A Rebuilt system, Not a new system
     Though this rebuilt playback system is a wonderful change, it is not a long term solution to MTN's playback needs. As Jim stressed in his article in the last issue of the Monitor, "This is not a full rebuild, only a temporary fix to keep [playback] going a few more years."
     During July and August, Jim spent most of his time at the Paragon building, working on playback. In those two months equipment needing repairs piled up in his office at Saint Anthony Main. Art Roy helped out quite a bit in MTN's equipment repair needs, but as Derks put the finishing touches on playback, he estimated that he was "about a week behind" in work on repairing the camera, editing and studio equipment at MTN's production end.
     "I dropped six pounds from all the getting down and up from the floor," Jim said, adding that he cut himself three times and burned himself twice on the project. But his work on rebuilding the system will make his work maintaining it much easier. "In the old system, fixing a problem led to making other problems," because of the inefficient way the system was constructed.
     The playback operators are united in their approval of the new system. "It's an astronomical improvement," cablecaster Mike Johnson said.
     The most surprising thing about the playback rebuild, Jim said, was how everything worked out pretty much as planned. He added that the work would have taken him a month longer if not for the help he received from Nate Mains and Timm McCoy, who put in many hours assisting him in the work.
     "It's been a dream for thirteen years to build a playback system that's functional" Derks said. And finally, that dream is five tall racks of reality.