The client needed a high headroom 16 input mixer to interface with his 3M M79 2" 16trk.  This was our solution complete with vintage RCA knobs, mute switches, pan switches, an aux send w/Pre, Post, and Off settings.  Very minimal signal path, all passive front end using , carbon comp resistors, super high quality pots and components.  All tube makeup gain stage, point to point wired.  The best of the 1950's meets a bit of 2015.  

Mute switches were a much needed late addition. 

In Session... sounds absolutely awesome.  So happy with the way it came out... and the client is over the moon.

We performed a full restoration akin to a classic automobile on this machine.  An original from about 1960 - as installed in Capitol Studios NYC.  See before photos at the bottom of the series.  She was a mess!

Both serviced and recorded on by the Doctor!

This one is almost original.  Notice the TLE207 opamps - not factory - someone before us installed these without proper compensation.  

Replacement of the capstan upper assembly w/tach wheel.  Commonly needed on older machines with failing rubber.

I love these machines.  We service several in town.  They can run very reliably with some basic service to the power supplies and connectors.

I did a multi-day location recording with this unit on a train!  Incredible sound from a small battery operated package.  I did have to service a connector that was cutting out - very annoying in a live situation.

This machine was a mess.  The client purchased it sight unseen (bad idea), and had another tech working on it for months.  When I was called in it would not record without massive bias noise, the lifters weren't engaging properly, and the heads needed grounding of the cores.  In a couple of weeks, the machine was recording beautifully and operating like it should.

This ATR services modified Ampex is a thing of beauty.  Only a handful were ever made, and I've been lucky enough to service and mix to this machine.  Currently available for selective rentals in the LA area - mixers and mastering engineers may inquire with me via email.

I thought this machine had never been used the first time I saw it.  Cosmetically that's a great thing, but operationally - you never know!  Tape machines are a bit like cars, they need to be driven and serviced regularly.  This machine worked OK some of the time - and really needed a new pinch roller.  We ended up replacing all of the record relays to get her back to solid.

Pretty sure this is the largest 4k ever built.  I've supported this console in 2 different studio installations in LA.  

Troubleshooting the 611 input module with the extender.  

This 32 channel early 70's custom API console was fully recapped by Doctor Bass.  The 515Q input modules are not fun to service.

This vintage radio console was in for a power supply refurbish.  Actually the power supply transformer was completely wrong for the board.  

We've upgraded several of these over the years.  This one got Jensen Transformers added for the direct outputs of each channel.  We were not responsible for the horrible paint job which covered all labelling.  Wow.  

This little Neve needed a power supply and custom enclosure.

This is a great little console.  We have serviced this console over 10 years and 2 owners.  This particular board has very rare 3118 input modules, which have selectable frequencies for the HF and LF sections.  Very cool!

We service this great 40 channel API in Hollywood.  It's hard to see with the giant schematics covering half the modules.  

The great and rare Fairchild 660 comes to the doctor for emergency service.  Out the door in 2 hours running like a dream.

Considered by many the best tube microphone preamp ever made.  I can't afford one so I can only say they sound good when they leave the bench.  

A rare view of the input transformer with the mu shield removed.  The wiring had been damaged at the metal holes and had to be repaired.  

A very rare pair.  I will be posting schematics of these soon.  They are not 500 series compatible, and are nothing like the new API 512C units.  Have both a mic input and line input transformer.  We'll be racking them up some day soon.

Well, we don't know exactly what this unit was for.  Originally came to us as an unbalanced in, balanced out, 3 channel line level preamp.  With about 24dB of gain and an echo send, it didn't do any mixing of the channels.  It's quite possible it was used for 3ch format tape front end duties, or film.  Either way, it's now a Cinemag input transformer equipped mic preamp.  The circuit was quite similar to the Pultec MB1 preamp, so we tweaked it based on that.  Stepped input gain at 1dB steps with ELMA switching - per client request.  We also made the echo switch change the front end tube's cathode resistor for 3 different gain and distortion flavors.  Finished it off with a custom Daven attenuator (yes, 3 channel ganged) and a Gates VU meter bank - all with bypass switches available.  

Sometimes a friend will call with a favor, sometimes it's a really big and heavy favor.  EMT 140

Another favor - I'm not an electronic accordion tech by trade - but here's the IORIO Accorgan.  Needed a new voice to replace a dead one.  Plus a lot of cleaning and TLC.  Worth it??

The rare and fantastic (when working) AKG BX20.  Impossible to find parts for the pickup assembly (I have looked into custom winding them - no luck yet), often these units wind up being used in mono.  This was the case with this sad one.

This Roland SRE-555 tape echo had very badly worn heads - see in the above "before" pics.

Since I owned this unit, I thought I would save the expense of sending all 6 heads out for relapping and try it myself.  The Nortronics manual on relapping is very complete.  I did the procedure in my kitchen sink. See how they turned out below!  Pretty perfect!