Around The Shop: Helios Type 69 Preamp And EQ

Here at Vintage King, we love vintage studio gear of all kinds, but Helios consoles will always hold a special place in our hearts. Originally commissioned by Olympic Studios in 1969, Helios consoles have been used on countless hit records.

In fact, Helios consoles grew so popular in the 70s that artists began installing them in their own recording studios, including the Beatles' Apple Studios. At one point, Vintage King founders Mike and Andy Nehra even had a 32-channel Helios console installed at their White Room Studios in Detroit.

That's why we were so excited to see these vintage Helios Type 69 preamps come through the Vintage King Tech Shop. Continue reading to learn more about the legendary Helios sound, and why these rare preamps are so highly sought after.

Helios Type 69 Preamp And EQ

Designed in the 1960s by Dick Swettenham, Helios consoles were used to record some of the greatest artists of the last century, including Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and many more.

While the console's unique "wrap around" shape and thoughtful features were certainly part of the draw, its true charm came from its flattering mic preamps and colorful EQs. Each preamp was outfitted with a custom Lustraphone transformer, offering a distinct sound from most consoles at the time.

The EQ section features three bands: a high-frequency shelf fixed at 10 kHz, a switchable midband, and a bass band that can either function as a shelf fixed at 50 Hz, or a traditional peak EQ with four selectable frequencies.

The mid band features a dedicated switch for PK (peak) and TR (trough), used for boosting or cutting. The mid band has eight selectable frequencies, including 700 Hz, 1 kHz, 1.4 kHz, 2 kHz, 2.8 kHz, 3.5 kHz, 4.5 kHz, or 6 kHz. This unique architecture makes it easy to find harsh frequencies in PK mode, and then simply switch to TR mode to cut them.

When in shelf mode, the bass band offers stepped controls for cuts from -3 to -15 dB. When in peak mode, users can choose to boost one of four selectable frequencies: 60, 100, 250, or 400 Hz. It's also worth noting that flipping to peak mode engages a 2 dB bass boost, even when the gain control is set to 0 dB!

The Helios Legacy

In the 10 years that Helios Electronics was in business, it's said that fewer than 50 consoles were built, with less than 20 remaining intact today.

In the early 2000s, Helios Electronics released a limited run of the legendary Type 69 mic/line/EQ modules (pictured below), but even those can be tough to come by these days.

Thankfully, if you're in the market for a Type 69-style preamp and EQ, H2 Audio offers modern recreations of the legendary console manufacturer's designs.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the vintage or used gear shown in this blog, we're here to help! Contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.