Multi-Track Vari-Band EQ restoration

[joe-electro]

I just finished restoring this rather obscure piece:

The whole story is here:
http://www.kenetek.com/OtherProjects/MultiTrackVariBandEQ/tabid/205/Default.aspx

Does anybody have schematics for this thing or know anything about it?
Thanks!!!

 

[gyraf]

..It looks very much like DIY, not manufactured..

 

[joe-electro]

[quote author="gyraf"]..It looks very much like DIY, not manufactured..[/quote]

I would agree, based on the build quality. The only thing that makes me think it was a production piece is that its big brother made it into this book...

(From The Recording Studio Handbook, 2nd Ed. by John Woram, published in 1979.) This is obviously not an Orban 622B :wink:

 

[NewYorkDave]

It was a manufactured piece, apparently.

Google groups thread

 

[gyraf]

:shock:

Truely a strange way to manufacture electronics..

Maybe the Orban schematics apply then?

Jakob E.

 

[laitue5]

It’s closer to the etymology of "manufacturing". :green:

 

[Walrus]

In the days when it was CBS Studios London, we had 2 of those units in the "preview" side of one of our disc cutting rooms signal chain. They were eventually scrapped and replaced by a Klein and Hummel EQ.

 

[joe-electro]

[quote author="gyraf"]:shock:

Truely a strange way to manufacture electronics..

Maybe the Orban schematics apply then?

Jakob E.[/quote]

You might be on to something there. I seem to recall reading an interview with Robert Orban where he said his claim to fame was designing the first parametric EQ that used single gang pots exclusively, like this unit does. Of course now he has many more claims to fame...

 

[mfolta1]

i just picked 2 of the multi track eq's up at a pawnshop for 30.00. they had been in there since 1998. both work and are in need of a good cleaning. excellent eq's. i would love to post a picture of them for all too see, anyone know how i could host a pic?

 

[joe-electro]

[quote author="mfolta1"]i just picked 2 of the multi track eq's up at a pawnshop for 30.00. they had been in there since 1998. both work and are in need of a good cleaning. excellent eq's. i would love to post a picture of them for all too see, anyone know how i could host a pic?[/quote]

Email them to me and I'll host them on Kenetek.com. Wanna sell or trade either or both of them? :grin:

 

[mfolta1]

hey, sorry for the delay, i have been slammed at work, i am going to keep them for my studio until i hit the lottery and buy a couple pultecs and gml's at which point i will give them to you. i will email the pic here in just a few minutes.....mark.

 

[joe-electro]

Here are pics of Mark's 5 Band Multi-Track Vari-Band EQs. These are obviously more modern than the 3 Band units I'm restoring.

---joe

 

[mfolta1]

awesome, and thank you very much for getting them posted. i enjoy older gear and the preservation of it and am greatful for this website. thanks again,,,,mark.

 

[Jim Zuehsow]

You have to remember a lot of the gear back in those days was usually manufactured in someone's garage or basement. Jeep Harned, who started MCI made some of his first pieces in his home shop and sold them out of his music store. Even H/P started in a garage. I can remember tooling around LA in the late 60's going to check on a new piece of equipment, and a lot of the companies were in someone's house.
Looking in early issues of Recording Engineer/ Producer and db magazine, shows that Mult-Track also made parametric modules about the size of API units that could be put into a console.

 

[eroberts68]

I have a pair of these workhorses mounted in a wooden fiber-glassed road case, circa 1976.  I haven't cranked them up in years, but last time I used them they worked fine.  Without going up to look at them, I believe they have metal knobs.  I used to use them on sound-reinforcement gigs, mainly to EQ the side-fill monitors on large concert stages.  Also used them for mobile disco to flatten out a room (and of course boost the bass!).  They never gave me a lick of trouble, and using my pink-noise generator and mike I could tune the room to whatever profile I wanted without fail.  I am offering them to my daughter free of charge to use in her radio station or band endeavors in Seattle, but if she doesn't want them I'd be happy to entertain any offers from the group........Eric.