Audek Console Restoration

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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Alastair Reynolds » Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:26 am

You've gotta love old outside broadcast gear, built like a tank, basic, but everything you need to get the sound out. Best part is , unlike so much modern equipment, it's servicable. I'll dig up some more interesting old bits. I've got a nice old 2 channel portable Amplifier from AWA somewhere in the parts dungeon, appropriately named "BOB-2", complete with bakelite headphones and vintage Coles Lip-ribbon mic
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:41 pm

Bar up gentlmen. Appropriately named BAR-2
050920109773.jpg


Plenty of gain at +8.... germanium transistors, AWA transformers this one dirty's up real nice.

.......and here is a pic of my BOB-2. The AGC stands for automatic gain control, i assume. I haven't used it on any of my recordings as the noise floor is a bit high. Otherwise it sounds ok with a full bodied sound. Alistair, are these able to be quiet.....maybe there is a prob with mine?

050920109777.jpg
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Alastair Reynolds » Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:56 pm

Hi Chris, I'd say probably the old transistors getting a bit noisy, It's been years since I gave much thought to the BOB-2 and Noise floor in the AM world on analogue broadcast lines isn't at the high end of spec anyway. I'll find a circuit and have a look. I reckon you could quieten it down a bit, and their Transformers , like any AWA gear is always good. Love the BAR-2, I'm Barred up like a prison window.
If you're after any manuals / schematics , send me the make and model and I'll check the archives, I've been collecting manuals and circuits for nearly 30 years and have some rippers in the libarary , e.g. complete Quad 8 Coranado manual, anything Studer or Revox going back to the late 50s, Original EMT 140 manual with Blueprints etc. I'm always getting hassled by the minister of war and finance(AKA Fun Police, The Enforcer, Her Indoors) as to why I keep so much old crap around the house.... still I'm probably not the only one on this forum doing that :)
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby rob » Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:39 pm

I've had a few BOBs and BARs and even one of those RCA field mixers through the workshop. The common theme with these seems to be that they have buckets of gain. All this gain leads to a high noise floor and limited input headroom. So a few simple mods have been done to lower the overall gain and the addition of input pad helps reign the units into a more modern performance structure. The resulting sound of these little mixers is pretty good.
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:59 pm

[quote="Chris H"» Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:29 am ]Well the Amek has sold so time to bring its replacement back to life after being in storage for over 20 years. Everything works but the power supply has to be rebuilt, and
quite a few switches are a bit stiff. Allan Jenkins built the desk and is doing the restoration work with me helping out ( trying not to get in the way...) Should be up and going in about a weeks time.[end quote]



Thought I'd bring y'all up to date on the Audek's restoration. It's been a few years since starting this one! I feel a propper funnyman given the date the thread started, Nov 2007 Ha Ha! Wel it was up and going after a few weeks but not in a condition that would happily pass pristine audio so the real work began, and I'm happy to report that the end is in sight....... She is all systems go with new caps and quite a few mods with just a small issue with buss number 4 to sort out tomorrow. I will be doing my first full mix through the desk during the next week, so will let you know how it goes. Ah the things we do for love and music..........
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby The Tasmanian » Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:41 pm

And then the Optro compressors?
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:57 pm

The Tasmanian wrote:And then the Optro compressors?

Absolutely! Those Gilbert Multipliers will again see some action. Most of the work has been done in troubleshooting and sussing out how they work but Alan has informed me there is still one little mystery to their operation he has yet to solve. I am seeing him tomorrow so will find out more and let you know pronto.
Alan has a new lifestyle as he has retired from full time work and is spending time enjoying what he loves doing. He returned from a trip around our great continent a month ago. I found out last week he has a copy of the first two recordings on vinyl, done on the Audek as the band involved had a reunion recently. I have put up the idea of recording them again through the restored desk to tape, maybe even cutting a vinyl disk.
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby The Tasmanian » Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:06 pm

Ahh - the old Gilbert Multipliers never ending mystery - I hope we can get them going - and I hope they sound good after all the reverse R&D
Let me know
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby rob » Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:00 pm

gilbert multipliers are very under-rated....
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby The Tasmanian » Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:10 pm

Why Rob?
let us in on why they are good - and how they work/compress?
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Re: Audek Console Restoration and another AWA

Postby Drumstruck » Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:58 pm

Dredging up an old thread - love that Audek and the little AWAs

- here's another AWA BAR-2 / BAR-B (dual 4->1 unit) that may be of interest plus some specs and a real invoice with prices from "back in the day":

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9910326/AWA1970.pdf
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Last edited by Drumstruck on Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Paul Maybury » Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:40 pm

I'll take two Big 1's and a Bob, thanks. So that's $1200 all up...
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby EvLoutonian » Sun Aug 18, 2013 8:19 pm

OK, hanging for an update on this one!
What's the band that was initially recorded on the Audek console?
Not Madder Lake, by any chance?
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby EvLoutonian » Wed Dec 03, 2014 3:34 pm

Any progress on the Audek restoration, Chris?
Is it all up and humming? .. er, running?

