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Last Updated: 20050825, mei
Sunday, October 9, 10:00 am — 11:30 am
M3 - Oliver Archut: Vintage Gear Insider
Abstract: Oliver Archut began in audio at age 12 and first became employed by AEG Telefunken Daimler Benz at the age of 21. He was sent to a training center then staffed by master professional audio design engineers, the very people who designed the M49 microphone and V72 pre-amp, who were then close to retirement. The electronics industry in Germany was moving away from analog design and these grand old engineers were sent to run the training center as there was no other place for them in the company. Oliver was responsible for the preserving the Telefunken archives about to be discarded by the company—schematics and precious manufacturing details concerning laminations, chemical compositions, tooling, etc. Concerned that this invaluable data would be lost forever, Oliver continued to collect and preserve “obsolete” analog design information from other companies such as Siemens and TAB. In this session, he will speak about the myths and realities of vintage recording equipment and what actual design features turned certain pieces of equipment into timeless classics. A detailed case study will be made of the M49 microphone and preamplifier designed especially for it, the V72. Oliver will also discuss what it means to be a 21st century manufacturer of “vintage” quality analog equipment and the difficulties of providing parts as well as training young engineers willing to carry on the tradition of hand-crafted, no-compromise professional audio gear today.
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