EMT studio technology
| EMT studio technology (EMT)
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| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1940 |
| resolution | 2005 |
| Seat | Mahlberg , Germany |
| Branch | Consumer electronics |
| Website | www.emt-studiotechnik.de |
The EMT Studiotechnik GmbH , formerly electrical instrumentation technology (EMT) , is a manufacturer of record players and professional audio equipment in Mahlberg in Lahr / Black Forest . The company was founded in 1940 by Wilhelm Franz as Elektro MessTechnik Wilhelm Franz KG .
history
During the Second World War , the company in Berlin manufactured control and measuring instruments for communications and broadcast technology. Because of the increasing Allied bombing raids on Berlin, the company moved to Schuttertal near Lahr in 1943 and shortly afterwards to Dingelsdorf on Lake Constance . In 1945 the company moved again to Lahr. After a break due to dismantling , EMT gradually resumed production in 1948. In addition to the production of recording studio equipment , Wilhelm Franz discovered a niche in the market in 1950/51 with the construction and manufacture of high-quality record players for broadcasters . In 1956 Wilhelm Franz transferred the management of the then newly established EMT equipment factory in Lahr to his brother Walter Franz. As early as 1959, the Swiss subsidiary EMT Wilhelm Franz GmbH was founded in Wettingen near Zurich . The sales company was supposed to expand the export of the radio turntables, studio equipment and measuring devices that were largely developed by Wilhelm Franz. There was also a collaboration with Willi Studer . The sales potential of the studio turntables EMT 927 and 930 was overestimated by Wilhelm Franz at the radio companies, as they were working more and more with tapes . The Lahr equipment factory, which is quite large, was not fully utilized. By chance, Wilhelm Franz was also able to take over the license production of Thorens hi-fi turntables at the Lahr equipment factory from 1966 . After Franz's early death in 1971, the family business was continued by his wife Hildegard Franz and the managing director Erich Vogl in Kippenheim near Lahr, where the street in front of the new plant was named after Wilhelm Franz. In 1989 the EMT was sold to the Belgian group Barco . In 2003, Barco sold EMT, including the trademark rights, to Walter Derrer, who died in an airplane accident in 2007. Since then, his previous chief developer, product manager and marketing director Jules Limon has been running the company again near Lahr. EMT Studiotechnik in Mahlberg has been a company of EMT International GmbH (Switzerland) since 2016, which is the exclusive and worldwide registered owner of the EMT brand. In the course of this change, production was relocated to Switzerland . Sales, coordination and logistics for all products continue to take place in full from the German headquarters.
Historical products
When developing the professional record player, it was not the sound itself that was the issue (in contrast to consumer devices for hi-fi purposes), but rather neutrality, not influencing the signal in any way. Neither electrical nature in the equalizer preamplifier built into all devices since 1955 , nor mechanical nature in the sampling. The machines were supposed to reproduce the frequency response and the dynamics that were recorded on the record, almost like a sound like on the master tape or depending on the press quality and recording. The construction also had to be very robust and reliable so that it could withstand continuous daily radio operation and the high demands. This required a considerable amount of electromechanical effort and, above all, high precision. EMT turntables had an international reputation - they were used in numerous well-known radio stations, recording studios and record companies at home and abroad, including overseas. The most common was the EMT 930 . Initially, the Danish company Ortofon supplied tonearms and pickup systems specially designed for these devices . From 1965 on, EMT developed and constructed these parts itself. The handcrafted, dynamic TSD 15 stereo cartridge (EMT factory name “Tondose”) was one of the world's best professional cartridges. This is still in the present in different versions.
EMT responded to very special customer requests, whether technically or visually. For example, EMT 930 chassis plates for Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) were painted in a yellow / beige shade instead of hammered gray, so that they better matched the studio furnishings.
