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Custom-Built Mixer (1940s)

Early on in the direct-to-disk days, Rudy was using a homemade mixing console, a simple mono design.

Altec 230B Console (1954-1956)

By 1953 Rudy had swapped out his old custom-built mixer for a three-channel unit that came bundled with his Presto tape machine. He expanded its capability with a separate custom-built four-channel sub-mixer.

But then in 1954, after doing much research, Rudy finally decided on a more professional option. Typically installed in small radio stations for broadcast use but entirely functional in a recording studio, the Altec 230B was a self-contained six-channel mixing console with twelve total inputs. Rudy took pride in his new machine, which would be a key component in creating the sound of many of his classic recordings.

Rein Narma Custom Console (1957-1970)

In 1956, Van Gelder commissioned Fairchild engineer Rein Narma to build him a custom console designed to interface with his favorite high-output German microphones. The console was built by Narma singlehandedly. It was completed in January 1957, installed in the Hackensack control room initially, then later moved to Englewood Cliffs (Robertson, 1957).

An improvement on Van Gelder’s previous Altec radio console in every way, the Narma console had ten channels of inputs, each of which utilized a three-band equalizer, an echo send, and a special 20-decibel gain block for high-output mics (Joel, 2002). Although he hadn’t quite gotten into stereo recording yet, the console was forward-compatible with the new and emerging format (Zand, 2004). Cosmetically it was inspired by the console at Columbia Records’ 30th Street Studio (Sickler et al., 2011).

Click here for more information on the historical integration of German and American recording equipment.

Custom-Built Portable Mixer (Late 1950s – Early 1960s)

For remote mixing, Van Gelder used a custom-built four-channel portable mixer for live gigs between 1955 and 1957, which was later expanded to utilize eight channels.

Eight-Channel Portable Mixing Console (1960s)

By 1964, Van Gelder was using a more advanced eight-channel remote console.

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