The History Of The Studio Console, Part 1

For decades, the console was the heart of every studio—and for many, it still is. In a console-based studio, everything that’s recorded goes through the same set of preamps, equalizers, and output circuitry, all of which are painstakingly engineered to impart a flattering sound. If the recordings are mixed on the same console, everything goes through that same circuitry again, leaving a distinct sonic fingerprint. Some consoles add an extra touch of high-end sparkle, others reinforce the body and bass, and many impart a tinge of harmonic distortion. Each brand and model has its own signature sound, and manufacturers such as Neve, SSL, and API have become legendary in the music world.

Although many studios have eschewed traditional consoles in favor of digital workflows, boutique facilities that value the character and musicality of that sonic fingerprint continue to track and mix through analog desks, both vintage and modern. Even studios without consoles typically use a mixture of outboard preamps, EQs, and channel strips derived from classic desks. Even if you’ve never seen one up close, it's undeniable that consoles have shaped the landscape of music production.

While there can be much debate over what constitutes a console, we’re going to keep it simple and define it as a desk-style analog or hybrid interface that facilitates multitrack sound recording and/or mixing. This article will cover studio consoles specifically (rather than sound reinforcement or broadcast consoles), charting their evolution from early technical innovations through the golden age of analog.

The First Consoles

The evolution of the console as we know it began in the mid-to-late 1950s, spurred by the advent of stereo and multitrack recording. After perfecting the art of sound-on-sound recording with single-track tape machines, guitarist and engineer Les Paul (AKA the “Wizard of Waukesha”) synchronized eight tape decks to create the first true multitrack recording system for his home studio in Waukesha, Wisconsin. “The Octopus,” as he called it, provided more flexibility and control over the recording process than ever before, but it also presented the need for an equally flexible mixing and monitoring solution. Enter the console.

1956

Les Paul commissions a custom eight-channel console

Shortly after creating The Octopus, Paul engaged Rein Narma Audio Engineering to build a custom console that could provide individual control and mixing capabilities for all eight of The Octopus’ channels. While an impressive feat of engineering, the completely custom-made console only served Paul’s specific needs. The concept of the studio console was burgeoning, but it needed some improvements in order to gain widespread use.

1957

EMI designs REDD.17 console for Abbey Road Studios

Across the pond, EMI’s Record Engineering Development Department (REDD) was simultaneously working on its own console for in-house use at the famous Abbey Road Studios. Building on the early REDD.1 system (which doesn’t quite qualify as a console), the REDD.17 allowed recording engineers to balance and pan eight microphone inputs while recording directly to a two-track stereo tape machine. The faders were cleverly arranged in two banks of four, allowing one operator to control the levels of all eight inputs simultaneously.

1958

Bill Putnam founds Universal Audio and designs the UA 610 console. 

Bill Putnam, engineer to 50s stars like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby, started Universal Audio after relocating from Chicago to Los Angeles. His now-legendary 610 console was the first design to feature modular channel strips that could be removed for maintenance and upgrades—a standard feature today. The 610 featured eight channels with switchable mic/line inputs, a two-band EQ capable of boosting or cutting at 100 Hz and 10,000 Hz, an integrated echo return system, and doorknob-style rotary faders for mixing. The left-center-right panning was later upgraded to include “middle-left” and “middle-right” settings.

EMI introduces REDD.37 console

During the same year that the REDD.17 went into service, EMI updated their own design with four-channel recording capability. The REDD.37 featured a total of 14 faders to control the eight microphone inputs, four tape outputs, and two auxiliary channels.

The Console Boom

Spurred by growing consumer interest in stereo records, as well as new developments in multitrack recording, console technology began to evolve and proliferate rapidly during the 1960s. It was at this time that a British electrical engineer named Rupert Neve entered the industry, building two custom consoles for Recorded Sound Ltd. before becoming a major player in the commercial market. Soon thereafter, other manufacturers entered the console game, including brands like API and Allen & Heath, which are still making consoles today.

1964

Rupert Neve builds the first commercial solid-state console

Neve’s innovations in transistor circuitry made it possible to replace the often finicky tube-based designs of earlier consoles with a more reliable and consistent alternative. He built his first solid-state console (with built-in equalizers) for Phillips Records Ltd.

EMI installs REDD .51 at Abbey Road Studios

The third and final model in the REDD series, the REDD.51, featured higher-headroom preamps and other design tweaks to increase fidelity. This console is famous for its role in the making of several Beatles albums, including "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band," and parts of the double album known as the “White Album.”

1967

Trident Studios is founded 

Norman and Barry Sheffield originally founded Trident Studios as the in-house studio for the Centredisc label. The Soho, London studio’s first hit was “My Name is Jack” by Manfred Mann, which was followed by The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” and additional sessions for the White Album.

API co-founder sells first console

Saul Walker, co-founder of the company that would later become Automated Processes, Inc. (API) sold its first commissioned console to Apostolic Studios in New York City.

1968

EMI installs TG12345 in Abbey Road Studio 2

To keep up with advances in multitrack recording, EMI commissioned a new console with 24 mic inputs, eight tape outputs, more advanced EQ, and various other new features. A major design departure from the REDD series consoles, the TG12345 MK.I was the first EMI console to feature modular channel strips.

An EMI TG12345 MK.II console on display.

1969

API introduces 500 Series modules

Taking Bill Putnam’s idea of a modular console one step further, API designed its 500 Series modules in a standardized format, increasing the flexibility of their consoles and reducing downtime due to maintenance or reconfiguration. Additionally, API showed its first commercial console at AES in the fall of 1969 and sold the first model to Sound Ideas.

