Can someone explain the Oram, Toft, Trident connection?

[AlanTide]

Which company is more like the original Trident stuff?

[tsd]

there are at probably more than 50 threads about this saga, just jump on the search function. But be careful, this topic is not for the weak stomach!!! many a flame has been thown in that arena

these threads always end up with tears...

[jayfrigo]

A quick history:

Trident was a studio in the UK that built their own console. Malcolm Toft was in charge of this, came up with the concept, layout, did project management, and Barry Porter (RIP) did the electronics (and he also later designed for Calrec). The result of this effort was the A-Range, and still considered by most to be the finest thing Trident ever produced. They then decided to make a separate company out of it called Trident Audio Developments Ltd., again, with Malcolm at the helm. Several A-Range boards were produced, and a few B-Range boards as well.

When the concept for the next console, the TSM, was coming together, this new idea of parametric EQ had been introduced (see George Massenburg and Burgess Macneil), and John Oram was brought in to consult on that, following Malcolm's specifications. When the Series 80 came around, Oram was involved even more heavily, but still not the only technical engineer, and Malcolm was still the idea man and decision maker, doing layout and listening to bread-board mock ups and such, but not doing much in the way of electronic design on paper.

After a while, they both left the company before the later products like the series 90 and Di-an came out. Then Trident folded. After this, John and Malcolm each registered a different version of the Trident name, and this brings us to the current debacle.

This certainly is not a complete history, but it comes from my direct conversations with the three people mentioned above, and other people involved with Trident over the years. Trident was Malcolm's baby, though John certainly made a significant contribution to later consoles. I think both are quite capable of making Series 80 style products (but not necessarily at $3K), though A-Range would be more Malcolm's domain.