Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1958)

14 Stereo's Pace Quickens: Target date for first demonstration of stereophonic record-playing equipment (Vol. 14:2,4) has been advanced. Now, it looks like hi-fi component manufacturers will use Electronic Parts Distributors Show at Chicago’s Conrad Hilton May 19-21 as their first showcase for stereo disc equipment. Only 2 weeks ago, the trade felt that manufacturers would have difficulty getting stereo equipment samples to market even as early as July Music Show. Parts Show demonstrations are now virtually assured inasmuch as big Macy’s dept, store this week showed a stereo component rig in action to public visiting its Music Festival. Audio Fidelity stereo discs were played on a Rek-O-Kut turntable using sample Electro-Voice pickup cartridge (Vol. 14:4), Fisher pre-amplifiers and Altec Lansing speakers. Macy’s called its showing the first public demonstration. A second will follow quickly: “Cap” Kierulff, pres, of Sound Corp., Los Angeles, announced first west coast demonstration of stereo playing equipment would be staged by him at Los Angeles’ Philharmonic Auditorium, March 4-5. However, we were assured this week that just about any demonstration of stereophonic record playing equipment— whether by component makers or by packaged goods makers to their distributors in June (see p. 12) — would be mere “grandstand playing.” Our source was R. J. Kalb, chairman of Steelman Phonograph & Radio Corp., which makes its own packaged phonos and also private brand phonos for Columbia Records, Decca, Capitol, Firestone, et al. It had been reported that Kalb had shown pilot models of finished stereo phonographs to customers as early as last week — scoring a big scoop on an industry working feverishly to unearth component parts for experimentation. “Sure, we showed samples,” he said, “but don’t get any idea that we are anywhere near ready to show any salable product to our customers.” He said what was shown was experimental, handmade mockup prototype equipment. “How could we be ready to go into production when there are still some record and parts standards left to be set, when there are no cartridges off tools available yet, and when there are still no records [from major labels] on the market?” The frenzied pace at which experimental stereo work is going on throughout the phono business was characterized thus by Kalb: “You try one sample cartridge with one sample record, tool up, produce, tear it down again and start over with the next samples . . . The best thing to do is put the whole thing on a shelf with a big tag on it saying ‘hold for the future.’ ” * * * Immediate problem at Steelman and elsewhere is necessity of working with prototype component parts. Cartridges off tools — frozen designs — are not yet available in enough quantity to permit finished goods makers to design finished phonos around them. However, there’s confidence among finished goods manufacturers that there is still plenty of time — 3 months until Parts Show, 4 months until distributor shows, 5 months until Music Show — to get cartridges from suppliers now working on crash program basis so as to get at least handmade prototypes of finished goods to shows. Certain manufacturers will be in better shape than others. We asked Victor Miller, pres, of V-M Corp., to comment on report that Shure Bros., Evanston, 111., supplier of cartridges, had developed a stereo cartridge especially for V-M’s 1958 Stereo Fidelis combination stereo tape player-monaural phonograph (shown at last July’s Music Show). Miller would not confirm report, but neither would he deny that such a unit — already equipped with stereophonic components for playing of tape — could become a stereo phono with insertion of stereo pickup cartridge and reasonable amount of engineering. Twenty stereo tape player manufacturers are listed in Billboard Feb. 17, with prices and features of their lines. Issue also includes glossary of tape and tape player terms digested from larger glossary available free from Minnesota Mining & Mfg. Co., Dept. M7-177, 900 Bush St., St. Paul, Minn. Stereo will be theme of 3 of 14 technical papers presented at West Coast Convention of Audio Engineering Society in Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, Feb. 28 March 1. Saturday (2nd day) session includes papers on stereo recording & reproduction, stereo in the home, stereophonic broadcasting. Stereo disc bulletin, available free from ElectroVoice, Buchanan, Mich., manufacturer of stereo disc pick up cartridges, gives latest infonnation on stereo phonography in question and answer form. Reports & comments available: On Magna vox, in midFeb. Gleanings of Francis I. du Pont & Co., any local office. On Decca Records, in memo by Hardy & Co., 30 Broad St., N. Y. On United Artists, in analysis by Walston & Co., 265 Montgomery St., San Francisco, or local offices. On RCA, in study by A. M. Kidder & Co., 1 Wall St., N. Y., and on RCA and Collins Radio, in briefs by Carl M. Loeb, Rhoades & Co., 42 Wall St., N. Y. On Zenith, in analysis by Joseph Faroll & Co., 29 Broadway, N. Y. On “Outlook for Electronics,” in special report by Bache & Co., 36 Wall St., N. Y. Warner Bros, is latest movie producer to enter phonograph record field, following 20th Centui’y-Fox and Columbia Pictures (Vol. 14:5). James B. Conkling, ex-pres. Columbia Records and chairman of National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, heads new recording and distributing subsidiary. Tung-Sol earned $3,129,916 ($3.31 per share) on sales of $64,106,913 in 1957 vs. $2,909,397 ($3.83) on $53,838,822 in 1956. Chatham Electronics div. (pow'er tubes, hydrogen thyraton tubes, etc.) acquired in May (Vol. 13:20) contributed $339,000 to profits, $6,280,000 to sales last year. Sylvania will begin construction in 60-90 days on new 50,000-sq. ft. lab & administrative headquarters building for its Mountain View (Cal.) Lab. Building wdll cost $500,000, will house reconnaissance systems lab and increased work of electronic defense lab. Corning Glass Works will build electronic components plant at Bradford, Pa., employing 450, to produce printed circuit boards of Fotoceram — glass on which patterns may be printed by photography. Westinghouse ad account for TV-hi-fi-phono wdth billings estimated at $2,000,000, goes to Grey Adv. from McCann-Erickson; latter retains other consumer divisions.