin equalization curve still in use for ana- the AES, which honored him with its reminiscing about his life and the his- log studio recording. Silver Medal in 1994, the Emile tory of our industry produced at that Mullin pioneered the use of magnet- Berliner Award, and a citation in convention shows his collection. This ic tape in data and instrumentation 1975. He was an elected member of video, "An Afternoon with Jack recording. His 1949 data tape installa- the 3M Carlton Society. His love of Mullin" is available from AES Head- tion of a modified Ampex Model 300 classical music and support of public quarters in New York. Ten years ago audio recorder at the Point Mugu radio led to his work as a volunteer Mullin turned over the collection to the Naval Air Station and at Edwards Air engineer and on-air talent at KCPB- Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in St. Force Base, both in southern Califor- FM in Thousand Oaks, CA, and at Louis Park, Minnesota, near St. Paul, nia, revolutionized data gathering for KZYX-FM in Philo, CA. His voice some of which is always on display. both military and civilian applications. was well known to local public radio Mullin is survived by two sons, Since then, aerospace and other indus- audiences, who heard him play his John of Los Osos, CA, and Peter of tries, as well as the military and gov- favorite classical music and offer his Huntington Beach, CA, and a daugh- ernment, have depended heavily on views on the art of music and the his- ter, Eve Collier of Camarilla, CA. tape to record instrumentation data for tory of recording. Peter Hammar operations, research, and development. Among his many friends and col- San Carlos, CA J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 42, No. 6, 1994 June .

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