Recording Consoles

Recording consoles formed the centrepiece of professional analogue studios throughout the second half of the twentieth century. From early valve and discrete transistor designs to large format multitrack desks, analogue consoles defined signal routing, gain staging, equalisation and dynamics control across every stage of recording and mixing.

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, manufacturers such as Neve, API, Trident, Harrison and Solid State Logic developed consoles that became closely associated with specific musical eras. Transformer-balanced signal paths, modular channel strips and integrated multitrack routing shaped the sonic character of countless classic recordings. These analogue recording consoles remain central to heritage studios and restoration facilities, representing a foundational chapter in the evolution of studio technology.

Made In U.K.

Released in 1958 /

EMI REDD Recording Console

The EMI REDD consoles represent one of the most significant developments in the history of recorded music, forming the technical backbone of Abbey Road Studios throughout the late 1950s and 1960s and shaping the sound of the Beatles’ most influential work. Designed by EMI’s Record Engineering Development Department, each console in the REDD series introduced new levels of fidelity, control and flexibility, guiding the transition from simple mono mixers to the sophisticated four track environment that defined a generation of recordings.

Made In U.K.

Released in 1968 /

EMI TG12345 Recording Console

The EMI TG12345 consoles marked one of the most significant turning points in the history of Abbey Road Studios, replacing the revered valve based REDD desks with a new solid state architecture that transformed the sound of the late Beatles era. Designed by EMI’s Central Research Laboratories and first installed in 1968, the TG console introduced an unprecedented level of flexibility, routing power and sonic clarity, establishing a new generation of British studio design that would influence countless engineers and recordings for decades to come.

Made In U.K.

Released in 1971 /

Trident A-Range Recording Console

The Trident A-Range was the first console designed and built by the in-house engineering team at Trident Studios in London and has since become one of the most revered analogue desks of the multitrack era. It became clear that a new console was needed to handle the move from eight track to sixteen and later twenty four track analogue tape. After being dissatisfied with designs offered by external manufacturers, including Rupert Neve, Trident’s engineers decided in 1971 to build their own desk, and from that decision the Trident A-Range console and the Trident Audio Developments company were born.

Made In U.K.

Released in 1971 /

Neve 80 Series Recording Console

The Neve 80 Series represents one of the most important families of analogue recording consoles ever built, hand-wired, discrete and designed to deliver musical, detailed sound at a time when recording technology was rapidly evolving. Introduced between 1968 and 1979 and manufactured at Neve’s purpose-built facility, these consoles helped define the sonic character of 1970s high-end recording. Their lasting influence was reinforced decades later when Dave Grohl’s documentary film Sound City highlighted the historical importance of the series and its role in shaping many classic albums.

Made In U.K.

Released in 1976 /

Solid State Logic SL 4000 Series Recording Console

The Solid State Logic 4000 Series became one of the most influential mixing console families in modern recording history, setting new standards for sound, workflow and studio automation from the late 1970s onward. Its forward, energetic tone, powerful channel dynamics, flexible routing and the now iconic bus compressor helped shape the sound of countless hit records across rock, pop, R&B and film music. With Total Recall, VCA automation and a fully integrated approach to studio control, the 4000 Series transformed how engineers worked and established SSL as the dominant force in large format console design for more than two decades.

Made In Japan

Released in 1987 /

Yamaha DMP7 Digital Mixing Processor

The Yamaha DMP7 Digital Mixing Processor was Yamaha’s first digital mixer, combining 16-bit digital conversion, motorised faders, scene memory, MIDI automation, digital equalisation, internal effects, stereo compression, and digital cascade expansion in a compact 8-input production console.

Made In U.S.A.

Released in 1991 /

Mackie CR-1604 Compact Mixer

The Mackie CR-1604 arrived at a very specific moment in recording history, when affordable digital multitrack recording was about to escape the confines of large studios. Alongside the Alesis ADAT, the Mackie Designs CR-1604 became one of the key enablers of the project studio revolution, not through hype or marketing spectacle, but through a rigorously practical design that delivered professional audio performance at a price point previously considered impossible.

Made In Japan

Released in 1995 /

Yamaha 02R Digital Recording Console

The Yamaha 02R Digital Recording Console, released in 1995, delivered 40 inputs, eight busses, full channel processing and timecode-based automation in a compact digital desk. With open system digital compatibility, 20-bit conversion and 32-bit internal processing, it became a key console of the modular digital recording era.