Solid State Logic is founded 

Founded by Colin Sanders, Solid State Logic (SSL) originally sold switching systems for pipe organ consoles. But it wasn’t long before Sanders, who also owned Acorn Studios, applied his technologies to the studio, designing two prototype consoles with rudimentary electronic switching between recording, tracking, and mixing configurations.

Allen & Heath is founded 

Now known for its modern-styled studio and live consoles, the British company originated in London’s nascent progressive rock scene, hand-building mixers for heavy hitters like Pink Floyd, Genesis, and The Who.

Helios Electronics is founded 

Contracted to equip the new Island Records studios in London, Dick Swettenham established Helios Electronics Ltd. in 1969. Word quickly spread about Helios’ highly customized solutions, and orders started coming in from high-profile clients like The Beatles’ Apple Studios, the Rolling Stones’ mobile recording truck, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Records studios.

The Golden Age of Analog

As multitrack tape machines progressed from eight-track formats to 16- and 24-track capability, musicians and recording engineers found themselves with more flexibility than ever. In the rush to keep up, the numerous console manufacturers that emerged during the 1960s proceeded to one-up each other with increasingly sophisticated designs throughout the 1970s. This decade saw many brands rise and fall, producing legendary consoles before folding to market pressures.

1970

Trident Studios builds first in-house console

The in-house engineers at Trident Studios built a small, custom six-channel console for the facility’s tape copying room, planting the seeds for later designs that would become some of rock’s most famous consoles.

1971 

EMI Introduces TG12345 MK.IV

The fourth iteration of the beloved TG12345 console kept Abbey Road Studios up to date for multitrack masterpieces like The Dark Side of the Moon. Its legendary EQ circuit is now licensed and sold by Chandler Limited as a 500 Series module.

Trident Studios pioneers the split console design

Shortly after installing that first six-channel desk, Trident Studios tasked its engineers with building a compact 16-channel recording console that could be upgraded to 24-track capability in the future. These “A-Range” consoles were the first to feature a split design with completely separate signal paths for recording and monitoring, which made switching between tracking and mixing workflows more fluid. Designer Barry Porter and his team selected the electronic components largely by ear, swapping out different options until they were satisfied with the sound.

1972 

Trident Audio Developments introduces B-Range consoles

Before the first A-Range console had even been installed, Trident started receiving requests to build consoles for external customers. After the first two orders, the studio established Trident Audio Developments to manufacture and distribute its new B-Range consoles.

MCI introduces the first in-line console

Previously specializing in multitrack machines, MCI received a request from audio engineer and pro audio dealer Dave Harrison to create a console capable of easily switching between recording and mixing workflows. The result was the MCI JH-400, the first console with an “in-line” configuration integrating both the recording and tape return paths on each channel strip.

1973

Sound City installs custom Neve 8028

Immortalized in the 2013 documentary "Sound City," this iconic Neve 8028 console has shaped the sound of countless hits. Its tonal character is especially favored for rock records, including classics by Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick, and Tom Petty, as well as heavier material from Metallica, System of a Down, and Queens of the Stone Age. The console is still in use at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606.

API introduces the first computer-controlled automation system 

Kicking off what would eventually become known as Total Recall, API developed the first computerized systems for controlling fader levels in 1973. The next year, they introduced the first true computerized console with automation capabilities for EQ, sends, panning, and faders.

Although Rupert Neve sold his company in 1975, many vintage Neves are still in use today.

1975

Rupert Neve sells Neve Electronics

When Rupert Neve finally sold his successful business, he signed a 10-year noncompete agreement, effectively taking him out of the console industry until the mid-1980s. Neve’s designs lived on, but Rupert himself has never created any original designs for the company now known as AMS Neve.

Dave Harrison founds Harrison Audio Consoles

The man who inspired the in-line console design founded his own company only a few years later. Harrison’s first product line, the 32-series consoles, were an instant success, and their signature sound can be heard clearly in the intro of “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas. Harrison consoles later saw widespread adoption in film and broadcast studios.

1976

SSL debuts 4000 Series consoles

After building two large-format SL 4000 A consoles, the company followed up with the advanced SL 4000 B, which featured a computer-controlled fader automation and tape transport system. These consoles laid the groundwork for the 4000 Series to become one of the most successful product lines in console history.

1979

Helios Electronics shuts down

After a ten-year run of designing legendary consoles, Dick Swettenham closed down Helios due to market pressures. Leaving what he saw as a “knobs-per-dollar” game, Swettenham focused instead on studio design and acoustical consulting. Licensed Helios modules are now sold by H2 Audio.

SSL introduces the SSL 4000 E Series

It featured an innovative Total Recall system that allowed users to save a snapshot of their settings to a floppy disk. The console was the first to feature a compressor and gate on every channel, as well as an early version of the famous SSL Master Bus Compressor. Other improvements include increased routing flexibility and a four-band “black-knob” EQ section developed with George Martin.

Conclusion

By the end of the 1970s, studio console technology had advanced by leaps and bounds compared to its humble origins just a couple of decades earlier. In this golden age of analog recording, sophisticated console designs and 24-track tape made new sounds possible, forever changing the musical landscape.

But the landscape was about to change again, as a new era brought new technologies and new ways of making music. In Part 2, we’ll pick up in the 1980s and follow the evolution of consoles through the digital revolution and into the present day. In the meantime, check out our blog to learn more about the history of companies like Neve and Universal Audio, and take a look at some of the vintage desks that have come through the Vintage King tech shop.

If you’re interested in purchasing a console for your studio or have questions about studio gear, contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.