Look what the cat dragged in (or, restoring a mixer)

So, I just recently got a large-ish mixing console made by MS Audiotron for free. I think it's sort of cool as it is, so I gave up the plan of breaking it apart, as my home studio desperately needs a better desk.

It's got 18 mono channels, four stereo channels, four groups, four aux sends (two with quadrophonic joystick panners, sub-dividing each of auxes 3 and 4 to four individual outputs) and six aux returns. For those interested, here's pic of the desk:

http://being.miina.com/~esp/ms/dsc02152.jpg

It's got two external power supplies. I've powered it up once, and it seemed to do mostly work, though there was some noise. Recapping the PSU's is on the list...

The pre's look like this:

http://being.miina.com/~esp/ms/dsc02162.jpg

The three blue caps at right are to be swapped out from each module, as at least one of them is in the signal path. The IC's from left to right on top row: NE5532P, TL071CP, three TL072CP. On bottom row there are three more TL072CP's. All are made by TI. The board operates on +-15V. Would I gain anything by replacing these with something more "current"?

And, does anyone have any idea how old this thing might be? There are no intelligible date codes on IC's, only type and a marking like "340BB" or "340XB".

> how old this thing might be?

Post ALL the numbers and letters on one chip. There is a date code but it is easier to read than to tell you what it may look like.

Pots may be dated too.

At a glance: around 1990, but maybe a decade either way.

And why do we care? It won't be "antique" for a few more decades.

[quote author="PRR"]> how old this thing might be?

Post ALL the numbers and letters on one chip. There is a date code but it is easier to read than to tell you what it may look like.

Pots may be dated too.

At a glance: around 1990, but maybe a decade either way.

And why do we care? It won't be "antique" for a few more decades.[/quote]

Ok, here's all the lettering on chips:

(ti logo) PORTUGAL NE5532P 240XB
(ti logo) PORTUGAL TL071CP 340BB
(ti logo) PORTUGAL TL072CP 340XB

Please do tell how to read that sort of codes.

The pot markings are "47K LOG 90013 RN", "100K LIN 90056 RN" etc.

The age thing is quite irrelevant, and of course this isn't "antique" by any stretch, I'm just interested in how old or new this thing actually is.

[quote author="Viitalahde"]Now that desk is made of EXACTLY the same modules mine is done, too. :grin: If you need sliders, pre cards (without transformers) or anything, just ask. :wink:

Oh, and I would say 1982-1985.[/quote]

Nice. I'll let you know as I test it further. Do you have spare "pushbuttons"? The mono/stereo button on the master section is broken, and I'd like to replace it with a similar one. These have a clear top, and a small disc inside that flips over when the button is pressed, and the color on the "flip side" indicates the state. Did that make any sense? :grin:

Nice find!

I see input transformers, and the other components look pretty decent too.

i need more relatives to get gift like this

nice score!!!

Tony

[quote author="tony dB"]i need more relatives to get gift like this

nice score!!!

Tony[/quote]

The related story is sort of funny, so I'll tell it.

This desk was originally installed in a theater. From there, a friend of mine got it for free as he needed something to get two vocal mics sound through PA at their band's rehearsal place. He once mentioned this desk to me, and said if there was anything more compact capable of doing the same job, he'd be more than happy to trade. I bought a Peavey 7-channel rack mixer with couple of non-working channels for next to nothing and repaired that. They were more than happy to have something slightly smaller to take to gigs...

great reading :grin:
and inspiration :thumb:

Those wooden side panels are lovely.