Broadcast and Recording Equipment Collection

BBC 'OBA/8' Radio outside broadcast amplifier and power supply. Introduced in 1938, widely used during the war, and then for long after the OBA/9 came into use in 1952. This is the main amplifier unit and the power supply. A passive mixer panel could also be used if required.

BBC OBA 9 Radio OB equipment. (We don't have the mixer module as yet.) The equipment could be stacked onto a special trolley for moving around locations. In use from 1952 -until the 1980s in some areas.

Part of the microphone collection. STC 4033A, (often used on film and TV booms, from the 1940s to the 70s). The STC 4037A (long) was commonly used for radio and TV outside broadcasts. Reslo ribbon (as seen in many 60s rock group pictures) and GEC are of the same design. The large box contains an STC 4038, a very high quality microphone used extensively by the BBC and in recording studios even toda

Marconi L1 BBC Lip Microphone. Commentator's microphone, designed for use in a noisy environment such as a sports ground. This is an early example, maybe even pre-war, in carrying case with transformer. The same basic design is still in use, made by Coles. 

We have a number of 1950s-80s tape recorders, both professional and domestic. This picture features the EMI TR90, a high quality 2 track professional machine, alongside Brenell and Ferrograph recorders from the valve era. We also have Revox, Studer, Reflectograph, Simon and other makes in the collection. Most are in working order.

The EMI L2 was one of the first practical portable tape recorders, it was widely used by the BBC for news, radio and television sound in the 1950s and 60s. They had no erase head or rewind facility to save weight and battery life. We have both the original valve version, the later transistorised L2A and this original BBC film recordist's model with the BBC's own design 2 channel mixer, and an STC