The Sound Techniques Console.
Big Knobs and Levers!
Cave was a Retro Studio... not because of any intention to be so, but because we had no money. The only equipment that we could afford was anything that was being thrown out or sold off cheap. Fortunately, Andy was able to repair most things, and as the studio came together we discovered how good all this old gear sounded. Our first desk was an ancient Sound Techniques dubbing console that was used on the Beatles film "Magical Mystery Tour" and needed a complete rebuild. The tape recorder was an old one inch eight track made by Klark Technik and again, needed a complete rebuild.
The Sound Techniques Console.
Big Knobs and Levers!
The Klark Technik 1 inch 8 track
Andy at the desk (with 70's perm), Bill (with beard) and friend
singing.
The newly installed Helios. (Photo by Tom Gage.)
As time went by, the studio started to gain quite a reputation and sounded so different to the 80's SSL sound that prevailed. We stuck to our conviction and continued down the retro route adding more old gear as it became available. The studio was upgraded to 24 track in 1983 with a "new" old Helios desk formally owned by The Who, and was again, totally rebuilt by Andy.
Andy with the 3M's M79 24 track.
We scraped up a staggering £12,000 for it back then!
You'd only pay £100's for them now!
Andy and Gerry O'Riordan who joined us in 1983.
He can be found at the Snake Ranch in London
and is a highly respected engineer.
The Cave was a very busy studio right up to the end in 1985 when it was forced to close due to a planning dispute. Andy decided to re-open a new studio which became the Coach House Studios in 1989. All of the old and interesting gear that we had at the Cave came to the new studio along with a very extensive stock of old microphones and valve outboard. The old Helios was sold to Tony Larking. Does anyone out there know where it is now? Likewise the old Sound Techniques desk which was sold to a buyer from Wiltshire. Is it still out there? We would love to know!
During the Cave days we also operated a small record label called "Caveman Records". This enabled unsigned bands to put out vinyl singles instead of cassettes. They acted as an upmarket demo and gave the bands a product they could sell at gigs and in local record shops. Keep a lookout for any old Caveman Records pressings. They are now changing hands amongst collectors for £60 each! If only we had known!
And is it any wonder that today's musicians now value so highly the old gear that was being junked back in 1979? Some of the old Cave masters demos are to this day are still in manufacture as they captured a musical era whose sound is yet to be bettered!
The Cave marketed itself largely by reputation, but we did run the odd advert in the local gig guide:
Drawn by Ruben Archer
We became quite fond of Rocky, but he was killed off because he was deemed too sexist!
And then it was the end. The studio had to go and so did the beards!
Well, as it turned out, Bill still has his beard.
And the story was only just beginning!