Vintage McCurdy broadcast desk

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Hey Neumann Sennheiser, are you suggesting that looks like the actual console you used at CFRW? The braille tags would not have been common and I assumed the current owner might have added them. But does it look like the very same board to you?
Gord

Most unlikely that this was the VERY board from CFRW, There were a lot of these particular McCurdy consoles at stations all over the U.S. and Canada but, then again, you never know. It certainly looks exactly the same.
What I meant by "braille" was, that the way the console face was designed (completely vertical), one had to cast one's eyes downward from the microphone or copy or liner card to see where the pot was set or what button to push next or even just to read the VU meter. The console was at belly to lower chest level you understand.
The CHUM model was, for me, far more user friendly as everything was more compact and racked-out in front of you on an ergonomically pleasing angle. The later, larger McCurdy boards with sliders instead of knob pots favored that design choice as well.

[GordoGibbo]

Good point, Neumann Sennheiser. I think in later versions of that model, around the mid-70s, the slanted the face deeper into the console approaching a 45 degree angle.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

One more pic...here's the CFOX Montreal CR set up from 1977. This looks more closely like the McCurdy board used at CKXL in Calgary.

[Mike Cleaver]

I remember that board at 'XL in '71.
The production control had an old Gates SA40 tube board, the same ones we had in Lethbridge in master and production before we built the new control room.
The first SA40 I ever worked on was in the production control room at CKOV in Kelowna in 1961.
And yes, CHUM had pretty old equipment when I first arrived there in '72 and there wasn't much changing for the four years I was there the first time.
When I returned in '83, everything was in new rooms and state of the art!
CHUM always had the best mikes.
They started with Neumann U47s, moved to Neumann U87s, then Sennheisers like the one pictured in the 'XL photo and then RE20s.
They always had U47s then U87s in the production studios.

[GordoGibbo]

Man, Mike, imagine how much those U47s would sell for today! Interesting they used such quality mics on such a squashed medium as AM, although condensers would have sounded great on CHUM FM, including the spots. Even the U87s are $4,000 new. I have an '88 U87, nice mic and built at the original Neumann factory before everything moved to Sennheiser. One of the earlier 'ai' mics.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Loved the U Series and treated them like fine Dresden crystal; which is why it made me nervous in studios that used them on-air. A technically trained production booth announcer (remember those??) could play one like a Stradivarius but, for everyday AM radio on-air, it was hard to beat those Sennheiser MD 421's like the one pictured here. THEY cost only 3 to 4 hundred and that gave you a lot of bang for the buck.

[GordoGibbo]

For a kick drum mic, the 421 was great for broadcast. Used them about 20 years ago, after switching from the 441, which I detested. Our station has been on the EV RE20s for several years, and I used to like them, but since we flipped from AM to FM (and all the FM txs now are solid state) the mics just sound cold and flat on air. The tubes in the old FM TXs used to warm up the signal nicely, but you don't get that now unless you warm up the signal some other way, and the RE20s just sound cold. Lots of stations on the new Neumann dynamics, but for me I have a Shure SM7B I bring in and put up on the boom when I'm on. A little warmer, a little smoother. Take it home with me at night. I wanted to have a dynamic for my mic locker along with the condensers I have, and the SM7B seemed to be the most versatile. Once I retire formally from this biz and I have my little studio set up at home with my cleaned-up McCurdy I'll have everything I need to get into lots of trouble from home...

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Greetings Everyone,
Good to see all the photos of McCurdy Boards used at various stations and the technical comments. Also interesting to hear about the different microphones used or microphoneums as TimTron (Tim Smith Engineer) at WBCQ Shortwave in Monticello, Maine calls them. Thanks very much Mike Cleaver for providing the detail about equipment used at CJOC etc.. and everyone else too. I finally found my CJOC survey with a photo of you on it Mike for your airshift at CJOC back in 1969. I have the long sheet surveys from earlier that CJOC printed and also later ones they put out in the early 70s as well. Was on the music directors mailing list for a few years and really liked the charts.

By the way Gord very interesting comments you have been making about all this too. I finally got to hear you on the air on Kruz, great show, I had not heard you on-air before and you sound good! Liked the selection of music you have been playing the last few days as well as your conversation with CHEX weatherman Mike Judson whom I really like. Don't know if I mentioned it before on this posting but I am on an extended visit with family and doing some radio biz. here in Ontario right now even though I am from Langley, B.C... My better half Ann (Mrs. CFAY) is holding the fort down for me in Langley while I am gone. I want to get back out there but can't leave right now as my Mom's 91st birthday is this Sunday, St. Patricks Day March 17th and had not been here for it since 2001. I am looking forward to hearing about the Stompin Tom' Memorial in Peterborough Wednesday night and will be listening to KRUZ News and CHEX TV for further details. Would love to attended it but unfortunately just can't make it to Peterborough Wednesday night for it!!!!

In the meantime I am really enjoying all the comments about McCurdy Boards. I have some spec. sheets etc. about quite a few of them going back to the late 70s I think but they are all out in Langley right now! One of these days maybe I will track one down and purchase it. Gosh I would even settle for a remote McCurdy Console from back in the 70s!!!! I just love those rotary controls on them! I have built several control consoles over the years and a few more for mobile dj operations out in Greater Vancouver but McCurdy control consoles are my first choice!!!

