The studios have grown from the original 6ft x 8ft wooden
garden shed of 1970 to a 4-studio basement complex built in 1991. This has now been
developed into a sophisticated broadcast area with two self-operated transmission desks, a
talks / live music area, a multi-facility
dubbing studio, an office, record library and an engineering workshop.  Built
to full BBC specifications the facilities include digital editing, CD recording, DAT and
minidisc machines as well as the more usual tape machines, record decks and cartridge
recorders. Pictured here is the main on-air studio, Studio 3, used for the nightly
request show "Down Your Ward" and most of the other music based programmes. It
is equipped with a Neve desk, Technics CD players, Sonifex cartridge machines, Revox PR99
tape machines and even has a couple of turntables for playing 33 & 45rpm
records (remember them?). The large collection of CDs at the presenter's fingertips
is usually capable of fulfilling around 80% of listeners' requests without the need to
visit the record library next door. Should such a visit be necessary, the
computerised catalogue accessable in each studio, can find a track by title, artist or
composer, and can even give addtional information about the song together with a profile
of its chart position - even if it was over 40 years ago. |
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 Used for interviews, quizes, live music and talk
shows, Studio 2 is acoustically treated and is equipped with numerous microphone
points and full talkback facilities to the other studios. The layout can quickly be
changed from the "round table" discussion format pictured here, to make it a
live music recording studio, used for visiting bands and artists. |
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 Studio 1 is almost identical to Studio3.
Although it lacks the main studio's large selection of music CD's, it does have additional
computer facilities and a television monitor, being used for speech based programmes such
as the magazine and sports shows. |
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 As well as the three on-air studios, Whipps Cross also
has a well equipped production area, known locally as Studio 4. Although it lacks a
microphone or even a door (!), the area is fitted out for audio editing (both razor blade
and digital) and the duplication of programme cassette tapes often requested by
patients. Almost any audio can be worked with here: record, cassette, tape, CD,
cart, minidisc, DAT, video, various formats of computer files, etc. |
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| Want to look anywhere else? As we go down the corridor, our studio tour ends with a quick look into some of the other rooms.............
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.........first the record library, which is now more of a CD library with a few old records in it. Although both studios 1 & 3 have several hundred CDs in them, there are plenty more here for the more difficult requests................... |
.........the office, which is more often than not found being used for tea and coffee making rather than administration....... |
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........ and at the end, the engineering department. No one is really sure what goes on behind these closed doors, but there are lots of wires and machines everywhere. When a clumsy presenter breaks an item of equipment it usually goes in here for a short holiday! |
