Congratulations on your super mediocre audio console. This company never really made any recording consoles. Just radio station & TV station oriented sound boards. Nothing striking about its preamps. Its equalization is equally mediocre. Don't get me wrong. Having a console is better than no console. I hope at least you have documentation? You'll find most ships of the 5534 variety which ain't bad.

Most of the functions internally only need + & -15 volts. But there are a couple of relays within that probably require +24 volts? I've used & worked on a few and while they worked, I was quite underwhelmed. It has everything you want on a console except a particularly good sound.

No wiring harness? Well since its fully patchable, you should have no problems utilizing the mediocre microphone's preamps. In the company once $150 for the manual? Geez. Do they have a downloadable version perhaps in PDF format? You don't need a big looseleaf folder if you can get the PDF version.

To confuse you further, they made a couple of smaller format consoles that word desktop units. Sort of like a large Mackie. But then they also build large frame consoles that would require many people to move it and that's what I believe you have? If it was the smaller board, it would have convenient 1/4" & XLR jacks all over the back. But if you're looking at a series of terminals and/or punch blocks, you've got the TV 600 series in all probability? Yeah, you need lots of wiring & patch bays to get this thing operational. Some of which can be logically figured out, without the manual, if you just look closely at its entry & exit points.

Good luck
Ms. Remy Ann David

Well at least it's super mediocre :? .... I know it's just a broadcast console, but it's considerably better than my previous no-console. I haven't any documentation, thats why I asked wheatsone for a manual. They wanted $150, and I believe that was for the PDF download (a restricted part of their site)

This is a smaller console, in that it only takes two to move. For what it's wortk I can move it by myself if I have to. The channels are just simple preamps, and pre with panning on the stereo units.

I believe that a 500 a is the model # used for this console. They used that model meter bridge and filled it with their 500 series modules.

I was looking for the manual for power requirements, and any info on wiring because I haven't yet been able to figure out the pinout on the modules.....

+ & - 15v does help. Thanks! any idea how much amperage this might draw? hmmm.....

maybie I'd be better off just selling/pitching it, but I did want to see if I could get something usefull from it....

Thanks again for the help.

I've used numerous models of theirs. $150? I'd say go for it. $150 to have a gross of microphone preamps is a bargain! Their old analog consoles are all pretty much the same. You shouldn't have much trouble tracing out a single input Channel. They are fairly straightforward and relatively simple on the inside. I had to completely rebuild/restore one of their smaller desks. About the size of a 32 input Mackie. It was a tabletop unit. Not freestanding. Fairly modular that allowed you to pull out a complete Channel strip. Perhaps you were requesting a hardcopy full-service manual? All the operational manuals are available online for download. If you don't know the model number of your console, that could be a problem. Don't assume that the meter bridge relates to the console model number. It probably doesn't. So it's a bargain if you understand how to deal with a bargain. If you needed a car? Would you purchase a DojoCortina, if it didn't run, there were no people that knew how to work on them & you couldn't figure it out yourself? That's going to sit in your driveway for a long time. Their analog consoles all used 5534 operational amplifiers. Nothing confusing about that. Input son in this 2 & 3. Output on 6. No compensation capacitor between pins 1 & 8. 4, 5 & 7 is +&-15 volts & ground. And that's without looking at any schematic. So from that description, you should have no trouble making it work.

A bargain isn't always a bargain even if it's free. Particularly if you don't understand what you have. Even when you get it working you're going to discover that none of the switches nor any of the potentiometers will work. So we'll have to replace all switches & potentiometers. Don't forget to replace all of the electrolytic capacitors. Don't forget you need a 3 amp 15 old bipolar power supply that's regulated. Don't get an unregulated supply as all you get is noise.

Once you've learned one console, you'll pretty much know them all. It's just how much other stuff you want that increases the confusion & complexity. Be thankful it's not an SSL.