EMT 927
After the end of the Second World War, Franz designed in cooperation with the Institute for Broadcast Technology Munich-Freimann (IRT), headed by Dr.-Ing. Walter Kuhl , the EMT R80 , which was introduced in 1950/1951. The official factory name was later the EMT 927 record player . The turntable with a diameter of 44 cm was necessary in order to be able to play the 16 "acetate records that were common at the time . The large records, which mainly contained complete programs for the Allied soldiers' stations in post-war Germany such as BFN or AFN , could can be played without restrictions with the EMT 927. A heavy main turntable with high inertia for exact synchronization was driven by an overdimensioned three-phase synchronous motor with speeds of 78, on the inner edge via a height-adjustable, rubberized idler wheel (friction wheel) on the outer edge. 45 and 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, the third phase was generated with a large capacitor . Since broadcasting requires very short ramp-up times to start a piece of music and the heavy main platter takes several seconds to start up, a light platter was designed Acrylic glass to it, which is braked directly on the already rotating main plate. This so-called auxiliary platter and an electromagnetic fine control brake were used to enable a very fast run-up of just under 0.5 seconds at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute. When this brake is released, the auxiliary platter is practically "dragged along" by friction . The brake could also be controlled remotely ("remote operation"). A green control lamp ("pilot lamp") above the brake switch signaled the switch to remote control, braked. The machine could now be started from the technician's mixing desk by pulling up a controller (“Faderstart”, there was a switch contact in the controller). During the start-up phase, the low-frequency signal was muted, which enabled a precise start and at the same time suppressed the inevitable yelp. A stroboscopic display was built into the outermost edge of the auxiliary platter so that the speed could be adjusted correctly. At the same time, the edge was used to turn the auxiliary platter forwards and backwards by hand with the tonearm lowered so that the desired, exact position of the piece of music could be approached - taking into account the run-up times ("cue"). The Danish company Ortofon initially supplied the RF-297 tonearm and the first magnetic cartridge. EMT later built the 12 "arm EMT 997 in the stereo version for the 927 (also called" banana "because of the C-shaped tonearm tube). The EMT 139 equalizer preamplifier , which was built in from 1955 and was handcrafted , was very noisy - and low-hum tubes and the required cutting characteristic could be set to the right of the tonearm. The electrical part was wired in bound cable harnesses . Due to the very solid and stable metal frame construction, the machine had a total weight of 42 kg. Against impact and structure-borne noise There was an "absorber frame " for installation in chests or tables. A special version EMT 927D was available from almost all record companies. The cut foils and intermediate steps for pressing the record were adapted to the device. Maintenance work was carried out at regular intervals: the oil level of the massive turntable storage had to be included a special teaching to be checked and if necessary compensated, also needed d Always lightly lubricate the brake felt of the regulating brake in order to prevent the auxiliary platter from jamming.
The versions of the EMT 927 :
- EMT 927 : basic version
- EMT 927A : Optical indicator of the exact position of the pickup in the groove ("groove finder")
- EMT 927D : A device of special quality for use in plate production and for measuring purposes
- EMT 927F : Second tonearm
- EMT 927st : Stereo version with EMT 139st equalizer preamplifier
EMT 928
The EMT 928 , built from 1968 onwards, was a small studio turntable with belt drive for use in radio music editorial offices or in a special transport case at events outside the studio. It was based on a heavily modified Thorens TD 125 hi-fi turntable and was equipped with the EMT 929 tonearm. This came about through the development laboratory of the former "Gerätewerk Lahr", which was used jointly by EMT and Thorens. It was driven by a very small three-phase motor, which is fed by its own generator. The speeds 78, 45 and 33 1/3 were kept constant electronically by a control circuit. A stroboscopic window was installed in the front of the control panel for control purposes , with a potentiometer underneath for fine adjustment. During the braking phase (a light auxiliary platter is stopped by a pin on the side) the speed was increased slightly in order to bring the auxiliary platter back up to the target speed quickly when the brake is released. In addition to the operating control display under the red EMT logo, there was also a switchable lamp with prism in the brake housing for targeted illumination of the pickup in poor light conditions. In the course of time there were different designs for the brake. The moving, Thorens-typical inner chassis made of die-cast zinc ("subchassis") rested on the main chassis made of sheet steel with three mushroom-shaped rubber buffers to absorb impact noise and vibrations. These were adjustable in height in order to align the two chassis. The disadvantage of this "suspension" was the aging of these rubber buffers, which dried out over time, collapsed and no longer had any spring effect. The EMT 928 had a transistorized equalizer preamplifier with level adjustment and switchable cutting characteristic equalization built in. On request, there were additional adjustable treble equalizers for retrofitting.
