Inside the Capital FM studio, April 1992

A brief look behind the scenes at Capital FM London in the days before computers took over - playing out a taped programme (which was really on actual quarter-inch analogue tape), then a quick look at the production studio, where everything was done on tape - no digital editing at all (although we had a DAR SoundStation elsewhere in the building and shortly after this video was made, I got a Korg SoundLink on test).
The 24-track tape machine used to belong to Paul McCartney, or so I was told by several people.

[@gb3037]

When Capital really did rule the waves

[@neaderivia605]

Thank you so mucho for this, I have my best memories in london thanks to this radio station

[@MattPhelps76]

About the same time I was doing Hospital radio and to be honest the equipment and method of operation was surprisingly similar! 1/4 inch tape, cart machines etc. There was a satisfying feeling to getting a show really tight and well timed. I ended up working in TV instead but would have loved to have worked at Capital in the 90s. Such an epic jingle package etc.

[@CJT80]

Back in the day... long before Global came along!

[@craigr9881]

CJT80 does it have as much voice tracking as Heart? Back when it was truly London.

[@TheCaptainSparky]

MBI 24 Series desk. A station I used to work at still uses one of these, Ex-Picadilly

[@TonyMazters]

spot on with the news

[@DarrenAltman]

Apart from the NYE video, are there any other behind the scenes footage of the Capital Radio studios?

[@stuartkent]

Wow Reel to Reel....how real was that? lol notice how quick the guy moves his fingers off the buttons lol slick rick lol

[@LushistoryUK]

Love this..... Damn Old days

[@LushistoryUK]

#PIRATE FM

[@stuartkent]

i wonder how big that camera was back in the day? lol

[@ajpdaniels]

The IRN news test transmission seems to go up to 1 second before the hour - very tight if your slightly early with the fader - would have thought it would go quiet at 5 seconds before.?

[@dunebasher1971]

At that time, and for many years afterward, the IRN feed was actually LBC's off-air output. About a minute before each bulletin you'd start hearing LBC down the IRN line. LBC left 1 second's silence before and after the news to allow stations to opt in and out. If you listen to LBC recordings from the 70s, 80s and 90s you can clearly hear the pause before and after the bulletins. Technically, you were supposed to be able to open the news fader at 59'59" and get silence, but you couldn't rely on them 100% - sometimes they'd play their own news jingle late, and you'd hear the very end of it as you faded them up, which obviously sounded a bit crap. That's why I'm listening to be sure they've gone to silence before I open the fader. In fact, if you listen carefully you can hear that on this occasion they'd played their jingle VERY late and they have to cut it off to allow the second of silence.

[@andrewwood6554]

Sonifex carts, Revox and the first Dams. The best days of Radio production. Clyde broadcast desk?.

[@dunebasher1971]

The desk is an MBI Series 24. The tape machines are Studer A807s.

[@andrewwood6554]

dunebasher1971 Cheers for that. I did what you did 9 years earlier up North! Love the old school equipment.

[@BlueSkiesAbove39]

2:16 is that a very young Martin Collins?

[@dunebasher1971]

Guessing you didn't see the on-screen caption at 1:46? :)

[@eamonnevans8005]

Is that Pat Sharp?

[@dunebasher1971]

No.

[@simonjharrisson]

Who is the guy at the controls?

[@dunebasher1971]

Me!

[@craigr9881]

2:40 Curry Motors. Do they still exist?

[@dunebasher1971]

It's Currie Motors, and yes they do.

[@ajpdaniels]

@@dunebasher1971 🎶Nice people to do business with 🎶I understand