Steely Dan Nightfly TT on cover

[KrisM]

I saw this LP at the GW today in excellent condition, almost picked it up for the cover, but have never really been into Steely Dan, so left it... It is a great cover, though, somehow reminded me of Edward R. Murrow, though he probably never sat in front of a TT.

I picked up a cheap version a few years ago to give it shot. I liked as much as any other Steely Dan, which is not much. It ended going out with a stack I gave away.
As much as I didn't care the music, that is a great cover. Classic.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

I think you're correct, looks much more like a RCA 77DX. Different bodies. Good catch!

 

[electrovice]

I agree with Steerpike2, it is a Para-Flux tonearm. Somebody had a pair of them on eBay a while ago and one was still in it's factory box. I downloaded the images into my old computer.

John

 

[libertycaps]

BTW, years before I was told that this album is digitally engineered, I felt that there was something not quite right with the sound.

I am far from tone-deaf, but am definitely girlfriend-deaf.

Seth
Forever Analog and Covered In Parrot Poop

Precisely why CD is the only format i have this title on.
It's a keeper.

 

[butch4695]

I love this on vinyl , it`s all I have .

 

[Musicaltruth]

I always thought the negative was "flipped" left to right, thereby explaining why the tone arm is on the turntable's left side instead of its right. Moreover, Fagen is sitting behind the TT instead of in front of it as a real DJ would. Despite these flaws, the photo is the epitome of cool. And the album's perfection is in inverse proportion to the cover's technical flaws. Definitely a top ten of all time album, perhaps top five.

 

[Redboy]

I always thought the negative was "flipped" left to right, thereby explaining why the tone arm is on the turntable's left side instead of its right. Moreover, Fagen is sitting behind the TT instead of in front of it as a real DJ would. Despite these flaws, the photo is the epitome of cool. And the album's perfection is in inverse proportion to the cover's technical flaws. Definitely a top ten of all time album, perhaps top five.

No, the tonearm's right... on the right. What you may be seeing as the cartridge end of the tonearm is actually the pivot/bearing end.

 

[kirk57]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it thus far but this is NOT a Steely Dan album!!!

It's a Donald Fagen solo album. Walt Becker is nowhere to be found here.

Also, I'm looking at my copy of the album, and the TT is not turned around: the arm pivot is closest to the front in the shot.

 

[gaslover]

I always thought they were Chesterfield Straits.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Tonearm and cartridge is definitely Radio-Music Corporation ParaFlux. Some early FM stations used them but by the middle 1950's this setup was going out of style. The Gray 108 and GE VR II was the successor. Which was far less record wear. The ParaFlux was really a 78 RPM era design at heart. A broadcast engineer friend has a ParaFlux arm and cartridge. His is 78 RPM. It's mounted on a Gates.

 

[teebee]

Clock says 4:09. So still.

 

[apachef1]

In an attempt to resurrect this thread, I did not see any identification of the turntable. I looked on a few other forums and still not seeing a name for the turntable. The unusual thing about the TT is the low profile plinth for a transcription table. Most of the tables from the 40's, 50's, & 60's were in big industrial floor standing cabinets. Even the modern EMT tables have some girth. The TT in the Nightfly picture would appear as a Rek o Kut table but none seem to fit exactly. The platter has the straight side vs the tapered edge compared to an RCA transcription table. Could this be a "modern" (in a sense of the word for transcription tables) table set up with a Para-Flux arm? Say a Linn or Thorens table

 

[wascobi]

no idea. but I agree, one of the top five. still have the copy I bought the day it was released. over an hour drive back home. must have spun it six times that night.