EMT 930
Due to the 12- inch record, the 44 cm turntable of the 927 was no longer an absolute requirement for professional use by broadcasters, only in record production. Therefore, EMT decided to develop the EMT 930 studio turntable (factory name: "EMT 930 record player ") in addition to the EMT 927 , which was initially only launched on the market as a mono device from 1956. The EMT 930 was a very precise and robust construction that withstood tough everyday use as a "tool" in broadcasting. The controls on the chassis plate are identical to the EMT 927 . It was driven by a self-starting, powerful three-phase motor with phase shifter . The motor ran synchronously with the mains, the third phase was generated by a large capacitor . A finely ground rubber roller transfers the torque to the inner edge of the heavy main plate. Since the rubber compound of the first friction wheels became brittle over time, the durable Vulkollan was used later . The speed was selected by adjusting the height. Incorrect operation (speed change in playback mode) was no longer possible due to a lock. There was a choice of 78, 45, 33 1/3 or, on special request, 45, 33 1/3 and 16⅔ revolutions per minute. The light auxiliary platter made of acrylic glass had a stroboscope graduation on the outer edge that was illuminated with pulsed light . The remotely controllable fine control brake of the auxiliary platter - combined with mute of the run-up, enabled a precise start. For more precise “cueing”, taking the run-up times into account, there were round marks for each speed in the edge of the turntable. Lighting and sensitive lifting / lowering devices were provided for operating the tonearm. To preview the records, there were two sockets for connecting headphones on the front right . The chassis support plate consisted of hammer-blow lacquered Bakelite with an integrated steel frame. The total weight was only 23 kg. The built-in EMT 139 equalizer preamplifier was taken over from the EMT 927 ; it was initially equipped with tubes, and from 1967 as the EMT 155 with very low-noise transistors . As with the EMT 927 , the cutting characteristic was precisely adjustable on the chassis plate on the right under the tonearm. From 1977 the fully transistorized stereo equalizer preamplifier EMT 153st was available without switching the cutting characteristic. There was a special, spring-loaded "absorber frame" for chests and studio tables to protect against vibrations and impact noise. The device was manufactured in large numbers and sold internationally. The first models were equipped with the Ortofon tonearm RF-229, later from 1965 with the EMT 929. The price of the EMT 930st (stereo version) without a pickup was around DM 6,800 in 1978.
EMT 940
The EMT 940 studio turntable was built in a very small number from 1960 . In principle, it was a special model and rarely appears in any history. The biggest difference to the EMT 930 are four instead of three speeds: 78, 45, 33 1/3 and 16⅔ revolutions per minute, achieved by a four-stage drive shaft on the motor axis and an additional gear stage on the friction wheel. All speeds were thus covered. There was no device name on the chassis, only on the nameplate. In contrast to the EMT 930 , the electrical part on the rear was mounted with the components facing inwards. The red EMT logo on this model and the identification of the control elements were not printed on the bakelite chassis support plate, which was painted in hammer-blown gray, but rather on thin aluminum plates or strips that were glued on. The EMT 940 also did not have an equalizer preamplifier built in as standard, this had to be retrofitted, and the pickup lighting and headphone connection were also omitted. With the EMT 940 two different types of brakes were used for the acrylic glass auxiliary platter , an electromagnetic fine control brake (device designation EMT 940E ) or a simpler, purely mechanical brake - this could not be remotely controlled, optically recognizable by the missing pilot lamp above the only two-stage brake lever, replaced by one Blind cover. There were no cue marks on the edge of the turntable. It was equipped with the Ortofon tonearm RF-229, and the later EMT 929 could also be mounted. The model was taken off the market at the end of 1961, as the 16⅔ speed was too seldom used and demand was accordingly low. Records with this speed mainly contained voice recordings (e.g. radio plays); they were not widely used in Europe. The speed of 78 rpm for playing historical shellac records was maintained on all EMT turntables until the end of production. In the picture you can see a holder for two EMT pickup systems (to change for different groove types) at the back left. This was also available for the EMT 927 and EMT 930 .
EMT 950
Due to the increasing number of programs with international pop music and hit parades directly from the sound carrier record, following the musical zeitgeist towards the end of the 1960s, there was again a greater need for professional record players at the broadcasting companies in general. After extensive research in the direction of direct drive from the beginning of the 1970s, the EMT 950 record playback machine (factory designation) was ready for the market by 1976 . She was at the forefront of EMT studio turntables. The special feature of the construction of the EMT 950 is the direct coupling of a turntable made of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin , weighing only 200 grams, to a large and powerful, tacho-controlled DC motor, the commutation of which is controlled by Hall heads . An elaborate optoelectronic speed control for the very precise generation of the speedometer frequency ensures the smallest wow and flutter with this model. The measured values were below the values of the DIN test record. The target speed of 33 1/3 1 / min is reached within 150 milliseconds , an auxiliary platter was no longer necessary. This combination allows the turntable to start and stop without an additional brake being necessary. The built-in brake, controlled by a ring magnet, only serves to fix the light turntable in its position when the speed is 0. A manual turning of the turntable ("cue") is still possible. The chassis plate was made of solid gray cast iron and all four corners were placed on special vibration elements that protected it against impact noise and vibrations in the horizontal and vertical directions. Compared to the EMT 930, which was a very puristic device with predominantly mechanics and hardly any electronics, the EM 950 was literally crammed full of electronics, which were located on a total of eleven plug-in cards . Everything was controllable via large, illuminated buttons: start / stop, tonearm lift, the speeds, reverse, mono / stereo, cartridge lighting and even switching between local and remote operation. The switchover 33/45 can be made dependent on the center hole of the plate using a retractable puck. The tonearm (EMT 929) was raised and lowered using a motorized lift at a defined speed, so that the greatest possible protection for the record and the cartridge was given. A run-up mute enabled the precise syllable start without yelling at any point on the record - the low-frequency signal was only switched on when the target speed was exactly reached. The start could also be remotely controlled from the mixer controller ("Faderstart"). The machine was offered in two versions: the narrow version with the keypads in front of the turntable (EMT 950 E) and the wide version with the control panels to the left of the turntable with space for pre-listening speakers and other options on request. The basic version of the EMT 950 was delivered as a built-in chassis for existing chests. However, only two side parts together with two cover panels at the front and rear were required to create a complete console. In 1976 the basic version costs 15,000 DM.
