Chicago VI Console

[BatMeckley]

just saw them play at the greek with America a few saturdays ago... UNREAL musicianship.

mindblowing. so many hits they had to resort to medleys in a 2 hour set. i forgot they did half of them.

one of the better shows i've seen in the last 5 years. if you guys get the chance...

mB

[emkay]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

Console preamps.

None of these favorite sounding records used outboard preamps, just the one's that came with the console they booked with the studio.

So what's the difference between today's "sound" and these well recorded classics

Look on the other side of the glass, it's what's in front of the mic, not what happens behind it.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

+1!

[studio1117]

Yeah, I'm not saying it has to be "see Tip run" type stuff. I'm just saying hey if it's pop music...be pop. If it's Zappa..be Zappa. I just don't like that modern radio etc plays so much long winded self important crap. But hey that's what makes it art I guess everybody has there own taste..I guess mine just aren't in vogue right now.

[analogtodd]

Yeah, I've got a bunch of pics... I'll post a couple. Now, after thinking about it, I seem to remember someone telling me that in between the Oliver and the Neve, Caribou had an MCI for a short period of time...

Am I insane or do I just have MCI on the brain??

[analogtodd]

So heres the Neve from Caribou...

[analogtodd]

Heres a bad pic of the later Neve that replaced the first Neve. This is the console that had the pool table land on top of it and render it worthless.....

Ohhh and a pic of someone who just can't seem to stay out of frame while I'm taking a pic... I call him Fruity McGee

[firby]

You HAVE to tell the story of the pool table and the Neve....


Spill it !

[Jim Williams]

It was the famous fire that caused the top floor to collapse.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[midigod]

Originally Posted by firby

You HAVE to tell the story of the pool table and the Neve....


Spill it !

The fire caused the floor of the lounge to weaken, thus dropping the pool table into the control room below, cutting the Neve in half. A different Neve was donated to The University of Colorado at Denver, and twenty years later, is now in the process of being sold. There's some animosity regarding this sale, as well as the fact that a bunch of killer Caribou gear, including multiple Ampex tape machines, has slowly "disappeared" over the years from storage at the University.

The Olive did get used for almost a year before being replaced. I do not believe there was ever an MCI at Caribou. Though a number of albums were recorded on it, there's some doubt as to which they actually were. Chicago VI is the only definite so far, and a possibility is April Wine's "April Wine" album. If people have additional info, it would be appreciated.

Also, if anyone wants to record through the Olive, it is up and running. Just let me know.

PME Records - The Olive 2000 Console

Craig

[analogtodd]

Somewhere I've got a client list that has pretty much everything recorded up to about 81 or so at Caribou...

Who is buying the Neve out of the college?

[analogtodd]

Well Bill Szymczyk sez there was an MCI...
I heard the MCI story from someone else and I'm racking my brain to remember who told me!!
I really wish we had a simple spreadsheet with what console was at what time instead of having to rely on peoples memories!!!!


"So I drove over to Guercio's ranch," Szymczyk says. "It had a huge barn with the interior about two-thirds done, but very little gear. We talked and he said he was going to Hollywood to make a movie, Electraglide In Blue, with Robert Redford. He was originally the producer but he fired the director and was going to direct it himself, so he would be gone for a while. He had ordered an MCI 4-Series console and it was installed but the building had no plumbing and the main floor still had a dirt floor and horse stalls. But upstairs where the studio was was carpeted and it had a nice new grand piano. We could make it work." Thus, Szymczyk christened what would be dubbed the Caribou Ranch with Walsh's Barnstorm LP followed by Rick Derringer's All American Boy and the single 'Rock & Roll, Hoochie Koo'. (Szymczyk had met Derringer when the former was the engineer on Edgar Winter's famous instrumental 'Frankenstein'.)

[midigod]

Originally Posted by monkeyt

Somewhere I've got a client list that has pretty much everything recorded up to about 81 or so at Caribou...

Who is buying the Neve out of the college?

I've got that client list too, but as you said, it would have been handy to have a spreadsheet.

