AWA console pics

[Linear]

Hi,

Thought some may be interested in seeing what a complete AWA console looks like.

I've still lots of work to do, I've cleaned many of the switches, faders and faceplates and put the whole thing together. I still however need to recap all the channel amplifiers and amplifier cards.

AWA console piccies

I will be posting PDF's of the schematics eventually for anyone that needs them. Let me know if you need anything specific.

Cheers

Chris

[Martin]

always blows me away just how much wiring and parts are in ONE module on big consoles like that one, and then theres 24 channels of them! Looks like its been well looked after judging by the pics

[Martinez]

Wow!

I bet it sounds absolutely fantastic!

[Peter Knight]

Maaaaaannnnnnnnnnn.... very nice.

Apart from the HF being fixed at 10k haha. But I'm sure most of us could live with a minor problem like that.

[Peter Knight]

Oh and I love this bit on your site!

Feel free to contact us to have a meander through the studio, however we will be required to check and copy some photographic ID so if we get cleaned out, we know who gets to wear the cement boots and have a night-visit to Sydney Harbour.

:D

[Martinez]

He he he he ha ha ha ha haaaaa!

[Ry N]

that desk looks fantastic!!!!!! Are you keeping the old desk at your studio, or are you letting it go?

[JulienG]

Couldn't let the comment about Ritchie go without digging up the twelfth man, Ritchie's jackets span the full gamut of colours:
bone, white, off-white, ivory and beige ;-)

In a more on topic note, it's seeing the amount of work that it would take to overhaul an older large format analogue console that makes me wonder if I'll take the plunge and buy a used one.

[toby_72]

Looks nice!

Can you tell us what the I/O trannies are on those dual-channel cards?

Cheers

Toby

[Henry]

That's not a real Beh ringer Console Clone!! It doesn't have a tb4 either!!

[Linear]

Apart from the HF being fixed at 10k haha. But I'm sure most of us could live with a minor problem like that.

Yeah, that could be a problem. I think I'm going to make it switchable 10, 12 and 16kHz like a 1084. Not sure how hard it is but I read that Joe does this as a regular mod.

Can you tell us what the I/O trannies are on those dual-channel cards?

The input transformer is a 3TW65766 and appears to take both line and mic level. I've checked the markings on the transformer and it just says AWA, so I'm not sure if AWA manufactured them or if they were outsourced. I haven't seen them before.

The output transformer looks a little more conventional, it's got 4TU64546 written on it. Unlike Neve modules, there isn't a separate output transformer in the channel itself. All the transformers are on cards, I think there's 19 in total.

To be honest, I have no idea what it sounds like. I'm yet to plug it in and connect anything to it - scary. I'll let you know!

Cheers

Chris

[philly]

That looks lovely.

[Linear]

that desk looks fantastic!!!!!! Are you keeping the old desk at your studio, or are you letting it go?

Hi,

I'll probably keep it, even though it's a good console (in my opinion) it wouldn't be worth much. In fact, I think anyone with a mid-level console would benefit from:

- star grounding each module
- recapping and removing unneccesary caps
- bypassing unneccesary insert sends
- upgrading certain key opamps
- sticking in big fat reservoir caps on each module.

which is what I did to this one, and learnt alot along the way. I also tried to upagrade the power distribution directly from the power supply but this created noise for some reason (probably a potential loop). Anyway, distortion reduced significantly, headroom increased and noise floor went to far below anything else in the studio.

Also, I have a PDF of the AWA channel amplifier schematic. You can get it here

Channel Amp PDF

Cheers

Chris

[Chris H]

Looks great and it will be interesting to get yopur opinions on how it sounds once you get it up and running. I downloaded the pdf of the schemo so i can now get on with wiriing my module.

[Linear]

Hi,

I have been doing some more research into this console that I thought some might be interested in. Today I spoke to the guy who was in charge of the engineering products division at AWA North Ryde back in the 1970's.

Apparently there were only ever 7 consoles made, all specifically for the Sydney Opera House. There was a much larger one installed in the main concert hall and several smaller ones. The one I've been lucky enough to get (according to him) was the one installed in the recording studio of the Opera House, which I didn't even know existed.

He also said that the design of the console took a team of 5 engineers and draftsmen 4 years. Almost everything on the console was custom made and it was wired up by a team of engineers on the shop floor.

Whilst the design and manufacturing of the console made AWA no money, it was more a prestige thing for them at the time and they wanted the contract no matter what cost. Apparently they won the contract to do the whole electroacoustic fitout, including amplifiers and speakers.

Soon after the consoles were installed, AWA stopped making this type of equipment moving instead to instrumentation and test equipment, particularly for ABC television.

I'm hoping to speak to more people and put an informational page up on my website. And for those that have channel amps, I'd hold on to them. Quite rare indeed!

Chris

[ggoerss]

We had an AWA console down here in Tassy for many years I can remember using it. It was housed in the ABC owned Odeon which was the venue for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and it was used to record TSO concerts.
It was sold in the early nineties and broken up. As to where the modules are now is anyones guess.

[muz]

Speaking of AWA, does anyone know anything about AWA speakers which were actually Tannoy monitor gold 12's inside.

I have a such a pair, brown '70s veneer with tweed grills, badged AWA but contain tannoy gold 12's and tannoy xover\input panel.

muz

ps. no i dont want to sell them

[graemeh]

I've got a pair of those in my lounge at home too - biggish, floor standing, beautiful, but a bit easy to overload. Bought new in '75.

Don't want to sell mine either (missus does though!)

[muz]

are yours in a almost square front enclosure. relatively shallow, chipboard, painted texture coat gray on the back?

i ,ve always been curious to find anything out about them, its just nice to know there is at least one other pair of them. Do you know if they were sold as a hifi box or as studio monitors?

I love em but yes same here, she doesnt like em. To me the brown vinyl veneer is just part of the package, theyre classics darn it!

I find them ok at the levels I need except for DVD action, cant handle bottom end very well with the overdone dynamic range of DVD's. I have a pair of 1980's 15" JBL 2235 studio monitr drivers that I wanted to use for the subs when in surround mode but theres no way the other half will cop any more speakers around the tele unfortunately, would have rocked!!

edit : the fact that they are almost as old as I am and can still be classed as a fine speaker confirms to me that speaker technology at the hifi level at least hasnt got far in 30 years. Personally i think the advent of home surround systems has killed off good sounding home hifi.

[Chris H]

Picked up a an awa console last month. A 48 ch wrap around design. It's in bad shape unfortunatley, all wiring looms cut when it was decomissioned, and cards for the electronic balancing and VCA automation are missing. If someone has a web page to host it , i will
post a pic of it. It has limiters on each preamp module. I will rack some up for my live recording jobs. It would be a huge job to get the desk operating again but i will seriously look into how feasable the task would be

[graemeh]

muz re Tannoy Speakers

Mine are veneered chipboard about 700 high 600 wide and 450 deep. They're a quality furniture finish with dark brown tweed removable grills. The actual Tannoy crossovers have been bypassed on mine although they're accessable.
My studio partner and I bought them from AWA in Melbourne in '75, along with a Revox A77 and some other stuff, and if I remember correctly they were sold as studio monitors.

And yes, they are still great speakers if you don't pump too much bass into them - you just can't get insane levels out of them. That's why they're at home and not in the studio where they're too open to abuse...

I just love 'em for classical music (and the Eagles)