EMT 948
In order to meet the requirements for a smaller device with less space, especially for self-propelled studios, a new model was introduced in 1979 that was based on the principles of the EMT 950 : the EMT 948 station turntable. It was also directly driven, but was built less high and more compact - the engine in particular was designed much flatter. The audio technology was taken over from the EMT 950 . The direct drive was carried out by a direct current motor with a high drive torque, which was regulated in phase by a very precise, magnetic tachometer generator and had commutation controlled by Hall generators. The lightweight platter was rigidly coupled to the rotor. As with the EMT 950, the entire electronics were distributed on plug-in cards (but only 7 pieces) so that any necessary adjustments or repairs could be carried out quickly and easily. Two sturdy handles not only protected the tonearm, they also simplified the service and you could use the device e.g. B. use mobile in an OB van . The solid, torsion-resistant cast iron chassis had an ingenious spring suspension against jolts when moving off quickly, vibrations and impact noise. In order to be able to work even in poor light conditions, a low-power cold light tube was installed under the cover bracket. For the user, there was a shelf for the record sleeve with the cover open while the records were being played. The 948 had the same buttons as the 950, the same speeds and the ability to drive backwards ("reversing mode") in order to precisely determine or drive to the exact beginning of a track. The EMT 948 could be started from the mixer controller ("Faderstart"). Like the EMT 927, it had an electronic start-up mute to start a certain musical passage with precise syllable accuracy, which suppressed the unavoidable yowling when starting up. The run time was about 200 milliseconds at 33 1 / 3 rpm and 20 ° C. The J-shaped EMT 929, already proven in the EMT 930, was used as the tonearm. The device was intended for installation in consoles or tables. The new price for the EMT 948 without the “Tondose TSD 15” pickup was around DM 12,000.
EMT 938
In March 1982 an even simpler, compact turntable was developed: the EMT 938 radio record player . The direct drive was identical to its "big brother", the EMT 948 , as was the vibrating chassis suspension - the electronics were simplified, and there was no return button. On the right edge of the platter there was a green LED , labeled "SYNC", which was also installed in the later EMT 948 . It signaled the exact achievement of the target speed. The EMT 938 also no longer had any plug-in cards to keep the device flat in height. The electronics were accessible for service purposes on the underside after removing a shielding plate (a single, fold-out circuit board). It made sense to take over existing technology and thus save development costs. A steadily growing number of private broadcasters at that time with ever smaller budgets required the development of a professional record player with an attractive price, despite EMT quality. It cost around 6,000 DM without the TSD 15 sound box and without a preamplifier for moving coil cartridges (this had to be retrofitted with two plug-in boards when using a TSD 15) .EMT also offered empty cartridge housings with the grooved magnifying glass typical for the sound box to enable any system to be installed with 1 ⁄ 2- inch screw attachment. The EMT 938 was delivered like a HiFi consumer device in a wooden frame, painted dark gray and very stable. There were special, stable "Z-angles" and edge cover panels for installing the studio table with a frame. A hinged cover made of tinted Plexiglas was available as an accessory . An almost identical version was offered by Thorens, the DJ turntable TD 524. This could either be equipped with a Thorens tonearm (TP 16L) or the proven EMT 929 and it had a rotary control necessary for DJ playback devices for stepless speed adjustment via a Range of ± 15% at 33 and 45 (“Pitch Control”). In contrast to the EMT 938, the control panel was designed differently. With the 938, the manufacture of professional studio turntables at EMT came to an end. Due to the triumphant advance of the compact disc in broadcasting, the focus was on the development and production of professional CD players.
Today (2017) some radio stations still have individual EMT turntables for digitizing archive recordings or for special broadcasts from records.
