Analog Machine

[David Jay]

Hello Daniel,
Thanks for taking time out to answer questions.
I'm hoping you can help solve a little mystery I have:
I recently came across a Stephens 1" 8 track machine that may have belonged to you at one point. The machine was originally sold to Lions Gate Films in Canada but had a "Kingsway Studios" repair tag on it from when it was once in the late John Stephens' shop.
Anyway, if it was indeed once your machine, I'm wondering if you have any recollections as to its sonic attributes versus Studer et al.
I know parts are hard to come by for these Stephens machines but I hear they are worth the trouble...
Thanks in advance,
David.

[Daniel Lanois]

Don't think it was mine. I used a Stephens 24 track on U2's Unforgettable Fire record. The Stephens sounded fantastic and was portable. Transport in one case and electronics in another. People often ask about digital vs. analog. What I like about analog is I can take a sound from a track, treat it with eq and an echo and print that back onto the multitrack without a conversion delay. This is a technique that I use a lot. Digital machines can't do this. Your reprint will be out of phase with the original source.