Looking for curator and info dissemination guru for Sound Techniques A range. Zero work, all glory, pro bono.

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Will do, just let me know what you need regarding the values. Anybody have edge connector pinouts for the large McMurdo connectors? I can get signal into and out of the first amp card, but the signal level after the transformer is extremely low. I imagine it needs to be jumpered to the eq, as it’s not getting there at the moment. Would be great if anyone could provide info! I’m getting great signal level at pins 32/17 of the first connector, but I believe that would be an insert send, and needs to be jumpered? Someone modded this with a relay as well. Hard to tell what’s going on!
 
kpearsall said:
...an insert send, and needs to be jumpered? Someone modded this with a relay as well. Hard to tell what’s going on!

The modules I saw also had a relay but I don't remember the function.  First guess would be for switching over to tape input for mixdown but you'll have to peek around and find that out I guess.
I'm shooting in the dark a bit but I seem to remember that the channel fader (Painton quadrant type) was intended to go after the first stage amp and transformer, before the EQ and makeup gain/output transformer, so that would be where you'd jumper or put a channel level pot - 1K log would work.  The first output transformer might need a terminating resistor of 620 to 1K ohm if you don't put a level control and just jumper it through.

Do you know the history of the modules?  Are they like the picture attached here?
 

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Thanks so much for the info. Your recollections seem to match up with what I was thinking. I can't remember where these modules came from, but I'll ask. They are identical to what you posted. I'll post some photos from my phone.
 
Hey Ken,
I can get you in touch with the person who now owns the Sound Techniques brand and built the new modules and desk.  He has all the info you'll need for the connector wiring etc.  Send me a PM with your email address
 
Thank you so much for bringing this is John.
I didn't know about these consoles, they look awesome.

Input modules insides look a lot like Helios modules.

I thought most of Led Zeppelin IV was recorded with the RSM truck fitted with an Helios
Were the recordings cut through a Sound Technics console the ones that were done at Island Records' Basing Street Studios?

Thanks
 
All I know I is: 
For Led Zeppelin IV,  a Sound Techniques A Range  was used for the 1st mixes done by Jimmy and Andy Johns at Sunset Sound.   
As you say, most tracking was with the RSM Helios, with further tracking done at Island's Basing Street which I've always understood that to have also had a Helios desk.  I'd be interested in other info myself
Cheers  :)
 
Winston O'Boogie said:
All I know I is: 
For Led Zeppelin IV,  a Sound Techniques A Range  was used for the 1st mixes done by Jimmy and Andy Johns at Sunset Sound.   

ohhh, I didn't know that.  :(
not a good credit though, it should not be used by the new Sound Techniques company.
So it seems that Led Zeppelin IV was Recorded with Helios consoles  (RSM and Island) and mixed in an Helios (Island)
Only one song stayed from the Sunset Sound mixing sessions, all the others had to be remixed at Island.

Andy Johns interview:

"It all sounded great at Sunset but the only mix that got used was When The Levee Breaks. That, for some reason turned out alright. But we did this playback at Olympic Studios in London and it wasn't the greatest place to hold a playback session. I should have chosen Island. Anyway the first song goes by and it doesn't sound very good at all. Jimmy and I are sitting on the floor with heads in our hands going 'What the hell is this?' Then we played the next one and the next one… and it all sounded 'orrible.

"The other three guys were turning round and giving us funny looks. 'What's happened here?' If it had been anyone else I would have been booted off the project there and then. Jimmy said: 'Well, that's not very good is it? Let's go back to Island where we should have been in the first place. We'll mix it there.'"


You must have been devastated?

"My bottle had gone and obviously I was shattered. The previous stuff I'd done at Sunset had come out Jim Dandy and was really good. I thought Sunset was a cool place but they had changed the room since I was last there. I don't know what happened. So we went back to Island and re-mixed Zeppelin IV although we still used the Levee Breaks mix from Sunset. But it had all cost a few bob, flying us over there to LA and staying at the Hyatt House. And I know that Bonzo was furious about it."

https://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/andy-johns-on-the-secrets-behind-the-led-zeppelin-iv-sessions-586533


Andy Johns never worked with Led Zeppelin after this event
 
OK that jives with what I understood of things, thanks. 

Yep I suppose it isn't a major credit for Sound Techniques to be using but, playing devil's advocate, it's very possible they (S.T.) weren't aware which  mixes were used from the stint @ Sunset.   

As a point of interest, it'd be interesting to hear those Sunset mixes 50 years on, if we could pry them out of Jimmy's hands  ;)

 
 
pahstah said:
on YT you can find the sunset sound mixes of stairway and rock'n'roll

Great, thanks for the heads up. 
I'm off to Barcelona for a week so can't listen critically until I get back but will do so just as soon as...
Looking forward to it  :)
Cheers.
 
Since this thread had a resurgence, here's a picture that Danny of new Sound Techniques sent a while ago which I forgot to post.  It's a  ZR 8:2  prototype/demo unit which, last I heard, was at Capitol Studio A. 
I had to compress the image to allow it to be posted so, not the highest resolution. 
Very fucking sexy in my opinion!
 

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Winston O'Boogie said:
Since this thread had a resurgence, here's a picture that Danny of new Sound Techniques sent a while ago which I forgot to post.  It's a  ZR 8:2  prototype/demo unit which, last I heard, was at Capitol Studio A. 

Seem to be really cool,
thanks John

Winston O'Boogie said:
I had to compress the image to allow it to be posted so, not the highest resolution. 

It's better just to resize it, try it next time.
If you resize it the picture will be smaller but with a good resolution.
If you compress it , it will have a huge size but with bad resolution
 
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