For years, the EMT studio turntables have been the “non plus ultra” in terms of quality among audiophile record lovers, so to speak, and have achieved cult status today. Well-maintained devices sometimes reach sales values above the new price. A refurbished EMT 927 achieves top values of up to approx. € 40,000
EMT 140
In 1957, EMT introduced the EMT 140 plate reverb, based on a development by Walter Kuhl, in which vibrations are triggered in a metal sheet via a transducer. The device was a great success and was used, for example, when recording the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios; the device was also used extensively in the recordings for Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and formed the basis for EMT's position as a provider of reverb solutions for the music industry. EMT reverb plates were the reference for artificially generated, very natural sounding reverb. Today practically every reverb emulation software offers a "plate reverb" function; the EMT 140-Hall continues to exist as a software emulation plug-in from Universal Audio.
EMT 240
In the 1970s, the also very successful EMT 240 came onto the market. A reverberation plate unit with a 300 mm × 300 mm electrolytically produced foil with a special gold plating instead of a heavy steel plate. This was mechanically very complex to hang and mount. It was together with the electronics in an acoustically damped steel housing with two handles for mobile use. The dimensions of the device were significantly smaller and also lighter than the EMT 140, with acoustically very similar properties in terms of the naturalness of the reverberation. The EMT 240 was insensitive to microphones and external vibrations such as impact noise, etc.
EMT 250
The mobile reverberation device EMT 250 was manufactured from autumn 1976 according to the specifications of the then EMT managing director Erich Vogl in the device factory in Lahr. On its debut in the American West Coast Audiolabs, it established the standard for echo and sound quality, like at Universal Audio, which is still a reference among sound engineers around the world. The basis for this is a digital algorithm that was developed and patented for the EMT 250 reverberation device in the analog time by MIT professor Barry Blesser and Karl Otto Bäder, technical director of EMT. The matching electronics hardware and IC technology was a joint development by Dynatron, USA / Ralph Zaorski and EMT.
The unmistakable design of the mobile reverb device EMT 250 comes from the industrial designer Peter Bermes from Freiburg im Breisgau . He also designed the EMT LED studio clock and the EMT 980 studio CD player for EMT. The primary design criteria for the EMT 250 mobile reverberation device concerned, on the one hand, the enormous heat generated by the ICs and, on the other hand, the information density of the control panel.
Peter Bermes' solution for dealing with the development of heat was to split up and accommodate 'cold' and 'hot' electronic components in three spatially separated housing elements. These are arranged on a common fan base, with all ICs grouped together in a vertical U-shaped slot in order to be cooled by the rising airflow from the fan base, like in a kind of chimney.
The black motherboard housing received heat sinks all around , with which the heat is dissipated to the outside, while the U-profile received a perforated sheet metal cover and a red epoxy coating, which, according to the designer, should also serve as an indicator for high temperatures and as a design element.
For the information density of the control panel, industrial designer Peter Bermes created the console shape of the control console. In combination with the operating levers that can be moved vertically, this enabled a range of scales. The original concept of the EMT engineers was that all essential rotary switches should be arranged centrally on horizontal scales. The provided 270 ° scales with the necessary scale radius for operation would not have found a place on the surface available on the top of the device - due to the housing elements necessary for heat dissipation, they would have shrunk considerably.
Analogous to the linear scales, all potentiometers or rotary controls were mounted vertically under the desk-shaped control console, which resulted in relatively long control levers due to the increased distance to the scale axis, which were visually shortened on the one hand by axle disks running in V-shaped shafts and on the other by small rubber bellows that sit below the three red and one white knurled knurled button. These operating levers shape the overall appearance of the device.
The EMT 250 was built a total of 250 times. The original retail price was $ 20,000. Most of the devices built are still in operation. They are serviced or restored by the US company Studio Electronics / David Kulka, Burbank CA.
The sum of the legendary sound quality and iconographic design of the EMT 250 has not only led to nicknames such as R2D2 or Space Heater , but also to inclusion in the TEC Hall of Fame's eternal best list in 2007.
Web links
- The website of a former EMT employee
- www.fabtech.de
- www.toneimports.com
- www.stefanopasini.it: EMT 930st
- www.jpvanvliet.nl
- Article in Sound Practices - EMT 930/927 turntables (PDF; 218 kB)
- UAD EMT 140 Plate Reverb plugin
literature
- Stefano Pasini: German perfection. Costa Editore, Bologna 2001. (The book about the history of the EMT company, German, English, Italian).
receipt
- ^ TECnology Hall of Fame 2007. NAMM Foundation , accessed August 12, 2017 .