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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Wed Dec 03, 2014 4:09 pm

EvLoutonian wrote:Any progress on the Audek restoration, Chris?
Is it all up and humming? .. er, running?

Ev


Yes, it's seen a fair bit of action over the past while, a lot of it covered in this thread with a few recording examples:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7583&p=69782&hilit=Baha#p69782

As it happens it's a very quiet console with headroom for miles!


.......at the moment though the console is in my loungeroom at home while i search for the next chapter in my off and on again career as a recording person.
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby NYMo » Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:10 pm

Chris..I still have the hots for that Audek !

Cheers
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Thu Dec 04, 2014 3:34 pm

NYMo wrote:Chris..I still have the hots for that Audek !

Cheers



She's my sweet little thing, my pride and joy........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBZ2vUwDqw
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby EvLoutonian » Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:45 pm

Hey, I don't know if you guys caught the VIC SIMMS segment on TV this week, but it shows a few cut-away shots briefly, from a recording session in the late 60's or 70's, i think.

I wondered if the shots were from the actual session or not.. but the console shown in the footage looked interesting and thought it may be related to the old Audek? (Or the very same desk?)

But it was a session for RCA records, so maybe it would be more likely an RCA or AWA built console?

Jump in to 17:00 to see the desk in question..

(but the whole show is great, by the way!)

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/compass/RN1511H019S00
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby EvLoutonian » Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:57 pm

/\

I'm thinking the footage in the VIC SIMMS show is maybe just some stock footage from Armstrongs, actually?

Because the desk looks like it is probably the OPTRO from your that you've posted elsewhere, now that i look more closely..

download/file.php?id=2619&t=1
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Tue Jul 05, 2016 9:20 pm

EvLoutonian wrote:/\

I'm thinking the footage in the VIC SIMMS show is maybe just some stock footage from Armstrongs, actually?

Because the desk looks like it is probably the OPTRO from your that you've posted elsewhere, now that i look more closely..

download/file.php?id=2619&t=1


It sure looks like the Armstrong's Optro. For several shots that showed close ups of the desk, the details all lined up as per that console. It would be good to get to see the rest of that footage and find out what it was about. I might do a bit of follow up on that one. I watched the repeat of that docco last night, and then saw this thread tonight....and the desk did catch my eye but I thought nothing more of it.
Good call Evan!
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby EvLoutonian » Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:25 am

Good one, Chris.
Keen to catch up one day and compare old gears!
(:
Cheers.
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby EvLoutonian » Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:06 am

Alastair Reynolds wrote:You've gotta love old outside broadcast gear, built like a tank, basic, but everything you need to get the sound out..


Hi Alastair. (and all!)
(~8

Was reading your post above, on this thread, and thought it worth asking..

Do you happen to have any info on the AWA "PORTABLE O.B. AMP TYPE G56830"?
I have the original old service manual booklet for it here (but not the device itself, unfortunately!)

Looks like a cool earlyish model (mid 50's?) unit with three mic inputs.
Input transformers are AWA Type 1XZ562380.
Output transformer is AWA Type 1TU57705.
Tubes are: CK512AX sub-miniature (x5), 1T4 (x3), 1S4 (x2).
It's designed to run off batteries:
(2x) Eveready Type 467 "Minimax" in series for HT, and (1x) Eveready Type 742 for LT.
B+ is 135v, B- is -11v.
A- is -1.5v, A+ is ground. (i think?)

The booklet has an amendment at the start explaining that valves 1-5 are changed from type CK512AX to type XFW30 for model 1G56830, along with the addition of a dedicated output connection for telephone line feed.

Interesting to see these input stage tubes are the sub-miniature type. Not something I've seen in any of this kind of gear before, myself. (actually these tubes are 3x input stage, 1x mixer, and 1x phase inverter)

Just as interesting is the addition of a built-in compression circuit "using four GEX55/1 germanium crystal rectifiers (or equivalent) fed via blocking capacitors and potential dividers from the power amplifier output; these provide DC voltage which varies the grid bias on the push-pull driver stage, thus preventing the power output stage from seriously overloading."
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:38 am

I was sorting through some old tapes etc at work and found this cutting block. Audek used to manufacture these and those boom stands still in some Melbourne pubs with the cast iron fittings.....

Audek_Splicing Block.jpg




All is well with the console although i have a few noisy pots and I'm finding it hard to find replacements. They are the mid tone pots that you can pull up or push down.
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Re: Audek Console Restoration

Postby Chris H » Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:19 pm

Just to add to the Audek story, here is a pic of my recording room while i was at Baha.
Sorry for the iPhone quality......

Audek at Baha.jpg
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