The build is now under way at Sandpit following a few weeks of prep (see previous post). Though some gear has gone to temporary accommodation and a basic rig is sat under the stairs at my house, including the 25kg-a-piece Event Opal monitors which may have rattled window frames a few streets away when I made a batch of bass samples at home!

The first major construction job has been the control room outer stud frame, which has meant filling the limited floor space of the studio with a not inconsiderable pile of timber, seen here accompanied by Roger and Brian who are voluntarily sharing construction duties…fools.

In the mean time I have taken delivery of these two shiny new Carnhill transformers (VTB2281s) which will serve as the output bridge from the JFET992 based mix-buss amplifiers in the 70s Midas PR mixing console mentioned in previous entries. Can’t wait to wire ’em up and hear how they fit in. Having chosen the final modifications for the input and group channels there now remains the not-insignificant task of cleaning/lubing old pots and faders, cleaning some switches, recapping and making a few other circuit adjustments. The main monitor section has been designed and now requires final component selection and layout (buffers, multi-gang rotary switches, stepped attenuators, etc.) – this is obsessive’s heaven.