The BSR Minichanger - A downsized vinyl stacker

Show video

a couple years ago i did a video about this  1979 ima ps 2500 all-in-one stereo system   i called it the 1970s in a box because it has  everything that the average consumer would have   wanted from a stereo system at the time including  built-in stereo speakers an am/fm radio tuner   a cassette recorder an 8-track player everything that they would have wanted from a  stereo system at the time except a record player it does have a phono input on the back so  you can add any record player with a ceramic   cartridge such as your typical 1970s-era bsr  record changer but that looks rather unbalanced   because you have this huge record player on the  side of this compact all-in-one stereo system wouldn't it be better if they could  shrink down the record changer to fit   neatly on top of the stereo system  presenting the bsr mini changer   it can do everything a full size bsr record  changer can do except in a smaller package it says panasonic on the front and on top of  the removable lid but that's really meaningless   because they had nothing to do with the design of  this record changer except possibly manufacturing   the base for it otherwise it's a completely bsr  design on the bottom it gives the panasonic model   number of rd-7413 and what little information i  can find about it says that it's from around 1970 and one way you can tell that is because it  has all four speeds including 16 and 78 rpm   i think it was around 1972 that bsr eliminated  16 rpm from their record changers and then in the   early 1980s they also got rid of 78 and it's  so 1970s that instead of the standard white   for left and red for right color codes it uses  brown for left and even more brown for right and it really does look like they're designed  to go together because although it hangs off   the back a bit the feet that are molded  into the plastic base of the turntable   are inset at the rear so that is  still supported at all four corners automatic record changer operation is the same  as with the full size bsr record changer you   select your speed you select your size you load a  stack of up to six records you lower the overarm   to support the stack and you move the operation  switch to the reject position and away it goes and when it gets to the end of the record it'll  automatically drop the next record and play it you can also use the reject function to start the   next record if you don't want  to listen to the entire thing and yes it's playing about two percent too  fast they all do that's just normal for these "let's listen to the sounds of the  city open your book and turn the page who's blowing that whistle maybe you don't recognize my voice but i  know you i hear every sound the city makes" wow   and   flutter isn't exactly that great  with six records stacked on the   platter because they tend to slip a little  bit but when it's done playing the last record it'll automatically shut off there were different variations of these mini  changers some were fancy enough to have a metal   platter and metal tonearm this is the cheaper  version with a plastic platter and plastic tonearm   and unlike the full-size bsr record changers  which could be equipped with a magnetic cartridge   these minichangers all had a ceramic cartridge this one came with bsr's own c1 cartridge which  has a flipover stylus for playing both lps   and 78s it takes a pfanstiehl 273 series  stylus the version i got is the 273-ss73   which has a sapphire .7 mil stylus for  playing lps and 45s and a sapphire 3 mil   stylus for playing 78s you can also  get one with a diamond lp stylus but   for a system like this which i won't be  using that much a sapphire stylus is fine when i first got it and measured it  it was tracking at a rather hefty   seven grams but by increasing the tension  of this spring i was able to get it down   to a svelte four and a half grams which is just  about right for one of these ceramic cartridges   any lighter than that and they'll  tend to skip on bass-heavy records and one nice thing is the built-in tonearm latch   you just pull it forward a little bit and  push down on it and it latches into place because this has a hard plastic platter  i prefer to add a soft rubber platter   mat that's actually from a crosley cruiser to  give the record something softer to land onto and with that three mil stylus this  thing sounds phenomenal when playing 78s   as i'll demonstrate for direct  hookup of this shellac 78 from 1939 "the story is told by the three jacks  jeanne d'arcy and your music box host   johnny messner there's a boy and girl  who lingered near our window each night   and we love to watch him though it isn't right  the same old repetition takes place every day   this fellow's got ambition he never fails to  say oh we must have one more kiss kiss kiss   before we say good night we must have one  more kiss kiss kiss before we say good night   you'll never miss that extra kiss so honey  hold me tight oh we must have one more   before we say good night and if you treat  me right you'll make my heart feel light   you know your kiss will make me  whistle walking home tonight oh i love   since you love me and i love you it's  perfectly all right oh we must have one more   before we say good night" it can automatically play 12 inch ten inch and seven inch records the speed of the automatic record changer  function is linked to the speed of the turntable   so while it is quite smooth and  elegant at 33 and a third rpm   "musicians and listeners alike have  always been interested by the descriptive   or evocative power of music no one has..." it gets  quite frantic at 78 rpm "please don't be angry" there is one minor difference between  this and a full-sized bsr record changer   and that is the spindle is slightly shorter   i didn't notice that until i tried to use the 45  rpm adapter for my full-size bsr record changer   and even though it fits perfectly fine it  doesn't work that's because the 45 adapter   for the minichanger is slightly