Custom Recording Console

[RuudNL]

Do you still have it or know it's whereabouts?
By the way where were the speakers?

I sold the mixer to a friend in 1984 and bought a commercial mixer myself.
In the 80's more affordable stuff became available and at the time I had a little more money too...
There were speakers (3-way, DIY) but they are not on the picture. (I still have the same speakers and I use them as "B" speakers in my studio.)

 

[Brian Roth]

Since we're discussing DIY desks I'll mention my contraptions.

http://brianroth.com/projects/m77/m77.html
Those pictures are of serial #1. Serial #2 was built under my direction with the extra parts from the original project and still lives in Denver.

https://www.catadawnstudios.com/mixing-services
Bri

 

[Brian Roth]

Some "not wonderful" pix of serial #2. I wasn't the guy who built this....I merely supervised via phone and snail mail.

 

[ruffrecords]

@Bri,

How wide are thise channel modules? Do I see four toggle switches across the width??
Cheers

Ian

 

[Brian Roth]

@Bri,

How wide are thise channel modules? Do I see four toggle switches across the width??
Cheers

Ian

Module width was 1.5". Four SPDT toggles just BARELY fit <g>.

Bri

 

[MidnightArrakis]

Some "not wonderful" pix of serial #2. I wasn't the guy who built this....I merely supervised via phone and snail mail.

Are these "Schadow" switches??? I LOVE THOSE GUYS!!!



/

 

[Brian Roth]

Yep...Schadow switches. Used for the subgroup selections and things like monitor source select.

Bri

 

[mappee]

Where did you get the numbered 1-24 white square actuator buttons or did you have them made. They are for
C&K push button switch if I'm correct?

 

[Brian Roth]

Where did you get the numbered 1-24 white square actuator buttons or did you have them made. They are for
C&K push button switch if I'm correct?

Back then, Schadow switches were sold via a division of ITT which now is owned by C&K.. If you ordered enough product you could have custom marking.

OOPS!!! You mean the caps on the EAO switches? Same deal....

Bri

 

[mappee]

Thanks for info reply. I'll add these buttons to my hard to get list. Even with C&K part number for plain
white buttons I can't seem to get them from them.
btw that is a nice looking console and amount of work/consulting involved is noted, thanx for sharing.

 

[inkster]

Some "not wonderful" pix of serial #2. I wasn't the guy who built this....I merely supervised via phone and snail mail.

Is that the console that was installed at Jack Black's(not tenacious D) place in OP,KS?

 

[Brian Roth]

The guy who did the actual build was originally in St. Louis (or Kansas City?) and then ended up in Tulsa. The desk was in a mobile truck for many years before he retired. The desk then went to Omaha and then to Denver.

Bri

 

[Brian Roth]

Thanks for info reply. I'll add these buttons to my hard to get list. Even with C&K part number for plain
white buttons I can't seem to get them from them.
btw that is a nice looking console and amount of work/consulting involved is noted, thanx for sharing.

If you check around, you might find a local shop that does engraving for things like trophies or signage ("Men's Room" or "Mr. Hotshot CEO").

Bri

 

[RoadrunnerOZ]

First console I built in 1976 was for a couple of guys who wanted a DJ system for dual direct drive turntables, dual cassette decks and a 1/4” reel to reel plus vocals and effects that could travel from one venue to another. So I built it into a large aluminium briefcase that could handle 16 channels, 5 stereo - 4 with cross fade in pairs plus vinyl to tape cross fade, 6 mono plus a stereo reverb. They had two venues each set up with Cerwin Vega speakers and subs and Crown amps. We’d ship the turntables and tape machines, mixer, mics and stands from venue to venue and could set up the whole lot in 20mins.
I ended up being the DJ for both venues playing ABBA, Donna Summer, Boney M, Pointer Sisters and so on. When the volume cranked as the evening wore on we sometimes had to shift totally from vinyl to tapes - in the breaks we used the reel to reel with a mix tape. On the dance floor we had mics set up for dance line singalong vocals fed to the room speakers away from the mics. The dance floor overheads feed was music only fed by a separate group out pair without vocals to avoid feedback.

 

[CwilleA]

View attachment 117995View attachment 117996

Very cool

 

[blue_luke]

When I read about building a console, it brings back memories of the time when I built my own mixer in 1975.
At that time there was virtually nothing for sale that was affordable.
So the only option was to build something myself.
At the time I was 21 and it was quite advanced for 1975, with equalizers on every channel and reverb sends.
It turned out that the quality was so good that even gramophone records were recorded with it!

View attachment 117985

Ahhhh ReVox's and a TASCAM 4 tracks! I love the patchbay built with DIN cords!! I built my console also in the late '70s for the same reasons! What I wanted either could not be bought or was wayyyy too expensive!

 

[RoadrunnerOZ]

I remember inheriting a stack of telephone patchbays when they tore down the old P&T building here in Australia back in the early ‘80s - I also got boxes of brand new wrapped in oil-paper old style unplated brass jack plugs with Bakelite covers. I sold some and with the rest made my brother a patchbay system for his home 32 track studio which he still uses today - took it all with him to the UK. The jacks have a slightly different tip to modern ones (I think so tip and ring engage simultaneously without grounding the tip on its way in as well) and the insertion force required is minimal - very smooth operation and extremely durable.