Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Anyone know who made this unusual passive soundhead?

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Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-07-2004, 09:10 PM:

While thumbing through an old Richardson's Bluebook of Projection (seventh edition, 1942), I happened upon this picture of an unusual soundhead...

The threading path is kid of weird...starting at the lower loop (1), the film travels down a guide chute and around a rotary-stabilized drum (2) held in place by a lateral guide roller (looks more like a Motigraph SH-7500-style assembly than one on a Simplex or RCA soundhead). From the drum, the film heads back up to the projector head's lower feed sprocket (3), then down again through the soundhead to the take-up reel. An outboard canister (5) houses the exciter lamp; a mirror mounted at the center of the sound drum reflects the modulated light beam outward towards the door-mounted phototube (6) (needless to say, the door must be closed for the sound to work!).

This design appears to be totally passively driven, like a magnetic penthouse; the projector would have been driven by the motor through some form of a chain or belt drive. The book claims this head was widely used and, despite what one might think, fairly low in flutter.

Can anyone identify this soundhead? The book does not mention it by manufacurer or model number.

Thanks!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-07-2004, 09:15 PM:

Yea, thats a Western Electric sound reproducer. I used to have one of those in my junk pile. Can't remember the model number of it off hand though. I believe at the time it was made it was Western's least expensive sound system, although the reproducer was no light weight sort of thing and was well built.
One bad thing about it....don't open the door whihle its running as you loose the playback!

Its not passive. The film is propelled through by the lower projector hold back sprocket. In other words the film enbters the sound head via the chute then is scanned and and is taken back up to the lower projector sprocket and then down again through to the take up reel.

If the model numnber pops into mind I'll be back and post it but someone else may beat me to it.
Mark

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 01-07-2004, 09:51 PM:

sounds like a question for Bob Koch, but the model 211 comes to mind.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 01-07-2004, 11:25 PM:

Yes, I think that is a WE 211 or something like that.

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 01-08-2004, 01:19 PM:

Absolutely correct Sam. WE 209-211 built for their 3MF Mirrophonic systems circa 1935-7. Unfortunately,I saw way too many of these. Because of the cylindrical optical system they were a bitch to align and collected oil worse than anything. Then for the coupe de grace, as Mark said, open the door and the romance was over.