shorter there  you can see the difference in height between   the minichanger spindle and the standard spindle  they're both designed to stack up to six records   but the minichanger one is slightly shorter that's  why it requires the slightly shorter 45 adapter or if you just want to play one record at a  time and not use it as a stacking record changer   you can install the single-play spindle  but i was surprised to see that these   things are selling for like $13 on  ebay it's just a little piece of   plastic somebody ought to 3d print  these to make a cheaper replacement and you can put on the lid when playing a  stack of 7-inch records but any larger sizes   and you'll need to leave the lid off it won't fit and here is playing a stack of full-size 12-inch  lps these are all modern records which are a bit   thicker than older ones so i can only fit five of  them on the spindle instead of the maximum of six these are all copyrighted albums so  i can only play a few seconds of each you can hear the music slow down when  it engages the automatic mechanism that one starts a little bit closer to the edge  than the other so it cut off the first two seconds while that one has much longer lead in there is  an adjustment for that but it's rather touchy   and of course when it's done playing the  last record it will automatically shut off here's that adjustment for the position at  which it puts the needle down on the record   it's this screw right here at the base of  the tone arm and the more you screw it in   the closer to the outer  edge it puts down the needle   and the more you unscrew it the closer  to the middle it puts down the needle if you're wondering if letting the records drop  and scrape against each other will damage them   yes it will but if you listen to the experts   everything you do with records will damage them  so you might as well have fun with your records   and enjoy them with whatever kind  of turntable you prefer to use "come here little sister you the one that brought  this woman clear here from new mexico tell us   something about it" "well uh she has been coming  to our services for about a month or two now   and uh it has acted up many  times about not nearly this bad" but with 45s you don't need to  worry about that because they   were designed to be stacked on top of each other you can see as i drop the records on top of each  other there's actually a gap between them so the   surfaces of the records don't actually touch you  can see the light shining through each record   because the labels are thicker than the actual  playing surface of the records so as long as   they're not excessively warped you can stack  45s and they won't actually touch each other and if you wonder why some 45s have ridges around  the label as to help prevent them from slipping on   each other when they're stacked on top of each  other they'll grip a little bit better that way maybe a little bit too well because it  dropped both of them at the same time you can also play non-standard sizes and shapes  of records but you'll need to do so manually "on this record you'll find just a small  sample of the wonderful treasury of music   that's in store for you when you join the columbia  record club as a member you'll have your choice of   great works in every field of music popular  hits great classical music broadway shows   country and western favorites exciting jazz  whatever best suits your individual taste" this did need the typical cleaning  and re-lubrication of the mechanism   which i didn't show on camera because  it's exactly the same as a full-size   bsr record changer and there are already  several excellent videos about that   but one general rule to follow is that if  it spins oil it and if it slides grease it if you take off the platter it looks  just like a standard bsr record changer   because it is just like a standard bsr  record changer the automatic mechanism   is identical to the full-size version and  it uses the same idler wheel drive system unfortunately the plastic  platter is a little bit warped   i don't know if it was always  like this or if this developed   over time but it is warped and it makes a  little bit of a scuffing noise as it rotates it says precision crafted in great britain by bsr so that's about it for the bsr mini changer  which is the perfect complement to my 1970s in   a box stereo system because it fits neatly on  top of it and it matches the styling and size   and i'll leave you with a direct hookup sample  in stereo of bermuda holiday island cruise "you're listening to the exciting  music of the bermuda islands   by the famous entertainers featured  every day on the bermuda island cruise   luxurious motor yachts carry you over the  sparkling atlantic waters to hawkins island for   a picnic lunch swimming sunbathing and a search  for seashells at beautiful treasure bay beach onward then to the quaint and quiet  village of somerset at the other end   of the island and a brief shopping spree at  loch lomond then back on board your boat for   our famous rum swizzle party as you cruise  leisurely through the sun dappled islands   into two rock passage and on to hamilton and  time for more shopping and more sightseeing if you have this recording you have probably  enjoyed a holiday island cruise you have seen   the magnificent water views from the decks of your  boat views you could have never seen from the show   you have listened to our calypso music from our  entertainers you have enjoyed a picnic lunch on   picturesque hawkins island strolled across  the shimmering white sands of treasure bay   shopped for unique gifts at loch lomond in  somerset tasted our very famous ice cold   rum swizzles and felt the tang of the sea  breezes as you cruised through the islands we should like to take this opportunity  on behalf of your captain and crew   to thank you for cruising with us in  bermuda and we hope to see you back again   soon on our world famous holiday island cruise" "papa loves mambo mama loves mumbo" oops!

2022-08-19

Show video