A Revival of the Classic Gaming Device: Console Edition
The iconic Sound Techniques A Range mixing console, a staple of the British rock and folk music scenes in the 1960s and 1970s, has made a comeback in the form of the Rupert Neve Designs ZR. This modern-day reproduction captures the unique sonic character of the original, providing contemporary producers with the vintage A Range sound alongside current-day reliability and features.
Origins and Significance
Originally developed by Sound Techniques, a London-based company founded by engineers Peter Gannon and Bill Price, the A Range console was renowned for its high-quality preamps and EQ sections, as well as its user-friendly layout. The console's distinctive warm, musical sound and robust, simple design were key elements of many classic recordings of the era, earning it a reputation that led other London studios to order custom A Range desks from Frost.
The A Range console was used in famous studios such as Sound Techniques Studio, where iconic artists like Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, and Fairport Convention recorded crucial albums, shaping the sound of the period. Trident Studios, another notable studio, built their own A Range console several years later.
Modern Reproduction: The Rupert Neve Designs ZR
The ZR console, inspired by the A Range design philosophy and circuitry, offers the classic analog warmth and flexible routing capabilities of the original. However, it integrates modern technology and build quality expected by today's engineers. The new ZR console's circuitry follows the input and EQ sections with modern-day high-spec operational amplifiers and surface-mount components.
The crux of the classic Sound Techniques character is in the input module, specifically the transformer-balanced, variable impedance microphone amplifier, inductor-based EQ, and the dual class A transformer drive. The new ZR console's input transformer is a faithful reproduction of the original Sound Techniques console's transformer. The input transformer is followed by a discrete amplifier with a line output transformer, a circuit known as the 3035 in Frost's original design.
The EQ section of the new ZR console has been updated to include highpass and lowpass filters, as well as a mid-frequency section, which is entirely of Milnes' own development. The HF section has been re-engineered so that the Q broadens more subtly as the selected frequency increases. The LF section offers additional bell response selections compared to the original Sound Techniques console.
Additional Features and Customization
The ZR is an 8-bus, inline monitoring console with fader swap, six mono aux sends, two foldback sends with pan, and eight mono/four stereo groups. It also offers simultaneous electronically balanced and transformer balanced outputs for the mix bus, echo, and foldback sends.
The new ZR console's modular construction allows for consoles to be manufactured with a remote master section, saving significant amounts of money. The ZR incorporates classic Painton quadrant faders and Ernst Turner meters, and the company acquired both brands and is remanufacturing the components.
Choices such as input channel count, metalwork finish, wood trim, automation, and other options, including a fully customized or even remote center section, can be supplied to order. The new ZR console also features two 19-inch rack units based on ZR circuitry: the ZR7064CS channel strip and a two-rack unit compressor, coming this summer.
The Legacy Lives On
The Sound Techniques A Range console is historically significant for its contribution to the classic British sound of the 1960s and 1970s, and its spirit endures in modern recreations like the Rupert Neve Designs ZR, which carry forward its characteristic audio quality and design principles adapted for modern use. The ZR console is a testament to the enduring appeal of the A Range console and its role in shaping the sound of some of the most iconic recordings in music history.
- The Rupert Neve Designs ZR, a modern-day reproduction of the iconic Sound Techniques A Range console, offers contemporary producers the vintage sound alongside current-day reliability and features.
- The new ZR console's input transformer is a faithful reproduction of the original Sound Techniques console's transformer, crucial for preserving the classic analog warmth of the A Range.
- The EQ section of the ZR console has been updated to include modern features like highpass and lowpass filters, while also maintaining the original inductor-based EQ for a warm, musical sound.
- The ZR console, with its modular construction, allows for customization options such as input channel count, metalwork finish, automation, and even a remote center section.
- The Sound Techniques A Range console, historically significant for its contribution to the classic British sound, lives on in modern recreations like the Rupert Neve Designs ZR, which continues to shape the sound of music recordings.
