Some interesting facts regarding the "cheesy" V-M machines I stumbled across;
In 1955, Voice of Music Corp. (Benton Harbor Mich) offered a kit for converting the mono 1/2 track model 700 to binaural. Also the model 701 came with the conversion factory installed. In 1958, they offered the model 714 which was switchable from staggered to stacked. In Nov. 1959 they released the Model 720 which they say was the first consumer 1/4 track tape machine.

steve koto
On Nov 15, 2012, at 7:28 PM, Steve Smolian wrote:

> In addition to the Ampex duplicator, there were a few reel-to-reel devices made for this purpose.  Pentax and V-M (Voice of Music) were two rather cheesy ones.  Some industrial duplicators used the latter- EAV (Educational Audio Video- Mack Ferris) had one of these- I can't recall which of the two- in his NY loft.  (He used a name that escapes me before going into video.)
> 
> Haydn Society and Urania used Dubbings, Julie Koennen's (sp?) operation, as did others- he was quite busy.
> 
> Livingston was somehow tied up with the Concert Hall family- the Josefowitz operation.  Cook, Atlantic and Livingston were also involved.  I think. Livingston also made tone arms and similar equipment- the also manufactured one of the forked arms needed to play Cook's stereo records.  I have a Bechet using Cook's inside and outside left and right channel pressings issued by Atlantic.  I think they were in River Edge NJ and I once visited them.
> 
> Bob Angus who wrote- and quite well- for Tape or Tape Recording magazine (a consumer publication) and may still be with us knew more about this than I. I expect a look at a run of those will fill in some info.
> 
> In the early 60s I wrote one of my American Record Guide columns about the Broadcasting Foundation of America which had a big operation editing and distributing overseas classical radio programs, particularly from national radios, for  distribution to US radio stations.  They used various machines in banks to make their reel to reel copies, either real or double speed, I can't recall.  A friend did their weekly maintenance work about midnight and I often visited with him at BFA wile he did his alignments and other tasks. I remember special machines to play back the powder-based Agfa, Telefunken and similar products,  I think some came in from the Soviet Union- I'd have to reread the article.  Remember "Music from Germany?"  "Hello and How Do You Do."
> 
> Library of Congress had a bank of Apex duplicators so they could distribute the Coolidge Concerts.  Apparently, they were a bear to maintain.  The late Bob Carneal had many anecdotes about using them.
> 
> Eventually, Ampex operated its own tape duplicating facility and did a lot of the work for many of the majors.  etc.
> 
> If anybody still cares.
> 
> Steve Smolian
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Tom Fine
> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 9:50 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Livingston and early Atlantic 2-track "binaural" reels
> 
> Hi Steve:
> 
> Atlantic's tapes seem to be the connector between Livingston and Cook. They are featured in both
> catalogs. Was Livingston more a duplicating operation than a recording operation? I have a
> Livingston-branded tape of Lenny Herman "mightiest little band in the land." I think they were
> basically a hotel-bar band in the NYC area. Livingston also put out tapes under their own brand of
> Bill Thomson playing a Hammond organ.
> 
> So who was behind Livingston, and how did they connect to Cook and Atlantic? Were they one of the
> early self-made duplicating operations? The earliest documentation I've seen of a tape duplication
> operation was in a 1952 Radio & TV News article, about a setup in NY using Ampex 300's modified in a
> way that was strikingly similar to what Ampex ended up doing with their 3200 duplicator system two
> years later.
> 
> -- Tom Fine
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "carlstephen koto" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 8:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Livingston and early Atlantic 2-track "binaural" reels
> 
> 
> Hey Tom,
> 
> A quick check of a couple of my binaural tapes reveals the following text on the back of the boxes;
> 
> "A Binaural tape of The Atlantic Tape Library
> duplicated and distributed exclusively by
> Livingston Electronic Corporation"
> 
> The 2 tapes I checked;
> Paul Barbarin and his New Orleans Jazz is listed in the Atlantic Records discography as lp # 1253
> New Orleans Jazz by Wilbur de Paris and his Rampart Street Ramblers is listed as lp# 1208
> 
> I'm not sure about the dates for the Wilbur de Paris but according to the All Music Guide, the
> Barbarin was recorded in 1955 for Atlantic.
> 
> steve koto
> On Nov 15, 2012, at 2:51 PM, Tom Fine wrote:
> 
>> What was the story with Livingston and Atlantic and their early 2-track reels? The Atlantic titles were listed in both the Livingston and Cook catalogs that were included with Livingston and Cook reels. Did Emory Cook make all of these recordings?
>> 
>> -- Tom Fine