Conceived in meetings between Abbey Road engineers and EMI’s Central Research Laboratories (CRL) team in 1967, the EMI TG12345 (later the Mark I) was a transistor-based recording console built around 12 dual-channel microphone modular ‘cassettes’. The desks featured expanded EQ and – for the first time – a compressor/limiter on every channel. The compressor was originally intended to replicate the Fairchild 660 and RS124 tube devices, but ended up with a sound character of its own. Installed in Abbey Road’s Studio Two in November 1968 and making its debut on an 8-track recording by the Shadows, the desk marked a departure from EMI’s REDD valve consoles.
The Chandler Limited TG Microphone Cassette is a full-featured mixing console channel strip, incorporating elements of the TG12345. Chandler Limited’s TG1 Limiter, TG2 Pre-Amp, and Curve Bender EQ, each a reproduction of the EMI TG sound, have been combined to form the TG Microphone Cassette – the TG12345 reimagined to work in a modern recording studio context.
The preamp section of the TG Microphone Cassette makes use of the Chandler Limited TG2 preamplifier based on the vintage EMI TG12428. The TG2 preamp section includes switchable coarse and variable fine gain adjustment controls for up to +70db overall gain, selectable line DI, 48V phantom power, phase reverse and switchable rumble (low cut) filter. The TG2 preamp section is coupled directly to the Curve Bender equaliser section.
The TG Microphone Cassette’s equaliser section is derived from the expanded Chandler Limited EMI TG12345 Curve Bender EQ. The Curve Bender EQ section provides hi and low shelf, frequency selectable presence, output control and bypass. The Curve Bender EQ section is the second stage of the TG2 preamp section, and the The TG1 Opto Limiter section of the TG Microphone Cassette is patchable apart from the TG preamp and EQ, allowing for independent use of the compressor/limiter on other sources. The TG1 Opto is stereo linkable to a second unit via a standard quarter-inch patch cable. The limiter’s feature-set includes: Hold, Attack, Release, selectable sharp/rounded knee, output or makeup gain and true bypass.
All TG units run off the PSU-1, Chandler Limited power supply, which has an internal switch for setting voltage to 120V or 220V (115V/230V).
