Helios 30 Ch Desk from Island / Basing Street Studios (Vintage)

Photo is from the Basing Street Studios brochure in the 1970s. Actual photos of console will be available in late -December. Not all items in photo are still installed in this desk.

Console Layout:

Far Left – Echo Send Return Modules
Inside Left – Patchbays
Center Sections – Majority of the input modules
Inside Right – Master Section
Far Right – 8 Input Modules

Dimensions: 42"H x 32W" x 120L"

Module Info:

Channel Strip:
-Mic level adjust
-Line level adjust
-Phase switch
-EQ Cut switch
-3 band EQ
High Frequency shelf @10kHZ
Mid Gain
Mid Frequency
Mid Mode Selects between boost(PK) and cut (TR)
Low Frequency Shelf 50Hz
-Track select L
-Track select R
-Foldback (FB) Adjust 1-4
-Insert 1
-Insert 2
-Echo Pre,1-4 (controls echo send 1-4 input)
-Pan select
-Pan adjust

Monitor Section:
24 inputs with solo,cut and panning functions. Input controlled from the Track Select knob on the channel strip and Patchbay. Also routable to Echo sends via echo send switch.

Master Section:
Selectable buss meters on the top left. Stereo buss meters on the top right. External input adjust,prod mic adjust, TB adjust, and FB 1+2 input select (off channel or mon mix). Center section has monitor mode on the left and studio playback on the right. Monitor and studio level adjust. Buss master section at the bottom.

Echo Returns:
Input controlled via channel strip or monitor section. EQ adjust 10kHz high shelf and 50Hz low shelf. Track select knob to route to tape.

Echo Sends:
Input controlled via channel strip or monitor section. EQ adjust 10kHz high shelf and 50Hz low shelf. Also has insert on each send.

Basing Street Studios, more commonly known as Island Studios, was the home base of Chris Blackwell, founder of island Records. Chris lured Dick Swettenham away from Olympic Studios to custom build a desk for him at his new home in Basing Street. Thus began the era of the Helios console, which ruled the rock music of Britain in the early 70s. The original desk built by Swettenham was located upstairs in Studio 1, while this one was installed downstairs in Studio 2 in late 1973.

The list of artists that recorded at Island in the 70s ranges from Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull to Brian Eno, Genesis and Bob Marley.

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