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EMI Record Factory. Industrial Mechanical Sounds, Preserved

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  1. General atmosphere in matrix plant. [00:00:00]

    Examine component 1

  2. Atmosphere near plating tanks (bubbling liquid, electric pumps and fans). [00:05:04]

    Examine component 2

  3. Closer perspective of plating tank (bubbling liquid, electric pumps and fans). [00:06:45]

    Examine component 3

  4. One meter away from plating bath with lid closed (no bubbling) - rattling rotative electric motor. [00:08:04]

    Examine component 4

  5. Close perspective of the bubbling plating bath. Electric bell heard. Air noise and voices. [00:12:08]

    Examine component 5

  6. Laminating machine in matrix plant. Laminating finished matrix with plastic film. Dinking machine. Indistinct voices, electric fans in the background. [00:14:02]

    Examine component 6

  7. Laminating machine in matrix plant. Laminating finished matrix with plastic film. Dinking machine. Electric fans in the background. [00:15:20]

    Examine component 7

  8. Laminating machine in matrix plant. Laminating finished matrix with plastic film. Dinking machine. Indistinct voices, electric fans in the background. [00:16:47]

    Examine component 8

  9. Laminated matrix placed in back sander. Conversation with operator. Action repeated. Third repeat is announced "audio only" and is the best. [00:18:15]

    Examine component 9

  10. Centring machine. Operator's talk with film crew. Little distinct noise, just a clunk as hole is punched in centre of matrix. [00:21:44]

    Examine component 10

  11. Centring machine. Operator's talk with film crew. Little distinct noise, just a clunk as hole is punched in centre of matrix. Clunk better now. [00:23:59]

    Examine component 11

  12. Centring machine followed by stamper forming press which presses the matrix's bevelled rim. [00:25:20]

    Examine component 12

  13. Now in pressing plant, vinyl recycling machine. A hand-fed conveyor belt carries scrap vinyl (waste from the press) to a hopper and then to a shredding machine. Then, recordist focuses on shredding machine. Then, the recordist changes perspective, focussing on the hopper interior. Operator heard driving away aboard electric truck. [00:26:46]

    Examine component 13

  14. Vinyl recycling machine. A hand-fed conveyor belt carries scrap vinyl (waste from the presses) to a hopper and then to a shredding machine. Close up on vinyl shredding machine. [00:32:06]

    Examine component 14

  15. Tub where machine deposits recovered vinyl. Electric truck is heard passing. [00:32:57]

    Examine component 15

  16. Injection moulding press for 7" (17 cm) discs. Continuous run, automatic. Matrices are vertical. Disc lifted by robot arm to painting and sleeving operations within the press. Recorded "through" thick perspex saftey guards. [00:35:39]

    Examine component 16

  17. Injection moulding press for 7" (17 cm) discs. Continuous run, automatic. Matrices are vertical. Disc lifted by robot arm to printing and sleeving operations within the press. Microphone now held over the safety barrier - cleaner recording. Some talk heard from workers and camera crew. [00:38:14]

    Examine component 17

  18. Injection moulding press for 7" (17 cm) discs. Continuous run, automatic. Matrices are vertical. Disc lifted by robot arm to painting and sleeving operations within the press. Microphone now held over the safety barrier - cleaner recording. Closer perspective. [00:40:49]

    Examine component 18

  19. Injection moulding press for 7" (17 cm) discs. Continuous run, automatic. Matrices are vertical. Disc lifted by robot arm to painting and sleeving operations within the press. Recordist now focusses on the motor, control gear and the press's horizontal ram. [00:44:27]

    Examine component 19

  20. General atmosphere in pressing shop. On the right, the injection moulding presses are heard, on the left, the horizontal stamper presses for 12" (30 cm) records. [00:46:40]

    Examine component 20

  21. One metre or less close perspective of horizontal stamper press for 12" (30 cm) records. Includes automatic swarf trimming. Recorded through thick perspex safety guards. [00:52:29]

    Examine component 21

  22. Close perspective recording of horizontal stamper press for 12" (30 cm) records. Includes automatic swarf trimming. Microphone held over perspex safety barrier. Cleaner recording. [00:54:45]

    Examine component 22

  23. Close perspective recording of horizontal stamper press for 12" (30 cm) records. Now recordist focusses on control gear about 1 metre away. Recordist moves around for different perspective of control gear and ram. Ram protected by perspex and metal guards. [00:58:31]

    Examine component 23

  24. General recording, made between two horizontal stamper presses for 12" (30 cm) records. [01:03:19]

    Examine component 24

  25. In quality control room off the factory floor. The presses are heard in the distance, also electric fans. [01:06:14]

    Examine component 25

  26. Cassette duplication plant. Electrosound 8000 loop bin - loop of 1" tape master for cassette duplication. [01:08:24]

    Examine component 26

  27. Gauss 1200 slave cassette tape (1/8") pancake recorder. Pancake (ie. core-wound length of tape). Pancake runs out, machine automatically stops. [01:11:33]

    Examine component 27

  28. Operator loads new pancake on several Gauss 1200 slave cassette tape (1/8") pancake recorders. Recorders whirr up to speed. [01:12:46]

    Examine component 28

  29. Packaging production line. Shrink wrapping of finished (already in library cases with inlay cards) cassettes in polythene is dominant sound. Recordist moves in for close perspective on shrink wrapping machine. Machine stops. [01:16:05]

    Examine component 29

  30. Tapematic 2002 tape packaging machine. Machine winds 1/8" tape into cassettes, trimming off the end and dropping the finished cassette down onto the conveyor belt. [01:18:42]

    Examine component 30

  31. Another Tapematic 2002 tape packaging machine, now with longer tapes, C60 length. Machine winds 1/8" tape into cassettes, trimming off the end and dropping the finished cassette down onto the conveyor belt. More whirring noise from the winders. This was in the middle of a row of six machines with another six behind. [01:21:16]

    Examine component 31

  32. Close perspective recording of cassette body printing machine. [01:24:54]

    Examine component 32

  33. Close perspective recording of machine that wraps inlay card around cassette, inserting both into case. Machine stopped and started by operative more than once due to blockages. [01:26:20]

    Examine component 33

  34. Close perspective recording of Heino Ilsenaenn shrink wrapping machine. Machine individually wraps finished cassettes in polythene. Machine stops initially then re-started by operative. Workers heard talking in between. [01:28:50]

    Examine component 34

  35. Wrapping machine. This one packages each batch of 20 cassettes together in tougher polythene wrapping. Hand-operated (walking driver) hydraulic truck passes towards end of recording. [01:31:35]

    Examine component 35

  36. General recording. On recordist's right there are seven to ten of the Electrosound 8000 loop bins; on his left there are about 40 of the Tapematic cassette winders with, in the middle, six banks of 12 Guass slave cassette tape (1/8") pancake recorders. Workers' talk is also heard indistinctly. [01:33:23]

    Examine component 36

  37. A different general atmosphere recording. Immediately in front of the recordist are the banks of Gauss slave cassette tape (1/8") pancake recorders on the left are the Electrosound 8000 loop bins while in front and to the right are the Tapematic cassette winders. There is a change in the background noise as a long bank of the Gauss recorders run out of tape and switch themselves off. [01:36:43]

    Examine component 37

  38. Recordist walks through the cassette loading area out of the cassette plant and into the despatch area. Fork lift trucks are heard and sounding horns. Ventilation fans are heard very distinctly. [01:38:41]

    Examine component 38

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British Library
10 Mar 2009
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