Rega 50×33 and a Third documentary
Rega are proud to share a fantastic short documentary celebrating 50 years of Rega Research and what makes them tick. Rega were approached by film maker Chris Purcell of ‘Right Angle Films’ who was searching to make a documentary about passionate British companies, focusing on the history, engineering, and most of all the people. This film is hosted by the filmmaker Chris Purcell via his website.
Right Angle Films has recently been working with Rega Research Ltd, a leading British hi-fi manufacturer. On the occasion of Rega’s 50th anniversary, we have produced a celebratory documentary called 50×33 and a Third.
The film attempts to discover how five decades of dedicated record player R&D, has shaped the company. As the title implies, the film concentrates on Rega’s tireless development of the turntable,
as this epitomises an ethos applied to all the company’s other hi-fi making activities. Focusing on vinyl also provides a fascinating insight into a particularly tricky technological challenge.
That of retrieving ever more fine detail from a revolving vinyl disc. The information we are talking about is microscopic. Mind bogglingly tiny musical vibrations cut into the record’s groove.
Roy Gandy founded the company in 1973 and fundamental engineering principals, that are very dear to his heart, have driven Rega right through from its uncertain beginnings. As Gandy tells us, in those days, very few people believed that the turntable could make much difference to the reproduction of an LP. He and his colleagues have been proving those doubters wrong ever since – Chris Purcell