[BC] Rotary Fader Boards

[Scott Bailey]

From: Andy Soule <andysoule at gmail.com>
 
> Scott, I used to use an 8 channel autogram (with the Collins logo). But it only 
>had one bus. It really worked well in a high rf field.  It was still about twice 
>as wide as your BE.  

You Know Andy, there is only one company that will still builds a rotary fader 
console, and that Sandies.  I don't think Dave at Sandies gets many request for 
them, so the price is high. We did have an 8 Channel Slide Fader Dynamax Console 
for a long time, we bought it from LPB to replace a wore out Autogram. 

This was back when my Dad was alive and he talked me into it. He thought it was 
a big deal for the station to have a slide fader board, but he didn't never ran 
the board, I did. Heck, my Dad was never on the air but 1 time that I could 
think of when we owned the station together. No, I'm not ungrateful for what my 
Dad did for me, but I sort of kept it to myself that I like the rotary 
fader consoles than slide faders. The Dynamax Board was good, but I hate a storm 
killed it.

After the Dynamax/LPB Console died, and we turn it over to insurance, the 
insurace comapny and a broadcast vendor talked me in to that big 
Wheatstone/Audioarts R 55E.  We got it a couple of years before Dad passed 
away. At that point, I think he could tell he knew I hated that R 55E and it was 
talking up to much counter space. Dad and I talked about doing some rearranging 
of the studio because of the R 55E was so big, but he passed away before we got 
to do that.

After Dad passed away in early 2007, I Iooked at my wife, Leslie, and I told her 
this big "recording studio looking" console has got to go! I had full control of 
the business end and the engineering end too, so we Leslie and I sold the R 55E 
Big Console, paid some of the station's bills, and got that BE Console we have 
on the air now. For a small "stand alone" AM Station, it close to perfect for 
me. The only other board I like was the Autogram (IC-6). It has those big 'Real 
Radio" meters!  

These days, for a little station like mine, it doesn't need no Wheatstone, PR&E, 
or big Arrakis Board. We were looking into the Arrakis ARC-8, but I back away 
from it, not because of what it is, it was just my heart not really wanting a 
slide fader console. It's looks nice and all, but it just doesn't scream "Local 
Radio". Nobody builds consoles like they once did.

I agree with Rick Dees 100%, Rotary Faders are better than Slide Fader Boards. 
It gives me that feel or "Local AM Radio"!
 Scott Bailey
WMRO-AM, Gallatin, TN