ATB 16 Analog Mixing Console

The Toft ATB 16 is a small-format analog console, with 16 premium channels and EQ taken directly from the legendary Trident Series 80 recording console. The ATB's EQ section is regarded as one of the best sounding Equalizers on the market today! But that's not the only thing that makes the ATB such an incredible deal. With a Toft ATB console, you're not only inheriting a sonic lineage that spans from Queen to Radiohead, but thanks to the advantages of overseas manufacturing, Toft can offer the ATB at an astoundingly low price while retaining all the quality and sound that Trident is famous for. Otherwise, if manufactured in England, you'd pay anywhere from $25,000 to $35,000 for an ATB console.

The birth of the ATB
Though a few engineers mix entirely in the box (computer), most agree that getting your sound out of the box into an analog system improves sound quality. As a result, a number of manufacturers began to build analog summing mixers for DAWs. And while many sound quite good, they are limited in terms of I/O and routing. With that in mind, Malcolm Toft began to research the concept of building a summing mixer to bring the famous Trident sound to DAW mixing. During the process, Toft realized that the best approach was to simply go back to making consoles the way he used to, but with some added features to accommodate modern recording gear. The result is the ATB console, which combines the best of analog sound with forward-thinking features for use with modern digital audio interfaces.

A master section worthy of high-end consoles
The ATB not only makes an excellent board for traditional tracking and mixing, but analog summing as well. The ATB features everything from the super accurate meters, wide-range of routing capabilities, talkback function, to the eight-bus mixdown section. Only seen in more expensive, high-end recording consoles, the Master section of the console features 8 TRS inputs that allow you to connect the outputs of your 8-channel DAW interface and monitor alongside the ATB's input channels. It also allows you to route them to the first 8 channels of the ATB so you can apply its EQ and any other outboard processing gear should you desire. Or, if you have a 16-channel D-A converter, you can route all channels to the line inputs of the ATB and take advantage of Series 80 EQ and any other outboard processing gear should you desire via its extensive routing capabilities. Best of all, you get 16 EQs that are not "based on" or emulations of "vintage" EQs, but the actual legendary Trident Series 80 EQ, and with no hit on your computer's CPU.

Designed for use in professional studios, the ATB console went through countless grueling tests to meet Toft's detailed standards. For this reason, the ATB console is trusted and used by the some of the best engineers and producers around the world. There is nothing stopping you from tracking a platinum album with the ATB Series Consoles. The ATB 16 comes nothing short of perfect for a pro in need of a high-end console with limited amounts of space.

The TEC Award-nominated ATB 16 is one of the best possible solutions for your studio setup. Whether you are in a project studio, or a major recording facility, it is sure to impress even the most demanding critics. Make no doubt about it, the Toft ATB console is a dream come to life.

The legacy of the Trident Series 80 console

The story of the Trident Series 80 is an interesting one. Initially, Malcolm Toft and Barry Porter designed the Trident A Range console for London's Trident Studios, where David Bowie, Queen, the Beatles, and James Taylor recorded some of their biggest hits (with Toft at the board). The A Range console was also produced for sale. (As anyone with years of platinum records under their belt will tell you, the Trident A range is rock and roll.) Though only 13 were actually built for commercial sale, the A Range spawned an entire generation of consoles, and many hit records were tracked and mixed on its direct descendant, the Trident Series 80. Today, Toft is still building consoles based on the Series 80, including the Series 980, which was used to record the last three Radiohead releases.