Bad News, Good News Sale

[tunetown]

Oh my..............!!!!

[Ender]

Permission to use smiley ->

[EvLoutonian]

Better start drawing up plans for that extra wing on the studio..
(with robust racks)

[EvLoutonian]

Gentlemen, we may have to form a Syndicate

But seriously, Alastair's syndicate idea is surely worth some detailed consideration, right?
Surely!
--
"Don't call me Shirley"

[Manning]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_diaper

[walding]

Mini List
Fairchild 670

If the list wasn't impressive enough...

Picks up jaw from floor...

[Chris H]

my instant resopnse when Norm stated it was to be sold as a complete lot that a select few could afford the total package of goods. Looking at the short list, me thinks it will be going overseas to a gear brocker ...........who else could afford the total cost?

[norm]

Will NOT be going to some O/S gear broker under any circumstances. Also I will sell some individual pieces to Australians when the time comes. I think it better that some of the really rare gear should stay here to improve the palette of Australian recording. Norm

[Engininja]

Its great that Norm wants to see it stay here.
I'd heard of this collection from folks that have seen it.
That mini list barely scratches the surface.

[EvLoutonian]

........who else could afford the total cost?

You may indeed be right. I was wondering the same thing, Chris..
It would seem a mighty shame, though!! ..especially after Norm has painstakingly assembled this mighty fleet of equipment - and from all corners of the globe, no doubt.

*EDIT: just saw Norm's response, above* THAT'S GREAT NEWS (~:

So.. anyway, here's my brainiac (ludicrous?) proposal:
(pulling some approx. numbers from the top of my head here, just to outline the concept)

What if somewhere around say 30 to 50 people of The 'Rock all put in for example $2000 each, or whatever was required, and purchased the lot from Norm? (number of people, and dollars, all depending what is on the final list, etc etc etc) ..

It could work that potentially it's worth everyone's while? (including Norm's, of course)
The collective would of course be forever named in Norm's honour, and membership badges would be fabricated & issued for all to wear with pride (with a classy vintage audio hardware type design on it, of course).

There would need to be an inventory of the collection and some kind of time-share system in place, with a waiting list, I guess, where items are requested for upcoming use..
So that over say 5 or 10 years, everyone gets a good go of the most desired items, for a fair duration of time, and in effect, retains ownership over their portion of the collection, as a whole.

The list of items would need to be catalogued and kept track of, and sometimes transport between members in different cities would need to be arranged. I'm guessing the majority of members would probably be spread between VIC & NSW, so members moving between Melbourne and Sydney (or other locations) could perhaps co-ordinate to fit in with what needs to go where to some extent.

Some kind of legal agreement would need to be settled on about all this, and I can imagine there would be tricky areas to nut out such as who pays for on-going maintenance (unless it's worked in to the original 'membership' payment somehow), and who's in charge (if anyone) etc. and what if you want to "sell out" (exchange membership to someone else), or if the whole thing needs to be dissolved / liquidated one day, then how does that happen?

Partly I think it would need to work on the basis that it's not about getting a piece of gear that you will then always have in your studio kit, but rather a chance to have access to some amazing gear that you may not otherwise get to use, and consider this item as a guest in your studio for the time you have it.

To be honest, I know it's probably too complicated for everyone to ever agree on how this would work, but I had to put it out there!

I visited Norm in Bunbury on a recent trip to WA (thanks again for kindly having me over, Norm!) and I was in awe of the contents of his amazing mic locker! I didn't get to see the rest of the shed shite, unfortunately, but the beginnings of the list here look equally as awesome as the mic's.

I only wish my dad had the same keen interest in audio gear as you do, Norm!

Over to you, fellow gear freaks.

Evo the Dreamer.

[Manning]

Norm = Shedshite?

I think I have met the son in question, I bought a HD2 system off him a couple of years back (assuming shedshite is the eBay name).

[Manning]

Evan

OK, here's my "I'm not an accountant but I met one once" suggestion:

1 - interested T-rockers buy shares in a company.
2 - all the gear get bought by a company using the accumulated funds
3 - Shareholders then "rent" the equipment from the company at notional rates.
4 - Maintenance costs are then borne by the company out of above revenue
5 - all profits (if any) are paid to the shareholders on a per share basis (aka 'dividends')

Shares can be bought and sold between members for original share purchase price + (total cash on hand/number of outstanding shares).

