After settling in to an upward trend in studio business, I started to think about what would give the studio an edge. The C7 was a good start, but nobody in the area had a good analog console. I started researching the classic boards, like Neve, API, Studer, Sony/MCI. But what was a Cadac?
Clive Green started Cadac in 1968 in the UK. Although they did build studio consoles, they are best known for theater sound and have done long runs on shows such as The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Jersey Boys, Mama Mia, and countless others on Broadway as well as in London's West End. Andrew Lloyd Webber had a long relationship with Cadac, and his desire for studio quality sound on his live productions helped give rise to the console I ended up with; the "J-Type." The more I read about this console, the more interested I became, especially after chatting with others on certain pro audio blogs who have actually used these boards. Through the blogs I met a gentleman who had one in his studio, and informed me he could "put one together" for me. I was interested.
I gassed up my Subaru and made the trip. What I saw and heard was an extremely clean console, with a great preamp, excellent British EQ, and a clean signal path. This thing was heavy and built like a tank. The two rack-mounted power supplies were in the next room with very noisy fans. We pulled a module and I saw no expenses were spared. Lots of gold contacts, Vishay pots, P&G faders, tantalum capacitors; all good stuff. The copper traces were heavy. The circuit boards were green glass epoxy. The frame was very heavy steel. When I was quoted a price, I was sold on the spot. I was promised delivery of a 48-frame in two months, including one day of initial setup.
I went home and put my Digidesign Control 24 on eBay.
A few weeks later I got a call from the seller and he told me he found a 52-slot J-Type (instead of the 48) for the same price and delivery time. Fine with me. A few days later the phone rang again and I was informed a 52-frame was available for the same price, and would I mind adding two more stereo inputs to the proposed three stereo inputs. No brainer there.
