It’s true! I get weak in the knees when I think about certain gear. The original Lexicon PCM 42, SPX 990 come to mind as well as the Manley leveling amp, Neve channel strip, Klark Teknik DN360 equalizer, UREI LA-4 compressor/limiter, Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor and the dbx 160, to name a few, but my knees really buckle when I think about the Eventide H3000 Harmonizer or the Lexicon 224 and 480 reverbs. Not the plug-ins, mind you, but the real units with wires, tubes, transistors, knobs and meters — all rack mountable and used to uniquely shape the audio signal in its own inimitable way. Just thinking of the Midas XL3 and XL4 mixing consoles with bantam insert points makes me swoon and visions of the Yamaha PM4000 with its -30dB pad and annoyingly gakky high-end start making my eyes roll back in my head. In regard to speakers, thoughts of the Clair S4s can make beads of sweat pop out on my brow, but then again, the EAW 850 line can also make me tingle in my transcendental gear state.
Being surrounded by racks of gear patched into a huge analog console was an exciting proposition way back when, and pushing the sound through a huge, front-loaded speaker array powered by Crown amplifiers with cooling fans was exhilarating, to say the least. Unfortunately, those days of my misspent youth have passed, and though I may daydream about this gear from a bygone era, I am not advocating for a return to the “good” old days of analog, any more than I am trying to bring back the original 1960s VW bus, 1964 Ford Mustang or the 1940s Cadillac Series 62. Beautiful cars each and all, but impractical as an everyday vehicle and better used for pageantry, film or in a car show. Could I actually drive a 1990s Chevy Impala or Porsche 911 or a 2000 Mercedes Benz 350SL and be happy? Of course, but I would know their limitations compared to a more recent vehicle. The point being is that there comes a time as a gear owner when one has to evaluate their situation and either let go of the old or keep it as a collectable.
eBay or E-waste?
Granted, a lot of the outboard gear mentioned can still be used in studios alongside the analog 2-inch, 24-channel Studer A80, but I’m thinking about practical choices for a live sound company as we slip into the second decade of the 21st century. What can we keep, what can we discard and what makes something vintage, old or antique? Even though the speed of light hasn’t changed and still moves at 186,000 miles per second, time seems to be moving at a more rapid pace than in years gone by. Keeping up with technology in a digital world has become a challenge, as well as a huge expense, and as much as I am emotionally attached to my “classic” gear, the business of concerts and equipment rental demands a practical solution to the changing times. This leaves me in the position where I either sell it, hold on to it for that once-a-year rental or put it in storage and call it a collectable.
Of course, practicality is relative to one’s fiscal and client situation. I do know some smaller companies that still use EAW 850 speakers as their main system as it works for them in regard to their customer’s needs and their financial state of affairs, but I have a different clientele, and these are the companies to whom I sell my old equipment. Staying current with gear is difficult, but for a company that is dealing with major touring bands and artists, it’s imperative to have the latest and greatest. It’s always nice if one can keep their older gear while updating to the newer models, and there’s a good chance that someone, somewhere, at some time may call for it, but the question remains: how long can one take up shelf space for the Lexicon 224 when most calls for an outboard reverb unit specify the Bricasti M7?
Released in 1992, the analog Yamaha PM4000 is an antique piece of the past, but then again, so is the digital PM1D, which was released in 1999. The PM5D, in my estimation, is more vintage than antique since there are, surprisingly, some who still use the console. The Avid VENUE series of consoles was released in 2005, and I would consider The Avid D-Show console an antique with the Profile and SC48 consoles being old and bordering on vintage, although their vintage status could quickly fade into antiquity as the new and improved S6L has now replaced them on the world stage.
There is nothing wrong with old, vintage or antique audio gear, but certain elements — such as consoles, speakers and outboard equipment — become impractical with age, either because the manufacturer is not providing support, size and transport become an issue, or their functionality is outdated.
The Bright Side
Some vintage pieces, such as the Neumann/Telefunken U47 microphone, first released in 1947, are still a much sought-after item for studios — if one can afford it. Telefunken stopped producing the famed VF14 tube in 1963, and while there are usable replacement tubes, obtaining a vintage VF14 tube is an expensive proposition, much like purchasing the U47 mic itself. Alexander Graham bell patented the now-antique first carbon microphone in 1897, and Western Electric released its double-button carbon mics, which were used in radio broadcast in the 1920s. Collectables, yes, but unusable 100 years later.
From the 1970s through the 1990s, the Crown DC300 amplifier could be found in almost every touring rack, but it is now relegated to the vintage/antique equipment section considering the newer and more efficient amps that Crown (and others) are producing. As stated previously, it would be nice to keep every piece of gear for posterity, or that once-in-a-blue-moon request.
As contemporary providers of audio gear, we need to keep in mind our shelf space, finances and customer needs when making decisions regarding our new, old, vintage and antique equipment. If a piece is usable but is not in demand, it’s old. If a unit is old and in demand by a select few, it’s vintage, and if a piece of audio gear has a great look but doesn’t really work or perform in a usable fashion, I would categorize it as antique. All have value but are not equal in the contemporary live sound marketplace.
Contact Baker Lee at blee@fohonline.com.
