Harrison Console for restauration

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dirtyhanfri

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
677
Location
Madrid - Spain
Hi, I get started today in a Electronic Design course in a old school here in my town (formerly a university)

Looking around the school I saw a Harrison console abandoned in a warehouse, some channels left, but more than 24 where there (I think there are 48 channel slots or something like that, 24 per side with something like monitor section in the middle and a patch pannel in the left) I asked to the teacher and he told me it was non working, "the wires were cutted" literally I don´t know the exact state of the board, but I got excited as I saw it.

Never been in front of one of them, it was niiiice, is really cool, well, I didn´t hear it, but it´s beatiful. Then I asked to the teacher to buy it, he didn´t know anything about, but I think I could get it, even for free or almost.

I´m searching for info about Harrison Consoles, but I can´t find too much info in old models, I did´t make any photo, next Monday I´ll look for more info, the actual model and some info.

My intention is to get it and make it work, maybe for 24 chanel operation and keep the patch pannel and monitor section, is it worthwhile the effort and cost for that? I´ll need to recap it for sure, and surely change more things (relays? pots? faders?) I´ve heard about the good sounding EQ´s. but anything to put a look in? any advice in working on this beast, online resources? (Service Manuals, schematics or something)

I´m also thinking about the power consumption, I´ve read in the internet that one of the biggest issues with big desks is the electric bills, what about that?

I really got excited when I saw that desk, something inside me was telling me it got to be mine... ;D

I´ll post model and some pics as I got them
 
thriller by michael jackson, the number one selling album of all time, was mixed on a harrison. If it's the right model, it will be an awesome board, if it's another model then it will still be pretty cool.
 
Well, I found the analogconsole forums, some good info there.

Also I found a 4832 picture wich looks like the one I saw, I´m almost sure, niice.

This week I´ ll start asking around if it is really useless there and if I could get it, it would be a great work.
 
how technical are you? because to revive a console such as this wil be A LOT of work by a tech. if you have to pay someone to do all the work it might not be worth it.

if you are going to dive in, then we can help you along the way. but youll need a good meter, a good oscilloscope, signal generator, soldering iron, wiring tools, just to begin.

Id start with the power supplies. get them going offload, then test the board for shorts before you even wire the psu to the frame. once thats good, pull all modules and add them one at a time. master modules first. then channels. you wount get to this point for a long time so let us know what you have concerning the psus.

power consumption? my buddy has a home studio with an analog board and 2inch tape machine and when he leaves them off completely for a month, his bill goes down over $100. he does leave them on 24/7 or theyre off.

also, dont recap until you verify you need to. and then do them as needed. first of all you wont know what improvements you ve made without a baseline test, and you wont  know what problems arise are due to you recapping and not a problem with a circuit somewhere. youll find that certain caps will be fine and others in pretty particular plases will all need to be replaced. again, with out a baseline test you wont know.

good luck with this, and try not to bite off too much at a time and you will be able to do it.
 
pucho812 said:
you could just give me the console :D

Hahaha, nice attempt, let me think about.... ehh, no sorry  ;)

I couldn´t see the board today and take some photos, argh, but I was told that it´s absolutely useless, maybe I could get it...

Thanks amorris for the nice advices, I´m some kind of newbie, I´ve built a pair of little projects, I know this is too big for me right now, but also I know I won´t find any chance to get something like this again, so I must get it and slowly I can get it done, I´m not hurry with this, is a long-term project.

I expect be able to give some info or pics this week.

Thanks again for the Advice!!
 
Pics & News!

First the porn, always...


The Full Beast
19102011576.jpg


Some Channel Strips
19102011577.jpg



It looks like the master module is missing, maybe is somewhere in the school, didn´t see any psu too, I keep asking to take it... (it´s a waste of space for the school... ::))
 
If you have it good luck with transport.
When i picked my 2 Einsteins it was a pita! the place didnt have a dock!
fortunately when i dropped them we were so fortunate to have a lift truck!
right after that i moved mine to 2nd floor and guess what i was convinced that if i took all the strips out it wouldtn be so heavy
Wrong....i found out that even the frame its around 350 pounds.

