My name is Andrew Murdock, and it was my decision to part out the Wally Heider Studio 4 console. This was a hard decision, one I agonized over for years. I am sure for some, this was an unpopular decision, but I would like to tell my story with the console, and why I came to do this.
In 2003, my business partner Scott Gilman and I bought a building in Highland Park and started construction on The Hobby Shop Studios. We spent a year in construction, and opened for business in 2005.
During the construction, I met Michael Patterson, and learned he owned a console that needed a home. This was my introduction to the Demidio API built for WHR Studio 4. The console was in storage in North Hollywood, in two pieces. We agreed to install the console in my room, with Michael retaining ownership. (I later purchased the console from him.)
After moving the console in, the trauma of being chopped in half became more evident. Literally, over 1000 wires had been cut with no documentation. Michael and I spent close to 20K with technicians working on the console, and we were never able to make it 100%. The jukebox, mono mixers and master section were never functional in my time with the console. Nevertheless, what did work sounded amazing, and I was happy to use it in this state and feel close to a part of rock history.
During this repair process, we contacted Frank Demedio, who built the console, and he came down to see it. After looking at what happened to it, he advised us to walk away from it. Now I understand why. Over the years, small problems began cropping up, and repairing them proved impossible. Fix one thing, and two others would break. More and more I found my work flow hampered by technical issues. Then grounding problems began to appear, and really I felt something had to give.
I started thinking about ways to solve the issues with the console, and I kept coming to the same answer: a complete re-wiring was needed. The issues involved in accomplishing that were daunting, ie:
Moving the console (removing doors and door frames, etc.)
Finding a place to set it up for rewiring
Hiring a designer to rebuild sections no longer there
Replacing switches and relays no longer made
Finding time to do all this while raising a son and producing music
Financing this- 40 to 60K was my best guess, and totally out of the question for me.
At about this time I discovered a new product that excited me very much: the Tree Audio 500 series console. I started entertaining the idea of simply putting the preamps and EQs from the Dimidio API into a new frame. The thing that really clinched it was how close the architecture of the two consoles were. Steve Firlotte from Tree Audio has a long history of console design, and his design felt immediately familiar to me. Getting my hands on the Tree console and using it removed any lingering doubts. This was my answer.
I hope this sheds some light on my reasoning for euthanizing the Studio 4 console. I hated doing it, and I am not proud of having to do it. My consolation is that many people will be able to enjoy the sound of the preamps.
Mudrock
