APRS NEWS
October 1998
DEREK FARADAY - RECORDING PIONEER
The APRS is sad to announce the death on 29th September 1998 of Derek Faraday, vice president of the Association for fifty-one years and a leading pioneer in sound recording and broadcasting.
Derek's extensive career began in 1932 with the British Broadcasting Corporation, in the futuristic high-technology world of magnetic sound recording, going on in 1937 to set up his own operation, Star Sound Studios, in London. Star Sound quickly became a leading facility, recording for the BBC and many international radio services, for major record companies and later for the 15 independent television contractors.
As a prime mover in London's post-war studio scene, Derek Faraday helped convene the first meeting in September 1947 of what became the Association of Professional Recording Studios. Because of his acknowledged experience – by then already 15 years in the business – he was promptly made a vice president, and continued to give the Association leadership and active support for the next half-century.
He was proud to claim that he was the first person in Great Britain to use magnetic tape for broadcasting, in 1947, and helped write the first BBC training manual on this subject. In addition to his work as studio owner, and as technical director and producer of innumerable radio programmes, Derek was very active with government planning for the launch of Local Broadcasting, which started in 1973. His great technical knowledge of magnetic tape recording also came into play when, from 1967 onwards, he acted as Expert Witness in many legal hearings and criminal trials.
The APRS recorded a videotape interview with Derek Faraday some months ago, and so preserved some of his reminiscences of early days in the studio business. As a visionary and a pioneer, he will be greatly missed.
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