A little diversion while you wait...
Just saw this from a post on the Ampex List at recordist.com and I thought it was cool...its video machine related, but its Ampex history and features Ampex quad video machines which are part of the MM-1000 lineage:
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After I watched that it led to this one of a VR-1200 quad machine...
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The VR-1200 quad video machine is the base unit for the MM-1000...the console, and basic transport componenents (motors, transport plate, etc.)
I love when he says "Its gonna get noisy." when he turns it on, and then to hear familiar sounds of the noisy capstan motor and cooling fans (though the VR-1200 has a lot more fans in it) that I recognize from my MM-1000 but coming out of a video machine. Just kind of cool. So if you enjoy the MM-1000 you might enjoy the above video because you can see the face of an MM-1000 under the VR-1200. Also, there is commentary in it that will stir feelings about the reliability of older machines as Larry Oldham talks about the accolade of a 40+ year old machine playing back 30+ year old recordings "...like it was done yesterday."
Okay, so I watched that video which led to a series of videos put up by C. Park Seward, Ampex List member and avid contributor, regarding the refurb of a VR-1200. If you like taking stuff apart and refurbing stuff, and/or if you like the MM-1000 and want to see more of where it came from, check these out. I know I was entertained. What really impressed me the most was the perspective I got on the MM-1000 and why the console is so big...yes, the 16-track version needs most of those rack units for the 2U electronics modules so its not like they aren't used, but it is cool to see that the VR-1200 (and I'm sure any other quad video machine)
is totally stuffed with card frames! Something like 83 cards in a VR-1200? So that console was indeed stuffed full. Its also neat to see the components that use all the holes in the transport plate not used by the MM-1000 audio-only transport. Maybe that doesn't make sense to you but for me it just answers unknowns about "why" and "what". This is unique for me in that usually I don't like "kludgey" stuff at all...I have a low tolerance for it and here is the MM-1000, which, again, was Ampex's quick answer to get a 2" multitrack system to market. There wasn't time to design a system from the ground up if they were going to keep ahead of 3M and Scully...that ground-up system didn't come until the MM-1100 which led to the popular MM-1200...so, anyway, Amprex grabbed a VR-1200 chassis and stuffed it with 440 electronics and *bam* lookie here we got a 2" scalable multitrack system. BUT, I find I am comfortable with this because borrowing from the VR-1200 chassis was a good solution as it was bulletproof, and the 440 electronics had a great track record already as well, and the "kludginess" is basically a testament to the fact that Ampex was kind of like a custom shop...filled with brilliant people, but a custom shop and the MM-1000 shows this. The MM-1000 represents an important step in history with the advent of a 2" multitrack that was made in relatively limited quantities, like 500-ish total for all the formats (1" 8-track, 2" 16-track and 2" 24-track). It is what it is and me likey.
Here's those videos that C. Park Seward put up:
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Enjoy!
