The superb 'Abbey Road' classic Neve console restoration project is nearing completion at Great Linford Manor Studios.
Neve console expert Blake Devitt behind the 'Babbey Road' console
The new Abbey Road Vintage Neve has used the original A3097 EMI Abbey Road 36-channel console with a new and modified centre section, including Flying Fader Automation master controls, and the addition of the main channel facilities of A3098 EMI Pathe Marconi console.
Owner Pete Winkelman talks about the console
It features original 24 track buses, 12 additional group buses and 12 aux buses, 8 off the channel and 4 off the monitor. All original features of the desk have been restored, with the addition of 72 direct outputs with switched independent level control.
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The 24 monitor channels have access to the 4-track mix bus in addition to 4 of the multi-track buses and 4 of the group buses. They can monitor three independent machine inputs, all of which can be viewed by the main VU metering.
5 things you didn’t know about the new Abbey Road Vintage Neve:
- The ‘Wish You Were Here’ album by Pink Floyd was the first recording on the console (A3097) in Studio 3 at Abbey Road Studios in 1975 and led the way for literally hundreds of seminal recordings during the late Seventies and Eighties.
- It’s sister console (A3098) at Pathe Marconi in Paris was equally productive during this time recording international artists such as the Rolling Stones as well as the world-renowned classical recordings.
- The new combined console, with 72 channels and 24 monitor returns, is 14’6” long!
- The right-hand side of the console features a straight run of 48 Neve channels, the longest single run of any Vintage Neve console in the world.
- The console features 154 VU meters, all with transformer balanced buffer amplifier driver boards.
