Unless you are way into audio production (read: geek) you don’t have any good reason to care what the EMI TG console was (it was essentially a giant mixer for recording music and several were installed at Abbey Road Studios and used on the Beatles album of the same name). Regardless, I’ve posted these images since these consoles have always intrigued me from an aesthetic point of view as well. I really enjoy the industrial design they put into this old equipment, such functional design and usually built to military spec.
It has always been a dream to have a Neve, API, EMI, or SSL console in my studio but they run around $50,000 – $100,000+ so it’s going to keep being a dream until I find a bag of money at the park like in that one after-school special about being honest minus the honesty part. A company called Chandler now makes clones of these things and they look almost as good. My friend who does the post production work on my music uses a couple Chandler pre-amps and swears by them, but they’re pretty damned expensive too. I currently use a set of Neve clones, but it’s only 2 channels so still not coming anywhere near these massive old consoles.
That first photo, with the band in the background, is amazing. I could look at huge control consoles all day…for me it was all abotu sci-fi though. I’d play with my dad’s stereo as a kid (turned off) pretending it was the control console to a starship or something.
There’s a great control panel group on flickr. Check it out for inspiration.
I recorded at my producer’s studio on an old Neve from South Africa. Half the controls are labeled that way. Very cool and it sounds amazing. I’ll have to stick with my two 33122 pres and a 3124 to get the tone close until I too can afford a console.
I’ve heard good things about the Toft consoles that are quite affordable. Supposedly some of the Radiohead stuff was recorded or mixed on them. Any thoughts on those?
That is a beautiful piece of machinery tho…
Those old analog consoles are amazing. I had the opportunity to record on a Helios recently, and it was a treat, visually and sonically. This thread has some great pictures of ridiculous-looking Helios consoles.
Hey, if you are into the Reason Audio Software, they just released the Abbey Road Piano Packs that were sampled live in the studio for original sound … http://www.propellerheads.se/products/refills/ark/index.cfm?fuseaction=mainframe
Wow, cool man, big thanks! http://xbnnfqaiswsgs.com
wouldnt mind seeing some pics of your studio 🙂