$150 is a bargain. Buy it.
Ms. Remy Ann David

I too just purchased one of these sans power supply (there is a power supply available from Wheatstone for $700) and they offered to sell me the manual for $150 (except that as RemyRAD pointed out all their other consoles have their manuals on line in PDF Format) The one I got belonged to the VOA at one time and was in terrible condition. It looked as though someone had dropped the console at one time (metal side panels all bent out of shape), the plastic overlay for the meter bridge was broken in the middle, the wood in the front of the console was gouged and some of the panels were scratched and one module was missing completely. I did get 5 good SIFRAM VU meters, a working clock and timer, a lot of good P&G stereo faders plus a whole lot of 5534 opamps. I basically scrapped out the console for parts. Too bad it looked like it was well made and probably served the VOA well for years. There was a sticker on the front of the console and said the acquisition cost was $21,000. When I called the people at Wheatstone they could not have been nicer and really really helpful.

I know that Wheatstone made some amazing broadcast and recording consoles and I have seen some of their custom equipment and it is all very well made and very clean sounding. You will probably have to do a RemyRAD suggested and take a close look at the switches, controls and the caps if you want to use the console for anything important.

Best of luck!

Yeah, I used a TV 600 which is similar to the TV 80 consoles at VOA when I was there three years ago. But then they also have some Sound Craft's & a Mackie. They had a digital Wheatstone, D-9 that sat in a closet for a couple of years. Like I said they worked but it had no other redeeming qualities to it. Nothing I'd even walk across the street for. This is in a large contrast to the multiple Neve's, API's & analog & digital SSL's I used at NBC. But even that bar has been lowered over there too. The full-blown Neve I acquired from them was replaced with a Sound Craft PA board of a lower denomination. Much lower. So they went from an $85,000 console, to a $2000 console. I don't think you can call that progress? I mean hey, it's only for talking heads and I'm not talking David Byrne I'm talking John McLaughlin who doesn't play guitar. WRONG! So it's the other John McLaughlin.

Talking heads scream too
Ms. Remy Ann David

Sorry, I've been gone all weekend.... long story there...

Thanks, I think I've got all of the info i need to get this up and running. I'll have to contact wheatstone again, I must have spoken to someone having a bad day. They told me pretty flat out that either way it was $150 digital or hardcopy.....I don't think I'll really need it now, but it can't hurt.

Oh, I don't mind how much work it is, I'd be happy if it was a SSL! :lol:

Thanks again.

Hey stomp, i work in radio and we just decomissioned two of these boards (into my custody lol) i have a call into Wheatstone and am seeing if they will e-mail me a pdf of the manual (shouldin't be a big deal we just spent $200000 with them last mo) if he can't i'll scann my copy and send it to you hopefully i'll here from him in a day or to they are rock solid consoles myne are from 1989 and are darn near industructable, i would buy the power supply if you want to make it work (most of the parts for the console are not in production anymore so what they have is it) also if you are going to part it out i want some of the "on and off" switches for my boards to replace some bad one's i have

I have two Wheatstone / Audioarts 8X recording Consoles. One is a 24ch and the other is a 16ch with both being 8 Bus and inline. These were recommended to me by a member of the editoral staff of TapeOp magazine. I have not put them into service as I am just building the studio. See my web site. Does anyone here have experience or opinions on these boards? Also, these did not come with a manual so any resources or help would be appreciated. A manual would be nice for which I will pay.
Thanks to all
Dennis

I have a copy of manual for reference

I'm Chief Engineer at a radio station that currently has one of these boards in stock, complete with manual. Contact me if you'd like me to check any particular information in it. It's a large spiral bound notebook with many fold-out blue prints, so I can't copy it for you. Sorry.

-John Schwenk johnschwenk AT juno [DOT] com

Regarding the P&G faders -
I am the exclusive P&G distributor for North America. If you need parts or the P&G silicone oil for lubing your faders, give me a shout.
dmanquen@msn.com