Fully restored and modified Summer 2023 - holy grail recording studio sidecar hotrod!
A time capsule from the golden era of germanium analog audio recording, hotrodded into one of the coolest germanium consoles on the internet to date! Preamp card is a direct Neve 1603 clone to the T. The modular amplifier cards are very similar to (probably designed around) the Neve V103 cards (from the Neve 501 modules) and sound almost identical but with cleaner, more modern parts. Totally one of a kind, fully overhauled and modified with phantom power on each channel, new VU with LED illumination, new transformers, new caps, new chassis, all new wiring etc. Console specs out within 3db of original spec! A massive amount of work went into this donor unit to make it one of the coolest sidecar/mixers available on the net today... certainly the rarest.
She now has direct ins and outs including a Hi-z D.I. input with massive gain staging and fully recapped. The sound is tall, wide and warm yet great care was taken to make sure it does not oscillate at all and yields an incredibly smooth low signal to noise ratio (think OP-6). Since each channel has a different tranny (UTC and Triads) you have quite the crayon box of possibilities. Very quiet for germanium based topology yet more gain than most preamps out there. Ch1 is able to handle even the most gain hungry ribbon mic as well as power your favorite LDC/SDC's with 48V+. Incredible soundstage that sounds like you're in the room with the source.
Original manual and schematics included. Ideal for drum tracking, summing, small band tracking, podcast and broadcast work… could even work as a high end boutique-y live sound mixer with character, or just fantastic mic preamps when you need them. The warmest most beautiful vintage console you’ve never seen before! One off instructions for this modified unit are also taped to the inside the hinges lid as shown.
Shane Young took a page out of the overly-rugged build quality such as RCA, Raytheon and Collins of the time, using Daven potentiometers and the same components as his competitors to make a killer little mixer, all point to point and hand wired. Original Daven pots still intact with no static or crackle! Incredible survivor with original manual and schematics. Massive American broadcast sound, killer vibe and modern functionality. Whisper quiet noise floor and headroom for days. Blue paint is factory original. Two owners, pulled from qworking studio prior to total gut reno. It was first serviced here in house at JML Studios but we decided to cut loose our favorite console tech out of state and sent it out for total regard and restoration to see what he could do with it. As you can see from the details below, he's made it into something totally unique and special.
It started out as a 5 channel, 15 inputs, 6 mic inputs and 9 line inputs (!) +1.0 dbm 40Hz
to 22Khz, +8dbm average, with a 2 watt cue amp and 20 watt monitor amp for the side speaker (which still works and sounds great in "cue mode"). Most of the original schematic remains intact however this is now is a custom hot-rodded balanced 5 input, 3 output unit with a third output for monitor tap. Here's how the I/O now works:
UNIQUE INPUTS AND OUTPUTS EXPLAINED
1. THE FOUR OUTPUTS :
The unit has balanced XLR stereo direct outs. Each channel now has a hard left or right send like the old Neves. The PGM and AUD (Program and Audition) selector switches on each channel control the left or right pan (Left = AUD Right = PGM) of the stereo balanced transformer outputs. Center dented position is just "off" to eliminate extra noise when not in use.
In addition to these stereo XLR outputs (located on rear of console), the unit also boasts a "Cue" output that engages the Magnecorder PT6-J type side speaker to cue up a tape machine or turntable or something. You can even use this as a small 2 watt guitar speaker which actually sounds really, really cool. The pot in the top right corner of the faceplate silk-screened as "Cue" is this volume control. To use this Cue output, the Daven potentiometers on each channel must be turned down until they click off (fun fact: this has always been called "Sub Zero" or, "below zero"). This will now engage the Cue output and bypass the program/audition output. Notice there is a new tiny blue button soldered to the top of a 100ohm resistor in the pictures. This button engages/disengages the 100 ohm resistor strapped to the unbalanced TS Cue output on the front, so you can now use that TS output as a cool little 2 watt headphone send! Otherwise, if the button is disengaged, it's a 12w amp for the speaker! *Note you need to install the included CUE AMP FUSE which is installed half way out (disconnected) so the circuit is not on. Leave it out unless you're using the Cue system because the 2 watt amp introduces a little bit of inherent noise into the other channels.