I'm not aware of a buyer as of yet, but their plan is to list it with a broker. I *think* it was Sonic Circus.... I'm also not sure if that's been done yet. The real shame would be if someone decides to strip it for the modules, though to be honest, it's not so useful in its current configuration for today's studio stylings.

<i>edit - I've just confirmed that Szymczyk may have brought his own MCI console up there (I'm not sure) to do the Walsh thing, but Jim Guercio never had an MCI there. There may actually be a chance the Olive did the Walsh record. I'll try to confirm that here pretty quick.</i>

Craig

[mikey]

''Look on the other side of the glass, it's what's in front of the mic, not what happens behind it''
There you go again Jim Williams blaming the talent for the sound.
If thats the case why are all the top pros using names like Neve, API ,Nuemann
AKG ect; instead of Radio Shack gear?...Of couse it all comes down to talent and practice .But if we want to improve sound quality and get a pro sound we need good top notch eqipment or it will never get better in tone quality.Look at yourself upgrading lower end equipment to sound better and richer..Don't tell me i need to practice more i know that ..

[studio1117]

I tried to buy that console from ROY PRITTS when he was still alive. There was a big way we had to do it. Like I had to donate a bunch of stuff to the college and they had to basically dispose of the console to me. Last time Todd and I were there, they still had tons of caribou stuff including mics, gates, tape machines (several mm1200's mm1100) 2 EMT 140's an AKG BX20 etc etc etc.
The console is totally useable in its config, it's the modern groups that aren't useable. (duh I need 96 tracks etc.) screw it, lets all just face it, music was better when it was under 24 tracks. All the great albums...think about it...were done on 24 or less. (don't start mentioning crap like "thriller") think more along the lines of Dark Side of the Moon etc. I d really don't record bands at my place that can't do 24 tracks and under...maybe some track bouncing etc...but no mixing more than 24. Course I'm not recording orchestras and movie soundtracks.

[Jim Williams]

The Tony Williams Lifetime album recorded at Caribou with Alan Holdsworth was quite a record!

Yes, it really does come down to the talent. Much more important than the gear.

If you don't believe me, listen to "Mr. Spock".

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[midigod]

Hi Aaron-

Yes, that was Roy's favorite method of getting rid of older gear for a lot of the time he was at UCD. But now that he's not in charge, the wheels roll on. And RIP, Roy Pritts. He always cared more about audio quality than university politics.

Perhaps I should rephrase my comment about the Neve format. How about this: Regardless of the commercial and artistic successes recorded on it (and countless like it), its configuration is not one that's properly recognized by many modern studios, so there's a likelihood that whomever buys it will end up stripping it and repackaging the modules.

Craig

[studio1117]

Hence why that danged school should keep it. Yeah, I know it's not the "ssl" the kids will probably never work on..but hey. They have all of those media type studios there, that's more like what the kids will end up doing.
I say keep the room. They have the makings of a mondo analog setup, let that be the "if you're lucky...someday you'll work at a real studio using this type of stuff working with cool hip artist."

[Drumsound]

Hey midigod and monkeyt,

Thanks for the stories about Caribu. The early Chicago records are so inbedded into my brain (esp the first 2) because my folks were huge fans. I can pretty much credit Chaicgo for me being a musician.

Did either you you work there? Do you have other stories to tell?

[analogtodd]

Work there???
nah... hell man I was born in '73!!!

Its just been a particular interest of mine because of the proximity. I've met some people who worked at Caribou at different times, etc etc...

I still find it interesting there is such a lack of information about studios. Or more-so the outright MIS-INFORMATION... I've had several bands come to me and tell me they've recorded at the Auroria Campus where the Neve console The Beatles used now resides....

Seriously, the last time was no less than six months ago!!!

[midigod]

I didn't work there, but was introduced to Jim Guercio by Roy Pritts about twenty-five years ago, just after the fire and donation of gear. I spent a few years trying to get the Olive to work, and eventually turned the task over to Clark Hagan, who was able to complete the job. Clark knows a lot of Caribou info, and he still talks to Jim quite a bit.

I do actually have a number of great stories, but most of them can't be told in public because I've been threatened with legal action. (yes, really.)

Craig