This is Dave, (20 years ago) our favourite postman! Dave is a postman in Wiltshire, England. For some 11 years, he has had an 'A' range desk sitting in his attic!
    Now, we've been lucky enough to be able to purchase this from Dave, and it will soon be 'coming home'.
    The plan is to fully restore it to it's original performance, and then re-install it in a famous 'retro' studio in London.
    You will be able to follow the complete task of restoration on this page over the coming months.

Part of an input unit. If you look closely, you'll see how the years have taken their toll!

Dave, last month, on the left, and yours truly.

Click on a picture below:

The 'Fader Unit', with input and output transformers, mic amp and Painton quadrant fader.

Whilst most units are just a bit dirty, some - as you can see here - have been 'tampered with'! (Before Dave aquired the desk.)

Commencing August 2005

Home again!

The desk, re-assembled, but before any restoration has started.
(Click for larger version)

4 SEPT  05

4 SEPT  05

Last updated
6 SEPT 05

4 SEPT  05

The restoration story, as it progresses:

As you study these pages, please remember that this desk was designed for the recording of large groups, bands and orchestras, in a live studio environment. Groups of instruments, i.e. the rhythm section, would be grouped together and send to one of the 8 tracks on the recorder. A couple of tracks would be kept clear for overdubbing vocal(s) and other instruments. It was quite usual on a 'pop' record in the 60's to have some 20 to 30 musicians in the studio at a time. It was only from the mid 70's that records were created by building up instrument by instrument. I suppose the main exception nowadays, is the recording of the music for major feature films.

Ziggy checking for mouses!

6 SEPT  05