 

[DustyOldPile]

Hypnotoad,

I am a broadcast engineer. Over 33 years experience. When I began, many AM stations used equipment of that vintage in daily on air use. Usually, modernized enough to play Stereo records without damage. Especially when the station was a small town local channel AM. I maintained lots of oldies which were adventuresome to keep in working order then. Tube gear was still very common back then in daily use. The AM/FM combo I began at had this gear, RCA 44DX microphone, Western Union Telegraph Company clocks (Eastern and Central Time Zone), Teletypes for AP, Gates Yard Console, Gates CB turntables, Tapecaster cart machines, Gates cart machines, Telco EBS unit, Magnecord open reel decks, EV Sentry speaker, Dynaco Mk III amp, Stanton 500 AL cartridges. This comprised the AM control room. Transmitter was a Gates BC5P (1960 vintage), audio processing was done with a Gates Sta-Level. We aired Mutual news. The equipment was in use until 2001 with 2 Magnavox CD Players added and an old automation program ran by a PC. Our FM used a Gates Automation System using stepper controls. Had 4 Scully open reel decks, 3 IGM Instacarts, and ran Bonneville Beautiful Music. We had an old Gates Stereo Statesman console, 2 Thorens TD-124 turntables with SME 3009 arms, Stanton 681 EE cartridges, and 2 Ampex AG 440 open reels for backup if the Gates pooped out. We had Tannoys driven by McIntosh MC 30 power amps for monitoring there and RCA 44 DX mics. All Gates/ATC cart machines there. Transmitter was a Gates FM3 with a Gates TE-3 exciter (loved to do spread spectrum). All modulation monitoring for AM and FM done with Belar. The FM went on the air in 1967. We used 2 Gates Level Devils for processing. I remember this gear well as I maintained it for many years.

Those were the days...

My station on the FM side ran a pair of Russco turntables with Microtrak tonearms, Stanton 500 cartridges. Revox reel to reels, Gates cart machines, an old Autogram console and a 500 watt FM transmitter that took up half of a room. Took about 10 minutes to shut that beast down at Midnight when I signed off.

Memories...

 

[J English]

Nice to read all of the broadcast equipment descriptions. I'm in the "great album" camp on this one. I'm a big SD fan, but Fagen's solo work is outstanding, particularly this and Kamakiriad. I've got one cd and two records of Nightfly, it's in that rare group of albums where I have to fight hard not to buy every version of it I see. And yeah, what a cover. Evocative.

 

[Electone]

I actually prefer this album on CD than vinyl and I own the original 1982 pressing and the more recent one as well.

 

[Charlie S]

More memories: The 1 kW AM daylighter where I lurked as a youngster had a pair of 16” Presto turntables with the old Gray arms with articulating heads, GE RPX cartridges with turn-around styli, a Brush SoundMirror R2R tape machine, and a Zenith table-model FM radio for local relay of live sportscasts. I seem to remember that the board and transmitter were from Collins. Shure Unidyne mic for the announcer. All this packed into one sound-locked room. A seldom-used studio to the side had another Unidyne mic and an old upright piano.

This was before cart machines. The record library was a mix of 78s and 45s, with just a few Lp’s. A weekly supply of 16” ETs filled Sunday mornings with transcribed public service programs.
The records shared space with the UPI teletype printer and maintenance workshop. I remember when a news flash came saying the United States planned to launch a satellite into orbit around the Earth. The on-duty staff announcer asked me to read it over the air: He didn’t want his professional reputation jeopardized by broadcasting such ridiculous nonsense.

Only two rules about prohibited material: Absolutely no profanity or obscenity, and don’t joke when reading the school lunch menus.

I can still recite the station sign-off from memory, ending with “Ladies and gentlemen, our National Anthem.” [Switch on turntable #2 cued up with the Victor Red Seal 10” 78rpm shellac – always Arthur Fiedler and Boston Pops.]

That station went through financial hardship and several changes in ownership until the last owner surrendered its license. Later, the old call letters were re-assigned to local AM and FM outlets under unrelated management.

 

[steerpike2]

Could this be a "modern" (in a sense of the word for transcription tables) table set up with a Para-Flux arm? Say a Linn or Thorens table

I'm thinking that too - a fairly modern Hi-Fi (not broadcast) turntable that they added some 1950s style toggle switches to the plinth. It's just too small to be a credible radio station turntable.

 

[arts]

Ahh,having a smoke in the control room; those were the days

You'd get shot (or worse!) for doing that now....

 

[DustyOldPile]

Or Pizza and a 12 pack! Standard Friday night fare from 10 to 11:58 PM...then the signoff and anthem.