Creative Entertainment & Production Since 1964   Phantom Productions is the registered trademark of Phantom Productions, Inc. Copyright 2005 All pictures and content on this web site are the property of Phantom Productions, Inc. View story on Phantom's Vintage Recording Museum • view news story  (RealPlayer)  get free RealPlayer Why P H A N T O M? Phantom Productions began as an audio recording company in Alpine, Texas in 1964. Originally called Highland Sound Company (suggestion by Scottish grandmother), we produced record albums, radio shows, film audio post production and music projects across Texas. In audio production microphones may be "phantom" powered. That is, remotely powered. We liked the "behind the scenes" image that Phantom provided. We work behind the scenes to provide professional services! The Alpine schools recorded a weekly radio program in our studios (picture at right) Phantom Productions, Inc. was created in the mid 1960s and we found the evolution of recording technology exciting and challenging. Some of our first recorders were battery operated novelties and one even came from Western Auto. A Webcor recorder enabled us to record "sound with sound" and musicians loved it! Then came our first Sony and we were off doing on-location work that included church albums and college band tours. The Ampex (left) was an incredible machine used for the Sul Ross University recordings. A connection with Sony created a link with Balco Sound of Lubbock, Texas and we began selling Ampex, Altec, Shure, Electro Voice and all the other well known brands in the Big bend area of Texas. Here are some pictures from our 35+ years. Also, we began a collection of recorders we've used and those we wished we'd had, when the budgets were tight. Enjoy! ...and please comment. We'd love to hear about your evolution! More about Phantom Production's evolution Phantom Productions is now a digital production company using the Canon GL1 & GL2 and Apple's Final Cut Pro.  Go to Phantom's equipment List. Things have really come a long way since we began recording the sixties! Phantom Production's Vintage Recording Collection In collecting our vintage recorders, we have attempted to include pieces that had a significant role in the development of audio recording.  Our focus is primarily on those reel to reel tape recorders that enabled musicians to hone their craft.  We felt it would be interesting to include some of the early cylinder, disk and wire units, however, our main collection reflects the recorders that first became available to musicians and "prosumers" in the '50's, '60's, '70's and early '80's.  So many innovations assisted the musician to capture that unique sound.  They included, "sound with, and on sound," echo, and then came multi-tracking.  Essential to the recordings were the microphones and mixer, so we've added some of those pieces as well.  For perspective, we added reel to reel pages in radio catalogs from the late '30's to the early '80's and included some tape recorder ads as well.  We hope you enjoy our online information. Take a look at our "Evolution" page also. You'll see some of the audio and video units that were interesting benchmarks of production development. We include some video equipment as that's Phantom's prime business. It continues to evolve as we have time.  Enjoy! The pictures below are just a brief overview of the collection.  To see the complete collection go to the following links.  These are part of Phantom's permanent collection and are not for sale. Go to Phantom Productions' Vintage Inventory Pages A-D  E-K  L-R  S  T  U-Z   Unusual & Unique    By Year Also check out our new vintage price quotes page Go to movie of Edison cylinder player (RealPlayer) Go to an ad and watch a movie on the Webster Wire recorder Pentron wire recorder, record player and radio & Picture of Brush Sound Mirror recorder (right), with Sony 230 and display case in Phantom museum  (click picture of larger view) More about Whoopee John Magnecord PT6-AH recorder, PT6-IM-4 Mixer and PT6 J recording amplifier (click picture of larger view) Click here for more pictures of the UK's Spectone Tape Recorder  • Bell RecordOFone Go to Phantom Productions' Vintage Inventory Pages    Berlant Concertone 20/20 (click picture of larger view) More Brush 2105 pictures More Crown 3M pictures and movie Click here to see great brochure on the Sony 300 (in background of right picture above)   Old Concertone tape counter and an old tape head demagnetizer,Teac 3440 pin and Robins tape timer Go to Phantom Productions' Vintage Inventory Pages (click picture of larger view) Go to see a brief movie and great inside pictures of this Ampex 601 Ampex 601-2 Ampex AG 300        Ampex AG 351 See ad and catalog for Concertone 801 Click here for Ampex 600 ad                                                                   Dokorder1140 (click picture of larger view) Go to Phantom Productions' Vintage Inventory Pages The Rheem Roberts 1000 (right above) is a 4 track audio recorder with a built in black and white video recorder Catalog for Sony 600 • Click here for Sony 600 ad Click here to see more about the Roberts 1000     Variety of Ampex and Wollensak recorders in Phantom's museum (click picture of larger view)   Roberts 333X - Combined reel to reel with cassette and 8 track (on right side)(click picture of larger view) View Movie Roberts tape recorder head cleaner (right) (click picture of larger view) Go to more pictures of these two Roberts recorders Revox A-77 Click here to see more about the Akai500 and watch a movie of the "reverse!"   Wollensak 1980, 5710 mono and Sony 8 Track recorder Sparta Radio Broadcast console and BSR EQ with Technics Amp & Tuner (click picture of larger view)     Electro Voice 664, Sony Electret Condenser, Shure 51, Shure 55 "Big" and Turner 99(click picture of larger view)         American D22, Ampex H-1390, Astatic DR-10, Electro Voice 666, Electro Voice 950                 RCA Aeropressure, Reslo, Sennheiser MD412, Shure 315, Shure 737, Turner Spring, Turner 22X Variety of vintage microphones and Teac AX-300 Audio Mixer Sony Audio Mixer, Yamaha PA mixer and Teac Model 2 with MB20 mounted in angled wooden frame (click picture of larger view)   (right above) picture of Dokorder 1140, Teac Model 2 Mixer with MB-20 and Teac 3440, Sony 630 Stereo Center with ad     On left -many of Phantom's Sony recorders (you can see 2 Roberts 400Xs in background) • On right Ampex recorders     Pioneer RT-707 and RT-909    Ampex ATR-700     Teac 80-8 Go to more 80-8 pictures (Right) Phantom recording album "Dan & Dave" live at the Backroom. Switched to Teac 80-8 for final cuts. Then mastered at Rough Cedar Recording studio, Austin, Texas     Otari MX-50II in Otari rack       Sony 854-4, Otari MX5050 BQ II, Teac 3440, Dokorder 1140, Toshiba PT884     Ampex 440 in console, Ampex AG445B, Teac 3340, Fostex R8       Technics RS-1506 (no longer in collection)  and the Technics RS-1700      ReVox B77, Akai GX-77   Teac 144 (first Teac Multi- track cassette recorder) Go to Phantom Productions' Vintage Inventory Pages We've acquired some other items that relate to the recording industry during this period, as well as some Concertone instruments for our recording and microphone display area.                 Click on picture for a larger view click here for some unusual recording related items Dog and Trumpet Pub - London England (this we did not acquire (:-)   "Phantom Productions" is the registered trademark of Phantom Productions, Inc. Copyright 2005 All pictures and content on this web site are the property of Phantom Productions, Inc. ABOUT • CATALOGS & ADS • COLLECTION • ENTERTAINMENT • FOR SALE • LINKS • MOVIE STARS • MUSEUM • PHANTOM PRODUCTIONS • PRICE DATA • RENTAL • STUDIO