Hi there,
Pls can you help me solve a mystery that has been bugging me for years. Does anyone know this model? As seen on BBC from 1988 to early 1990s, and as used by the artists on Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert - I think they are all the same model. Looks like an AKG maybe? Its the silver one with red band and a small cable like aerial. (See pics of Seal, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Elton John).
http://www.queenman.friko.pl/live/1992_ ... 2_fmtc.htm
MANY THANKS!!!!
Julian
Name this obscure TV radio mic!!
Hi there, I randomly found this question whilst googling to find footage of the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. My dad supplied the radio mics to the event and also to many TV broadcasters and touring bands in the late 80s and early 90s. The mic is a Sony that he specially adapted. I forget the model but it was supplied by his company, Raycom (now under new ownership since the early 2000s after my dad passed away). Hope this helps solve the mystery!
-
fletchdirect
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue 10 Apr, 2012 20.12
Hi
Many thanks for the note. Are you referring to Ray Withers?
I have just done some google research based on what you had said. Turns out that your Dad was indeed a legend in the business.
I have just found a pdf of a magazine article that quotes him helping out none other than Michael Jackson, whose USA made radio mics would not work in the UK, and your Dad literally saved the day. I have attached the text below - it unfortunately is formatted vertically. All the best, Julian.
Night shift
Ray Withers is a radio
communications expert based at
Birmingham in the English
Midlands. His company, Raycom, has
established a troubleshooting
reputation for sorting out radio mic
problems at major pop concerts in
Britain and abroad.
It all began when Michael Jackson
came to Britain and brought his own
personal radio mic system for his
stage shows. Just 24 hours before the
first show someone discovered that
Mr Jackson's mics, tuned to
American UHF radio mic channels
around 900 MHz, would be
overpowered by a babble of cellular
telephone conversations in Britain.
The mics were made by a major
international company in the pro -
audio field, which has a large British
subsidiary outside London. Could
they fit new crystals to shift the mics
onto British radio mic frequencies?
Yes, but it would take about three
weeks, however, they suggested that
Ray Withers, a former employee,
might be able to get it done
overnight.
A motorcycle courier collected the
radio mics from Michael Jackson's
London hotel and took them to
Raycom in Birmingham while
Withers arranged for a firm in Kent
to make the necessary crystals
immediately and get them delivered
to him by that evening.
When the radio mics arrived at
Raycom it turned out that one of the
mains powered receivers had been
connected to a 240 V British supply
while expecting 110 V American and
the specially designed transformer
was blown.
By this time the manufacturers'
British office was closed for the
night. Withers had the car phone
number for one of the staff who just
happened to be in his car, on his way
out for a meal, and agreed to return
to the office. He phoned Ray Withers
to report that the technical stores
were all locked up and he didn't have
a key.
"Do you want to do Michael
Jackson a favour ?" Withers enquired.
So the stores door was opened by
`alternative means' and the
replacement transformer was found.
No motorcycle couriers were
available so a local taxi was hired to
take the transformer 100 miles to
Birmingham. When the taxi arrived
Withers asked the driver to wait,
promising that Michael Jackson's
people would provide tickets and
back stage passes for his family, he
had four teenage daughters, if he
took the radio mics back to London.
The transformer was fitted, the
radio mics were delivered in the
middle of the night, the taxi driver
got his promised reward, Ray
Withers was well paid and Michael
Jackson was happy.
Tim Leigh Smith
Many thanks for the note. Are you referring to Ray Withers?
I have just done some google research based on what you had said. Turns out that your Dad was indeed a legend in the business.
I have just found a pdf of a magazine article that quotes him helping out none other than Michael Jackson, whose USA made radio mics would not work in the UK, and your Dad literally saved the day. I have attached the text below - it unfortunately is formatted vertically. All the best, Julian.
Night shift
Ray Withers is a radio
communications expert based at
Birmingham in the English
Midlands. His company, Raycom, has
established a troubleshooting
reputation for sorting out radio mic
problems at major pop concerts in
Britain and abroad.
It all began when Michael Jackson
came to Britain and brought his own
personal radio mic system for his
stage shows. Just 24 hours before the
first show someone discovered that
Mr Jackson's mics, tuned to
American UHF radio mic channels
around 900 MHz, would be
overpowered by a babble of cellular
telephone conversations in Britain.
The mics were made by a major
international company in the pro -
audio field, which has a large British
subsidiary outside London. Could
they fit new crystals to shift the mics
onto British radio mic frequencies?
Yes, but it would take about three
weeks, however, they suggested that
Ray Withers, a former employee,
might be able to get it done
overnight.
A motorcycle courier collected the
radio mics from Michael Jackson's
London hotel and took them to
Raycom in Birmingham while
Withers arranged for a firm in Kent
to make the necessary crystals
immediately and get them delivered
to him by that evening.
When the radio mics arrived at
Raycom it turned out that one of the
mains powered receivers had been
connected to a 240 V British supply
while expecting 110 V American and
the specially designed transformer
was blown.
By this time the manufacturers'
British office was closed for the
night. Withers had the car phone
number for one of the staff who just
happened to be in his car, on his way
out for a meal, and agreed to return
to the office. He phoned Ray Withers
to report that the technical stores
were all locked up and he didn't have
a key.
"Do you want to do Michael
Jackson a favour ?" Withers enquired.
So the stores door was opened by
`alternative means' and the
replacement transformer was found.
No motorcycle couriers were
available so a local taxi was hired to
take the transformer 100 miles to
Birmingham. When the taxi arrived
Withers asked the driver to wait,
promising that Michael Jackson's
people would provide tickets and
back stage passes for his family, he
had four teenage daughters, if he
took the radio mics back to London.
The transformer was fitted, the
radio mics were delivered in the
middle of the night, the taxi driver
got his promised reward, Ray
Withers was well paid and Michael
Jackson was happy.
Tim Leigh Smith
-
Nick Harvey
- God
- Posts: 4147
- Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 22.26
- Location: Deepest Wiltshire
- Contact:
Oh
goodness
me,
isn't
that
interesting!
goodness
me,
isn't
that
interesting!