Lastly, there is a unique "MON" output on the bottom right between channel 1 and 2. Select the "Audition" monitor output to drive a speaker cab that allow to listen with selector or cue output (for mixing podcast or something when faders are off)
2. THE FIVE INPUTS: pardon me if this gets hairy, I needed a place to write down all the fine details: All inputs have a new phantom power supply installed for when desired. The 48V+ indicator is a brand new red LED indicator on the rear of the unit. All the inputs on this machine now have their own dedicated transformer and each one is totally different from the others, giving you a completely unique array of tonal possibilities in one box! All channels are germanium based and a whole lot like the Neve V103 series (we think this unit is most likely based off that console, by design). However, we have cleaned up the signal path and redesigned some of the topology to sound richer, cleaner and punchier. * NOTE Always leave the input bank of switches in the middle at #'s 5, 8, 11 and 14. They correspond to Daven pots on front channels (so 1 is 5, 2 is 8, 3 is 11 and 4 is 14. 5 is the DI). This is because in a broadcast environment you could buss stuff around which this no longer does so just leave 'em alone in the middle.
Input 1 is located on the side(where it was originally located). It is now a beautifully warm and open vintage UTC transformer and puts out a huge amount of gain (about 65db below +8 putting out about -42db channel). This is our favorite preamp on the unit.
Input 2, 3 and 4 are located on the rear. They now have direct balanced XLR inputs installed. They are each very different line amps that also have phantom power and put out about 50db of gain each each! Channel 4 does not have 48V+ so you can use a dynamic or lifted ribbon on that dedicated channel if desired.
Input 5 is now a killer, low-impedance unbalanced DI input (Note: it should hit a preamp first for proper staging).
* In addition to original manual, we will also includes an appendix of operations
WORK PERFORMED:
Installed Phantom Microphone power on all balanced inputs with switch and LED indicators
Replaced all electrolytic capacitors
Installed 1/4inch TRS jack for additional line inputs
Re-punched chassis and securely mounted existing XLR connectors
Wired in I/O XLR connectors for direct ins and outs
Replaced damaged power transformers with high end models
Repaired damaged PCB edge connectors
Installed line input transformers
Performed additional repairs & modifications for microphone preamp use
Repaired open traces on PC boards
Repaired VU meter
Installed illumination LEDs in VU meters
Topology redesign: Re-route grounding, power and signal conductors for minimum noise
Removed debris and wire scraps from cabinet, removed labels and polished faceplate
Replaced power regulator transistors
Added a Monitor Speaker / Headphones selector switch (explained above in "outputs") to change between Cue send TS output for headphones, or to use the actual built in speaker
Added a tiny Program gain pot inside on the PCB to adjust levels between channels. Leave it alone, it' is biased properly and should not be touched.
New power cord with inline on and off switch and rebuilt PSU
Complete testing of all functionality & burn in
---------------------------
These unicorns are extremely rare and highly sought after when they pop up, which they almost never do. Chances are, there may never be another one available online... certainly not modified and refurbished to full extent like this one. If you are looking for something very special to show off in your boutique collection/recording studio, look no further.
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: PLEASE NOTE THAT I CANNOT ACCEPT RETURNS ON ITEMS THAT GET SHIPPED OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. For obvious reasons, these should not be bouncing all over the world and I cannot be responsible for your local post office handling. We have our own barbarians here called the United States Postal Service (USPS) that seem to think these boxes marked "Fragile" are actually footballs meant to be kicked down the street. Unit will be double boxed and packed securely to withstand a nuclear blast but it will be sold "as is" anywhere overseas, with no option to return for any reason at all.
Any questions please ask. Thanks for looking. Open to trades for anything that belongs in a recording studio and open to special direct pricing (message me). Be safe out there! ~ JML