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June 1961 Radio-Electronics
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Electronics,
published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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This letter was sent to Hugo
Gernsback, publisher of Radio-Electronics magazine, in response to the
"30-Day Record
Response" article penned by noted scientist and inventor Mohammed Ulysses
Fips. In it, Stephen A. Kallis, Jr. heaped laud upon the "Most Revered and Esteemed Fips"
for his long-term recording device (remember, 1961 was many decades before
microminiature terabyte memory and microprocessors) were available, and
chastises Mr. Gernsback for evidently calling into question the authenticity of
the recorder. Kallis, a self-proclaimed stereo enthusiast (a very popular
pastime of the era), bolsters Fips' case by citing "A Proposed Listening Area,"
by the Institute of Synergistic Statics Proceedings (not locatable in a Google
search, but probably an unintentional omission. If you read the original article
in the April issue, you will appreciate this.
Dear Mr. Fips: 30-Day Record Response
Most Revered and Esteemed Fips:
Again I must congratulate you. I refer to your 30-day LP record described in
the April issue. Once again, you have anticipated me, but perhaps I have managed
to discover a facet of this device not yet mentioned.
The recording device you have produced can play back records at normal
speed, it is true, but, if we speed up the turntable, it would be possible to
increase greatly the upper frequency response of the recording. This would
decrease the available playing time but would make it possible to record a few
hours of television on the disc. This would enable a small TV station to keep a
complete record of important shows on a small bookshelf. It would also enable
the family to record one TV program while watching another.
Of course, for the economical, it would be possible to record a separate
musical program along with the TV material. As the video signal would be in
the rf, and the af of the music would not modulate it, you would have two discrete
signals, both on the same recording! Using this system, the music could be
recorded for the audiophile in the listening room (see "A Proposed Listening Area," Institute of Synergistic Statics Proceedings, Vol. XL, No.2),
while the other members of the family review their favorite program.
And there it is, not only will we still have hi-fi records, but in addition
we will have video recorders for home use. And do you, most learned Fips,
believe that this will cause a reduction in electronic equipment sales? Hardly.
So tell that mean old boss of yours that you have discovered a revitalizing
force for the already booming electronic industry!
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
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