Series 80B Dual Channel

So maybe you can't afford a vintage 32 channel console. Well, these days, you don't really need one. What you do need is one or two great-sounding input channels. The Trident Series 80B is a two-channel rackmountable version of the legendary Series 80B console. It has two independent channels, each with a microphone/line amplifier and four band equalizer, and it faithfully captures the timbre and feel of the legendary console from Trident Studios in England from the early 1970s.

The Series 80B rack unit is derived from the legendary Series 80 Consoles designed by Malcolm in the late 1970's. It incorporates an exact replica of the mic preamp and equaliser design that gave the original console its unique sound. These consoles have been used to record just about every major artist in the past three decades, including Elton John, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder to name but a few. More recently they have been used to record artists such as Radiohead and Pavarotti.

Input section
The input section of the Series 80B rack is designed specifically for professional audio applications. It consists of a very high quality transformer-coupled microphone amplifier and a separate electronically balanced line input amplifier.The microphone amplifier is of a unique design that is able to handle signal levels from -60dBu to as high as +15dBu without the use of a separate pad switch.

Even though such a wide range of signal levels is accommodated, adjustment of the gain is extremely smooth, particularly at high signal levels where other designs tend to have cramped level adjustment at the end of the control.In addition, it exhibits near theoretical minimum noise figures, has an extremely fast transient response and accommodates a wide range of input levels with a frequency response that extends to above 40kHz. Naturally, best results will be achieved using a high quality condenser microphone. The microphone amplifier will however also bring out the best in either a dynamic or ribbon microphone. The combination of high gain with low noise is particularly useful when working with ribbon microphones as most models have an inherently low output level.

Equalizer
The Series 80B rack incorporates a classic four band equaliser which is identical to that employed in the Trident Series 80 console. It consists of frequency-switchable high and low pass shelving sections, coupled with two swept low and high mid range bands and a switchable 50Hz, 12dB per octave filter. Both swept midranges have been carefully chosen for maximum effect on music programme and a good degree of overlap is provided.