[BC] Man, This is really Old Gear Week!

[Alan Peterson]

I must be turning into some sort of magnet for old consoles and parts. The other day, it was an LPB S-14 console, now I have been "gifted" with a box of circuit cards and other parts removed from a long-retired Ward Beck mixer; I'm guessing first put into service around the late 70s to early 80s.

If nothing else, it gives me one last look at the way bulletproof analog consoles came together back in the day. Man, talk about overdesign where it was needed and appreciated...

One curiosity: This particular mixer made extensive use of the LM201N uncompensated op-amp on a lot of its input channel strips. Given the stability and availability of chips like the TL072 (which I found in great abundance when harvesting a burned out cart deck), this seems an interesting design choice. Anyone know why this was such a favorite component in WBS design philosophy?

-AP