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Author Topic: Klangfilm tube modules  (Read 14302 times)

Mu-Mao

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Klangfilm tube modules
« on: January 21, 2005, 08:42:13 AM »

It's great to have you here Oliver. This forum has made fascinating reading over the last couple of weeks. This question is directed to you and anyone else who may have anything to add.

I was wondering whether anyone had any information about the old tube modules made by the German (or Austrian?)  company "Klangfilm", which I believe was related to Siemens.

I have seen various Klangfilm modules for sale for prices ranging from cheap to very expensive. Their tube eqs show up with some frequency but i have also seen
mic pres and line and power amps  for sale. Has anyone here owned or spent any time with any of these modules? Any comments on build quality, sound etc.? Are they related in terms of design or ancestry  to any of the TAB/ Telefunken etc. equipment?

I know that the company supplied equipment to film studios and cinemas since before WW 2 so I presume that the modules in question date from the 1940s or early 1950s.

Their equipment seems to have a certain following amongst people who collect old film sound equipment.

As an aside  they have the coolest logo I've ever seeen...very 1930's German Expressionist... it looks like a sketch from The Cabinet of Doctor Cagliari!



Best Regards,

D. Toner
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Oliver Archut

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Re: Klangfilm tube modules
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2005, 11:40:28 AM »

The Klangfilm GmbH was founded in 1928 by AEG and Siemens & Halske AG, they pooled their expertise in sound-on-film technology and supplied Europe and the rest of the world (aside the US) with talking sounds equipment.
The focus was on the development, production and sale of cinema and sound film equipment. In 1941, as part of the agreements known as the "Telefunken settlement," Siemens & Halske AG took over the shares previously owned by AEG and in return AEG gain 100% control over Telefunken.

After WWII the name was changed to Siemens-Klangfilm and in the mid 70s the Klangfilm name disappeared, up to the mid 80s the production continued under Siemens but eventualy the company was dissolved end of the 80s.

From 1928 on Klangfilm developed and build all needed equipment in their own manufacturing plant, with minor help form both of the main owner corporation. Everything from tubes, x-former, projector, microphones (they made a killer version of their own M7 type capsule).

After the war everything changed and Klangfilm became just a trade name and sold relabeled products, made by Siemens, Telefunken, Bauer and Neumann/Schoeps. (There are a few U47 labeled as Siemens with a Klangfilm logo on the back)

The pre war equipment sells for insane amount of money these days; a portable (wartime) movie theater sold for up to $10K on eBay not to long ago.... I remember scapping similar ones in the 80s...

The post war equipment is either the Siemens/Telefunken/TAB U/V series , or WSW made items (Wiener Schwachstrom Werke = Vieana low current Manufacturing Plant) relabeled to Klangfilm.

There is a very good Klangfilm web-page http://klangfilm.free.fr/ by a French gentleman, with lots of good infos and even more pics...

Best regards,
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Oliver Archut
www.tab-funkenwerk.com

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RMoore

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Re: Klangfilm tube modules
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2005, 09:55:40 PM »

I know an engineer who has the Klangfilm EQS (2 x mono) inserted all the time on his desk master outs...(W95?) Seemed to sound nice..They'd been stored in a garage for 30 years or something, he cleaned 'em up & they worked fine..
Aren't they similar to Eckmiller W86 eqs with 2 fixed high and low eq points?
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Oliver Archut

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Re: Klangfilm tube modules
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2005, 01:09:30 AM »

Both units qualify as resonance EQs, a la PulTec, but different in build up, etc. Eckmiller is passive, Klangfilm passive and buffered, some active EQs a la K&H UE100 were also made...

Best

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Oliver Archut
www.tab-funkenwerk.com

We are so advanced, that we can develop technology that can determine how much damage the earth has taken from the development of that technology.

Mu-Mao

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Re: Klangfilm tube modules
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2005, 07:08:42 AM »

Thanks for the reply Oliver, that clears a lot of things up for me.

I has seen  http://klangfilm.free.fr/ before but they have updated it with a bunch of new information since then . In the documentation section they have a brochure for a 10/2 mixing desk. All the input modules seem to be V series units.

There is also quite a good site on Siemens / Klangfilm tube amps and loudspeakers at http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Klangfilm/Klangfilm.htm . This guy says that the
Klangfilm KLV 502 is the best EL34 amp he's ever heard and that there are no modifications that would improve it!!

Would it be correct to say that Klangfilm mic pres etc were largely V series and that their power amps and eqs were largely Siemens units?

Best Regards

D. Toner
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