StudioMaster channel preamps

[RumbleBot]

I got this old StudioMaster 6-2-1 board off of Reverb recently and finally got around to servicing it. It has some issues and isn't my only StudioMaster board. I actually mix with a 16 channel board with another fully working instance of this 6-2-1 board as my drum sub-mix board, and they're both phenomenal. So warm and punchy.
I managed to grab this second 6 channel mixer as a parts board, but was able to repair five of the six channels. Since the board has handy 1/4" effect send jacks, I can effectively use the board as mic preamps, and I couldn't be happier. Especially since I have exactly five unused line inputs on the recording unit at my rehearsal studio.
This will bring me up to 14 live tracks, five of which will be going through these sweet 1982-1983 era British preamps. Probably going to use three for drums, definitely the kick and snare drums to warm them up and maybe a center overhead, and two for the guitar mics.
Anybody else out there using StudioMaster boards for tracking/mixing?

 

[Bonafide]

Congrats man. I rocked one years ago (6-2-1). If you dig what it does for your sound, and if you have the room, your winning. The Studiomaster boards have been discussed for a couple decades on the boards. Some cool mods available. Love/Hate - Pre/Post ROSS - colored and warm/dirty and noisy - interesting EQ/no flexibility - all depends on who you ask. Personally I have been through several 70's vintage boards and my last vintage Yamaha I had to sell 3 years ago, it was just too bulky for my small space and not enough I/O sends etc... but it had transformers on every channel. I completely took it apart and serviced it myself for the experience. I ran my studio through it. Rocked a Tascam 308-B up until till last year also but that was strictly to pair with a Tascam 44

I ended up with 2 vintage Yamaha PM1000 (Japanese Neve) reccapped channels reracked by gruning with original Tamura I/O transformers. I enjoy them often. Not much headroom, but that's not the flavor I use them for. It was specifically identifiable era for analog channels and I love having some of that available. It would be a cool project to take 2 StudioMaster channels and rack it. No time, but I love the thought.

 

[DirtDog]

A buddy of mine lent me his StudioMaster 16-4-2 many moons ago. I recorded onto a pair of Alesis ADATs. Using that board really up my game in terms of learning how mixers work, routing options, using inserts etc. I still have some recordings around here somewhere.

I still have the board but don’t use it anymore. Seems that this loan was of the type: “this is taking up valuable room in my studio but I can’t bear to sell it, so why don’t you hang onto it for a while”. Getting new ADAT tapes was getting difficult and expensive. But the whole “hands on” aspect of using a mixer like the StudioMaster is hard to replicate.

But even so that was the end of my phase with analog mixers and using a ton of outboard gear. I’ve spent the last few years refining my computer based system.

I still have that board - wrapped in plastic and stored in a safe place - for when my buddy wants it back. I kind of think he’s forgotten about it, like I have.