one of a kind custom Gates + Collins pair of analog recording and mixing console - vintage analog summing!

Selling our one-of-a-kind, custom 16 channel vintage analog recording studio recording/mixing/tracking console/sidecar as is. Totally complete, needs little to get going! Powers up fine. Imagine tracking a full band or summing a mix on this beast! All offers will be considered. Trades of any kind are welcome. Pickup in northern NJ 15-20 minutes from Manhattan at JML Studios. Pickup preferred but shipping is available (pls note to shipping customers: items sold as is).

What it is:
A totally unique setup, two fantastic analog consoles stacked to make one killer 16 channel mixing and recording desk with routing, monitor control and terminal strip (barrier strip) connectivity. Will be pretty easy to pigtail XLR’s or install direct outs if desired. Xlr direct out can be very easily wired right iff the terminal strip. They are both functioning but as vintage consoles go, they may need some recapping here or there as neither have been used in a few years. One of them was recently decommissioned so knowledge of electronics or tech involvement will be required to get them 100%. All in all they’re in great condition and have all their original parts intact with no parts missing so will be straight forward for any tech worth their salt.

- The first console is an incredibly rare, vintage analog Gates Yard II console.
- The second console is an analog Collins 212V-1 mixing console with 4 preamp cards, discrete preamps and transformer balanced channel outputs!

Both have highly desirable rotary Daven potentiometers for faders. The outputs were originally hardwired terminal / barrier strips, as all the old broadcast mixers were in the day, for permanent installation. Surprisingly, the channels have busses and routing not seen in other models of this era.

Console Stand of your choice:

Comes with Black console stand as shown. I have a second identical console stand if desired if you’d like to use them separately or side by side. These guys are huge and heavy so shipping will be 350 flat to internal US 50 states only. FYI- These are massive and very heavy so boxes will be large and heavy (and expensive to ship. Pickup is preferred but not necessary).

If you’ve ever worked with an old RCA Type board you know why these old units are so desirable. Even ribbon mics have left over gain to spare.

This unique console setup is an intuitive combination of two vintage 8 channel analog consoles. Since they are partly passive, they are great for summing as well as tracking. The Collins has a surprisingly robust routing system. The Gates is a popular model from the 50's (built between the Duralux and Producer series) that is known for being a console that needs almost no maintenance and built like a tank for 24/7 broadcast use. The build quality is incredible. They were built to take a hell of a beating, and still stay in spec within the studio. Back in those days, the FCC was overly strict about stations passing an actual “proof-of-performance test" every month, so consoles made during that time were overbuilt and engineered to be fail-proof to that end. The insides of both consoles are extremely clean. Coming from an era where everyone smoke and drank in the studio, these two were clearly babied and show no signs of internal stress or corrosion. They are a time capsule compared to others out there. Pcb’s show no oxidation or issues at all. They have averaged 3 to 4k each recently and none were in this good of condition.

Overseas policy: International purchases are subject to possible customs fees and taxes. Extra insurance is highly recommended, international buyers should reach out to me prior to purchasing to arrange extra insurance. All international sales are final, no returns.

check out all my other crazy gear. Open to trades - thanks for looking!