Hey all!
Long time lurker etc etc. I've gleaned tons of helpful information from these vaunted archives, and so thought I'd share this project here in hopes that my missteps and tribulations can serve as a warning to future generations...
A longtime friend & mentor was kind enough to sell me his 8058 on terms I could actually afford when he closed up shop here in LA this past year. And so the saga begins!
This console was assembled by the previous owner from a discarded frame and modules purchased ad hoc over the years. Much of the heavy lifting has been done wiring wise already, although there are a few elcos yet to pin up (my favorite.) When it came to me it had a complete compliment of monitor modules and about half of the bus modules; the previous owner is keeping the eight 31102 input modules he had and I will be retrofitting BAE 1084s in their place throughout the console, as well as a couple of heritage 2264s in the center section.
I will be auditioning Marinair transformers and NOS Motorola output transistors vs. stock components in the BAE 1084s but as yet am undecided - I have really, really liked stock BAE units in the past, and with the insane cost of vintage modules and parts - as long as it sounds right, I'm happy. I and my wallet are hoping that the difference will be so slight as to be unnoticeable, or at least a case of 'different but not better' but we shall see ; )
Probably the most significant task ahead of me (beyond a thorough cleaning and recap of every module) is to assemble 28 working bus modules out of the approximately 50 I have managed to source in various states of disrepair and modification... some have Marinair xformers, some Belclere, it's a random jumble of amp cards, many are missing assorted bits and bobs and some of them are just shells with some kind of strange IC solution for the bus amps / routing! The plan is to reconfigure them all stock with Marinair transformers and match as many amp cards as possible, then to acquire matching cards if that really ends up making a noticeable difference.
I don't even want to think about the pot & switch sourcing nightmare these modules may yet bring about... hoping that a thorough cleaning & recap will at least give me an accurate picture of what needs replacing, but that's a ways off yet.
For now here are some photos of the console stripped down after round 1 of cleaning with a waterpik, toothbrush and distilled water (there were about three decades of accumulated grime in there). Front panels are off getting their silk screening redone (and powder coat to match the BAE 1084s - not historically 'accurate' but this is a tool, not a museum piece and it seemed the most seamless way to go.) The light at the end of the tunnel is faint but visible!
Individual module cleaning and recap + fader rehabilitation is next...
Cheers
Theo
