This is one of the most bizarre and unique studio
shots you'll ever see. The console is the Focusrite Forte #002 in
Electric Lady Studio A. The Focusrite has hinges at the back so that
it can be tilted for service (it takes 5 or 6 guys to lift it). The
bearded one is Dave Summers. The ghost hovering behind the console is
Hutch. ELS hired Dave for a few months from the UK to help commision
the console after the original Focusrite company went bancrupt.
During this install, Hutch was chief engineer for Focusrite USA, a
freelancer working for ELS, and a shared employee of the present
Focusrite and ELS. The photo was taken in '83 by the Chief of
Maintenance for ELS at that time, Dennis Alichwer (now at Fantasy
Studios in San Francisco). He gave it to Hutch in 97 and said the
ghost of Hutch is still in that room. Well, maybe the ghost of Jimi,
but that's another story.
The console was a frame & 4 modules when the company went bankrupt. It was a unique prototype. 4 more modules arrived a few
days later. Hal and Eli Selby flew to England, hired the ex-Focusrite
staff, and had them complete whatever modules they could, tested or
not. The commisioning took six months but there was a lot of
re-design, and mods and repairs needed. It had never been tested. We
had to create our own power supplies and distribution, circuit
boards, and a forced air system. This big boy has 4 X 35A/7V and 8 X
15A/16V supplies just for the modules and it draws about 80 amps from
the wall. There are a few hundred relays and leds in every channel.
This baby probably holds the record for sheer parts count, complexity
(and heat). It sounds damn good too.
The present incarnation of Focusrite built about 8 more legendary
consoles but they were scaled down (about 50%) to something a bit
more practical to build and maintain.
The speakers are the Westlake 4 way system powered by Crown
DC300s. A few months later they were replaced with the Augsperger/TAD
2 way system and two pairs of Manley 350 watt
amps. NYC was never
known for great monitors before this.
Dennis moved out west, Hutch became Chief once again and was lucky
to have a great staff, and in '94 moved to California to design at
Manley Labs. In 2008 Hutch went to work for Rupert Neve at Rupert Neve Designs.
Hutch has gone full circle.
Back to
Hutch's Bio
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