Anyway all the best to everyone and I hope the Stompin Tom Memorial at the Peterborough Center is a huge success! He was truly a great entertainer and a very amazing Canadian!!!!

73s Eldon

[GordoGibbo]

Thanks for the kudos, Eldon. 40 years on the air now and I think I'm just now starting to get the hang of it. BTW (and I will message you privately to be sure you see it...) all the national media will be in Peterborough for the Stompin' Tom Memorial and our local COGECO cable operator here in the city is carrying it live...but our station 100.5 KRUZ FM has reached an agreement with COGECO where we are going to simulcast it live from 7-9pm Daylight Savings Time. I will be at the memorial myself so won't be at the controls to switch it over, so whomever that falls to I hope it goes well, but nonetheless check it out at www.kruzfm.ca and you can stream the memorial live.

Gord

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Greetings Everyone,
Good to hear from you Gord, just thought I would let everyone know that KRUZ FM is streaming the Stompin Tom Connors Memorial tonight from 7 PM onward. So if you want to listen to the whole thing you can tune in to KRUZ FM and they do stream online. Was listening to your show this afternoon Gord and great hearing the Stompin Tom tunes you are playing amongst the oldies. I like the Algoma Train song by him you broadcast on your show! Good Stuff!

You know folks I must tell you there has been a fair amount of criticism about how Shaw/Corus operates some of the stations. As most of you know I am a big fan of independent AM and FM stations. However I must tell you I really like the way CHEX TV and KRUZ FM 100.5 are programmed and operated in Peterborough. Yes they are owned by Corus but seem to do a very good job at serving Peterborough. CHEX TV provides really good local news, weather and sports coverage. KRUZ FM has a good format too with lots of local info. with the music too. By the way they do get out on 100.5 to the Cobourg and Baltimore area on a good average or better FM radio. I can listen to them just fine even though they are not a high power 50 KW station!!! CHEX TV has some CBC programming with the National at 10 PM as well as lots of local news etc... Personally I like their programming a lot! They really seem to cover a lot of the community events in the Peterborough and Northumberland County areas including Cobourg and Port Hope too!

Thanks for posting Gord and look forward to hearing the Stompin Tom Memorial on KRUZ FM even if I am doing other things here as well!!!

By the way if anyone else has any further information or updates on McCurdy Control Consoles including the performance of newer slide pot. boards I would be interested in reading comments. I remember hearing criticism many years ago about slide pots versus rotary controls. I have used both and found that good quality slide pots seem okay but some of the first ones used seemed to have problems with noise, static etc.... anyone else remember that?

73s Eldon

[Neumann Sennheiser]

First board I ever worked (it was pretty old even then).

[Buddy B]

Ah yes, this was the McCurdy console I piloted at CFRW, Winnipeg in the mid to late 1970's



Now this one ...(with apologies to Mike Cleaver for borrowing the image)



This one I liked a lot. The one seen here was the original on-air main control board for CHUM and I'm not sure of the year(s) it was in operation as I never had the privilege of working there.
I did use this board (or one very close to it) at CKXL in Calgary circa 1973. It's also the same McCurdy you would have found at CKRC, Winnipeg and CFOX, Montreal back in their respective glory days.

This is the same basic model as the one in CKXL master control but differs in that we had two add-on sections at each end instead of the trough in front. That was a fabulous board to work with.... versatile enough that I even managed to do two shows at once on it at times.... one live and one to tape on the second channel, complete with requests, dedications.... the works!.

[/quote]

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Greetings,
Thanks again for the photos Neumann and Buddy B. for your comments. Interesting topic. Have enjoyed reading it all. Anybody have any experience with Ward Beck boards, I know a lot were used in the recording industry.. any thoughts about them? Personally I still like the McCurdy ones the best, Gates in the States had some interesting ones too.

Take care everyone, we are still back into the deep freeze with more snow coming the next few days in Southern Ontario and Cobourg area.

I heard it was pretty wet and windy in the Vancouver area Thursday night from friends out in Langley too!

Take care everyone, drive safely with bad weather! Have a great St. Pats Day too wherever you are.

73s Eldon

[Mike Cleaver]

The McCurdy "slider" boards were just as good as the rotary pot jobs and just as bulletproof but were transistorized.
The only Ward Beck boards I ever used were at CKNW and they were custom made for the station, with no transformers used.
They were very clean, but to my ears, too sterile sounding without that transformer "richness" of sound.
The most high tech boards I ever used in radio were the four Studer Air 2000 boards we installed at CHUM Group Ottawa in 2000.
They looked similar to the main control panel in the Starship Enterprise.
All 24 channels, small video display screens above every channel allowing you to eq, compress and route the signal any way you wanted.
You could switch each one to mic or line channels, basically allowing each operator to configure the board to his or her liking and recall all those settings at shift change.

[Mike Cleaver]

By the way, here's one of the coolest tube consoles McCurdy ever made, still in use at a Montreal studio.

https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe ... B747%3B500