Anyways good luck with yours.
 
Nice lucky shot !!!!  ;)

here some info that i hope can help you

http://www.nrgrecording.de/html/harrison.html

i think you can also contact the "owner" for get some good info etc...

peace
r2d2


dirtyhanfri said:
Pics & News!

First the porn, always...


It looks like the master module is missing, maybe is somewhere in the school, didn´t see any psu too, I keep asking to take it... (it´s a waste of space for the school... ::))
 
aaaarrrgggh
a harrison 40-28
looking for some info on a meter bridge having a mind of its own. i can pull the strip but meter, more than one, looks as though its having a signal going through it. each of the affected channels is different and some are fine. any help would be greatly appr. sincerely..... ghost in the machine
 
Well I was actually thinking about it, but was scared to be banned from the forum for talking about canibalise a Harrison, just kidding.

Well, I´ ll start asking to get some channel strips.

Thanks
 
dirt
i have a 40-28 w/automation. if you ever look into selling strips id like to know, or the meters. mine has 24 it has mostly been rebuilt. it is a lot of work. if your looking to buy an entire console let me know. mine is an eighty four. love the sound i get but still have it backed up with a 24 pack of  avedis ma5's in case of a prob. it is a great sounding board if you can get yours going. i have all the origfinal manuals if you need me to make a copy. just e me. im also looking for copies of the original diskmix discs if anybody has this. kihm 1-888-889-8109 ps my console robs about 1325 watts off a 20amp 120v receptacle. costs about $105.00 a mo. just for console.
 
The above link in not your console.
It's a Harrison Raven. That's the cheaper verson of the MR-4. I own 2 MR-4's and 1 Raven.
The Raven doesn't have the sealed pots or the gold contacts.
Most people sprayed the switches to clean them and the cleaner melts the switches. Same with the patchbay
Leads to Lots of intermittance. There are a lot of switches and they aren't made anymore.
There are also problems with the daughter board pins that blacken and become intermittant.
I've got 24 of these modules and all have major problems that are to expensive and time consuming to repair.
You can not rack mount them.
If it was a well maintained MR-4 I'd go for it. A Raven NO
The frame is the only worthwhile part if you've got good modules.
 
hmm that looks like an MR-4 to me.

Ravens had VU meters instead of peak meters.
also the MR-4 had those plastic Fisher-Price patchbays.
(ok ADC)

most ravens were that gray color.  and several MR-4 consoles were too.
 
Yea my Raven has VU meters too, And has the black modules like the ones pictured.
There were different frames available. Form compact to deluxe studio.
The pictured frame is the more expensive one. That doesn't mean the Modules are Mr-4's
My Mr-4's are light grey,yellow, beige, The  black module color scheme is a Raven.
Pull a module and and see if there are sealed pots, look to see if the switches have been sprayed.
They'll look clean, you won't see the orginal vaseoline like substance.
Pull the daughter cards and see if the pins are blackened. The tinning is pulled away from the pins by a black layer.
The modules will need to be recapped. The switches are no long available. There are a lot of IC's.
I'm rebuilding 40 MR-4 channels that have the sealed pots, gold contacts, and the switches  have never been sprayed. The parts alone are $5,000 after spending 2,500 on Audio Upgrade's for master section and one input module. And then there's 100's of hours of labor. Gotta love it.
Just my two cents.
 

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Good luck getting it from the school....My experience is if you are good in with a teacher or someone that is the only way, otherwise to really technically "purchase" it or get it it can be a PITA. Lots of bureaucracy and red tape.
 
or just wait until they put it in the dumpster.  That's how I got my little neve console.  A friend was smart enough to grab 3 of them fro a radio stations dumpster!
 
Pucho812 wrote :
"thriller by michael jackson, the number one selling album of all time, was mixed on a harrison. If it's the right model, it will be an awesome board, if it's another model then it will still be pretty cool."
No way it can be the Thriller desk.
A friend of mine has already bought it.  :)
Cheers,
Guy
 
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