The overhead costs of running a company (filing returns) are about $2K per year, but spread over 50 people that is only $40.

Shares could be set at $100 each, with a minimum purchase of 20.

Feel free to shred above idea. And - to state the blindingly obvious - if this (or any similar idea) began to get thrown around, let's hire someone who actually knows what they are doing to work out the details.

[Wiz]

2 grand .. I'm in.

[Chris H]

Hm....interesting thoughts.
Some thought would need to go into the listing of gear into categories, say from practical go to regular use gear at one end, to the esoteric way out there, as In Faichild 670 don't break those bloody valves....don't want to transport that thing around too much, other end of the scale. Not to mention the don't drop that mic with the encased ruby that by good authority Neumann never built part of the collection! I would be very chuffed to have that thing remain in Australia.

Hypothetical;
there are 50 items valued at $100,000. Thats an aprox average value of $2000 per item.
50 people put in $2000 each. That's one item each for aprox one week on rotation over a one year cycle or one item each for two weeks for a rotation over two years.

[norm]

Might be closer to $300k plus when full list is in. Have 10 NOS sets of 6386 for the 670.

[mylesgm]

I'm in. Now about the details....

[Alastair Reynolds]

I was thinking just that Norm, given the value of a 670 and some of the other exotica.Do you still have the old lathe and green limiter ex-2GB ? I now have 2GBs old Ampex 3200 duplicators (just what every home needs) and may be interested in some of the more broadcast related pieces . It all sounds fascinating anyway., like the RCA 96 limiters. A giant step forward in their day when you used to have some poor bloke sitting at the transmitter site riding the levels to avoid over modulation and arcing over the modulator valves.All of a sudden you could modulate above 30% without fear of killing a fire-bottle.

[simonstav]

Might be closer to $300k plus when full list is in. Have 10 NOS sets of 6386 for the 670.

Hmmm.......

[norm]

The 2GB gear is currently with Rob being tuned up. I have about half a ton of gear I have to get across to Rob for a tune up before I complete the final list.

[Hybrid88]

Someone should start up a studio with that lot, some impressive kit there.

Anyway, how many Fairchild 670's are there in Aus?

[Drumstruck]

Hi Norm,

Watching your thread with great interest (even though I'm not one of those wealthy enough to be in the bidding.... but lotto may change that)....

Wondering if your collection of gear was setup somewhere and if there are photos or a website showing the collection? Sounds like it would be a great view whilst it's all in one location.

[jasound]

Yeah tell us the story Norm.
There must be some good ones.
There must be a hundred dollar C12 or finding a Pultec in a skip story to be told.

[Chris H]

...............
Anyway, how many Fairchild 670's are there in Aus?

That's an interesting question for us gear nerds. I have seen that pic on Robs web page where he is kneeling between two fairchildren, so uspposing they are different ones to Norm's, then there is or was at least 3 so I'm going to take a wild guess that there are six in Oz and one or two in NZ. That's not counting those mythical AWA clones.
Totally stab in the dark wild guess waiting to be proven incorrect

[walding]

I have read (on the net) that only 60 or 70 670's were ever made...

This seems like a very small #.

Anyone know?

[rick]

Well there is one 670 in Sydney one in Melbourne
Now just one in Perth ( norms) untill recently he had two

There are a bunch of mono fairchilds floating about though

Always happy to have that list extended and updated !

Robs been the go to service guy so he probably
Knows about some non commerically installed stuff ?

[Engininja]

You can pretty much tick off most of that stuff from that particular page of Rob's against Norms list.

[NathS101]

That list is tempting me to extend the mortgage...

[rob]

yeah, I'm photographed between Norm's two 670s. One is no longer in the country. So I reckon there is only three in Oz at the moment...

[DrAlienSmith]

I worked with Norm's son in the studio a few times back in the early 2000's. Even back then he would bring down some tasty little bits of kit to the sessions (the beginning of the collection). He used to be a rock guy, now he's more of an electro guy which might explain the change of plans.

[gregwalker]

Sheesh yes,

add my name to the buying cartel if there is one.

cheers,
Greg J. Walker