the MIX magazine July issue

Studio Sound review Sound on Sound review

www.themix.net



HIGHLIGHTS

The original Trident Series 80 console was introduced back in 1975 in response to the need for a 'rock'n'roll' desk: plenty of effects sends and an EQ that was radically creative rather than just correctional was what was called for.....John who has resurrected faithfully reproduced a pair of the original Series 80 channel strips, packing them into a very handy unit for producers to carry around with them.
What's all the fuss about the Series 80? Well for a period of seven or eight years it reigned supreme as the console all pro studios should have.... A lot of the mega-selling ablums of the '70's were recorded on it, including those by artists such as Elton John, Queen, Genesis, David Bowie, T Rex and Bob Marley.
What people liked about the desk then was its sonic character and very musical EQ.....

In use
For this review the S80 was A/B-ed with a later Trident Tri-mix module which is identical to the Series 80 except for a slight alteration of the shelf frequencies of the top and bottom bands... The comparison is a good one though, and on first listen they appeared identical and the EQ switched out, they undoubtedly were.
Plug anything into it and, just like the old Neve desk, you immediately feel good about the sound without having to resort to forced enhancements....

Verdict
..Combine the S80 with a good microphone or two and a Pro Tools rig and you can just about set up anywhere and record to master quality. If you're an engineer who used to work on the Series 80 desk you might well want to re-visit that experience. If you're a fresher, you'll probably wonder what all the fuss was about until you sit it beside the input of your modern desk for comparison.

Words: Tim Oliver, images: Gavin Roberts