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[duane massey]

Idle curiosity: when did sliders become commonplace in live mixing consoles?

[Landon Lewsaw]

Funny that came up on a podcast I was listening to today.  The guy being interviewed from Silverfish Audio said they had Ashly consoles (who knew?) in '79 that had 100mm faders and that was a pretty new thing.

[Mac Kerr]

Funny that came up on a podcast I was listening to today.  The guy being interviewed from Silverfish Audio said they had Ashly consoles (who knew?) in '79 that had 100mm faders and that was a pretty new thing.

Not that new. I remember Pete Erskine and I max'ing out all our credit cards at Manny's Music on 48th St to buy a couple of PM1000 consoles in '76. We used them on the Chrysler new car launch that summer. The PM1000 was not the first console with linear faders, certainly Stephenson and others predate them.

Mac

[Chris Hindle]

Not that new. I remember Pete Erskine and I max'ing out all our credit cards at Manny's Music on 48th St to buy a couple of PM1000 consoles in '76. We used them on the Chrysler new car launch that summer. The PM1000 was not the first console with linear faders, certainly Stephenson and others predate them.

Mac

I remember mixing on a Soundcraft Series one. Wasn't that born around 1974?
It was the first mixer I used with faders.
At the time I had a Yamaha EM-35(?), 6 channel with rotary pots.
Chris.

[MikeHarris]

Mom's Wholesome Audio used Duncan slide faders...Stevenson Interface..one or two Gately mixers.

[Ike Zimbel]

Not that new. I remember Pete Erskine and I max'ing out all our credit cards at Manny's Music on 48th St to buy a couple of PM1000 consoles in '76. We used them on the Chrysler new car launch that summer. The PM1000 was not the first console with linear faders, certainly Stephenson and others predate them.

Mac

This is a quibble, but the PM-1000 (also the first console I used with sliders, ca. 1978) actually has a very clever arrangement of a rotary pot controlled by the slider mechanism. IIRC, there's a gear on the pot shaft and a toothed belt that is connected to the slider.

[Mac Kerr]

This is a quibble, but the PM-1000 (also the first console I used with sliders, ca. 1978) actually has a very clever arrangement of a rotary pot controlled by the slider mechanism. IIRC, there's a gear on the pot shaft and a toothed belt that is connected to the slider.

Yes, there were a few consoles of that era that used belt driven rotary pots controlled by a slider. Quality rotary pots were easier to source (and cheaper) than the same quality in a linear pot. Penny & Giles were the high priced spread of the day.

Mac

[John Roberts {JR}]

Yes, there were a few consoles of that era that used belt driven rotary pots controlled by a slider. Quality rotary pots were easier to source (and cheaper) than the same quality in a linear pot. Penny & Giles were the high priced spread of the day.

Mac

Yup, IIRC P&Gs were like $20 each back in the 70s, modern slide pots are more like $0.20....

Those old rotary pots were hermetically sealed and robust, modern sliders and rotaries have both gotten cheaper.

JR

[Ivan Beaver]

Yes, there were a few consoles of that era that used belt driven rotary pots controlled by a slider. Quality rotary pots were easier to source (and cheaper) than the same quality in a linear pot. Penny & Giles were the high priced spread of the day.

Mac

My first half decent console was a Biamp 2442.  I replaced all of the faders with P&G.  They were MUCH better than the stock faders.

[Steve-White]

My first half decent console was a Biamp 2442.  I replaced all of the faders with P&G.  They were MUCH better than the stock faders.

My early career was on a Biamp 2442.  First console was an EV Tapco C-12.  I don't know where they are today with regard to dust and dirt in linear pots - in the early days that was the difficult part in manufacture - keeping the dirt out.

[ProSoundWeb Community]