Way back when, I always used the mic preamps in the Harrison console. Other than some original rack mounted Neve modules I had,
the Deane Jensen Boulder dual servo mic preamp was the first commercial rack mounted preamp I was aware of.
I bought one and still have it.
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Nice! So those preamps... the Boulders became the Hardy/Jensen twin servo? No wonder there's little information out there... must be exceedingly rare if they were only made for a year or two and likely in very small quantity.
The 1986/87 time frame on those fits right in with the scanned Air Montserrat/Focusrite article. Should get that on dropbox & put up a link... for some point of reference I was in grade school at that point in time. Nintendo & GI Joe... guitar came a wee little bit later & was the gateway to a lifetime of mischief.
What's driving the question is several weeks ago I watched this bit on guitar gear & when/how things appeared on the time line and how that altered things. The first wah pedal etc...
Then I realized that today the outboard mic preamp is a truly ubiquitous piece of equipment. Found everywhere from the most humble bedroom spaces where there might only be 1 or 2 channels to pro shops with dozens of outboard channels. And that wasn't always the case... so when did it start?
From what I gather, probably somewhere between 1986 and 1995 which is when I popped my head into a truly pro studio for the first time? I have old issues of Mix circa 1996/97 and there are plenty of ads for outboard preamps. Manufacturer ads & things like a 4 page B&H spread.
Old stuff RCA/Telefunken/Collins ? - Rightly or wrongly I've always kinda lumped them into the "console chopping" category.
Certainly encountered a lot of it, have owned some as well. First exposure was working as a junior patch monkey & guys would bring things with them... old stuff that you couldn't just walk into Sam Ash or Manny's and buy new. We had things like 1064's & ADM channels at the studio in 1996 but they were obviously old & crusty. I famously passed on buying a set of brown Helios modules for $200 each. Oh well!
BTW - I'm one of the 9 people on the planet who actually like the drawmer 1960. Will gladly take an unloved one off someone's hands & give it a forever home! Obviously no accounting for taste but I've had great luck with 'em especially as an overdub box... like sticking a U87 in the middle of the room and using it for all the random stuff that pops up. Dunno. They pass signal & I'm not offended?
