Save this Neve !!!

Buy this historic Sound City Neve Custom 80-Series 1972 with (34) 1073 EQs and four 2254 compressors - 16 buss, 24 monitor, 58 channels in mixdown, full Flying Faders system, loaded with 1272 amps: 

$325K - - - sylvia@sylviamassy.com Write me for more info: lets talk numbers. Specific trades considered.

If you don't save this console, it may be parted out.... and what a pity... it lived in the B Studio at Sound City for years where it recorded all the Sheryl Crowe hits, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Smashing Pumpkins, Lenny Kravitz, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Crows, etc.

In it's first home it recorded Quadrophenia at CTS in London.

London's first Recording Studio

Possibly the first ever photograph of a ‘recording studio’. It was taken some time in 1898 at 31, Maiden Lane, London, where the Gramophone Co set up their first permanent recording room.

You can see that the piano is raised so that its sound can be captured in the (one and only one!) recording horn which itself would be adjusted to the height of a singer’s mouth.

You can find more details on this site

London’s first recording studio

London’s first recording studio

Studio maintenance

It's that time again - clean off the collected grime, service the bad parts, refresh the plugs and inserts.
Allen & Heath System 8 - I like the brown scheme. It reminds me of those early EMI consoles from Abbey Road. It is a warm colour, in tune with the warm sound this console has.

Knob colour scheme

Knob Colour Scheme

While sorting out what knobs and caps are missing I can summarise the colour coding as follows:

  • Green = EQ

  • Brown = Aux send

  • Red = Level/Pan/Gain

Meters

To the VU meters. The SQ-10 meter is still being made by Anders, and is stocked by both RS (code 220-368) and Farnell (code 7758219).

Each one has an incandescent bulb to provide illumination. And they blow. And they're fiddly to replace. Channel 3 and 4 are bad but in view of the effort to change them I have decided that I can live with that.

Faders

Original Alps audio-taper K faders are available from Audio Maintenance.

Knobs, Buttons, Fader Caps

The knobs are non-standard parts it seems these days. So your best bet is either find someone who is parting out an old System 8, or get a similar vintage AHB mixer yourself as a parts donor. Same for the button caps and switch caps.

The faders have 8mm tabs, and you can still find supplies of suitable fader caps (see above).

20140928 AH3.jpg

Some history

The System 8 mixers have been around for many years, and were there at a critical time in British pop. Some artists that have or still use System 8's in their studios and productions.

  • Mungo Jerry apparently used a System 8 on the classic In The SummerTime hit

  • Martyn Ware of Human League and Heaven 17

  • Both The Devil and The Oscillation: From Tomorrow were recorded on a System 8 (in 128 formation).