Anyone familiar with early MCI history? Im trying to estimate how much this console is worth?

I have access to the very first MCI console ever made - the one that launched MCI as a company. This console does not have a model # or serial #. Jeep Harned built it in his garage and it was employed in Studio C at Criteria Recording in Florida from 1968 to 1978. Several famous arists recorded on this console including the Bee Gees, the Eagles, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Any Gibb, Grand Funk Railroad, Rod Stewart and many more. Songs recorded on this console launched the careers of several of these artists.

It is fully operational and in near mint condition but really should be in a museum. This thing is incredible! Touch sensative controls - continuity from your skin completes the circuit. Different color lights on every control and all gold contacts.

Im still trying to locate old photos and any other history on the console. Was on the Cover of MIX magazine in 1977 along with Joan Jett but I havent been able to locate a copy yet.

So, what would you think this console is worth?

Thanks in advance!

I've got a call into him - Thanks!

I found a more solid list of songs that were recorded on this console if anyone is interested.

Gold Singles

Bee Gees Tragedy *
Bee Gees Too Much Heaven *
Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love
Bee Gees Jive Talkin
Bee Gees You Should Be Dancing *
Bee Gees Love So Right *
Bee Gees Staying Alive *
Bee Gees Night Fever *
Eagles One Of These Nights
Eagles Lyin Eyes
Eagles New Kid In Town
Eagles Hotel California
Eric Clapton I Shot The Sheriff
Elvin Bishop Fooled Around And Fell In Love
Andy Gibb I Just Want To Be Your Every Thing
Andy Gibb Lover is ( Thicker Than Water )
Andy Gibb An Everlasting Love
Andy Gibb Shadow Dancing
Joe Walsh Rocky Mountain way
Samantha Sang Emotion
Andy Gibb Our Love (Don’t Throw It All Away)
Grand Funk Railroad Where An American Band
Rod Stewart Do You Think I’m Sexy *
Jimmy Buffet Margaretaville

Gold Albums

Bee Gees Saturday Night Fever *
Bee Gees Children Of The World *
Bee Gees Here At Last – Bee Gees Live *
Bee Gees Main Course *
Andy Gibb Flowing Rivers *
Andy Gibb Shadow Dancing *
Eric Clapton 461 Ocean Boulevard *
Eric Clapton History Of Eric Clapton
Grand Funk Railroad Where An American Band
Eagles One Of These Nights *
Eagles Greatest Hits *
Eagles Hotel California *
Joe Walsh The Smoker You Drink The Player You Get
Average White Band AWB
Average White Band Cut The Cake
Marshall Tucker Band Together Forever
Soundtrack Grease *
Crosby, Stills, Nash CSN
Stills, Young Band Long May You Run
Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown

* Representing sales in excess one million

is the model listed here:

http://www.recordingconsoles.net/

>MCI

No - it has no Model # as it was the first one made - before he started naming or numbering them.

No offense to MCI fans, but those MCI consoles had some of the most hair raisingly "Here I Will Now Rip Your Head Off" EQ in history.

Ugh!

TH

We had a very early pre MCI console, the one that "LAYLA" was done on from criteria, in our studio here in the SF bay area for a few years in the early 80's- What a beast!
Dunno if that's earlier or later than the board you're refering to(?)

Had this massive matrix of 1" square yellow buttons 16x16 for the bus assigns, stepped fixed-resistor faders, modular assignable eq's- Quite a contrivance!
Sounded THICK-

That custom console has virtually nothing to do with the mass-produced MCIs. The only people who would know anything about it would be folks from the Criteria shop.

The list of records also includes several that were mostly recorded elsewhere.

Thanks for the info Bob.

I have no knowledge of these recordings and the info I posted is what I have been told by the owner. Seems that most of the "hits" off those records, were the songs recorded on this console.

There are also several documents on the web which refer to this console. Id greatly appreciate any info anyone might have.

Thanks!

Last I heard, Mack's still alive and down in Florida. You should contact him. No one else would know as much as he does.

If it is, I worked on that console in 1977-78. Great sounding and flexible to operate. The faders attenuated from the top to the bottom. The bus switches were touch capacitance and made vocal and guitar comps a breeze. Bill Szymczk did indeed mix "Hotel California" on this console.

Show us some pics!!......I'll give you $43.36 for it......in cash!!!

Here's a pic

Thats it! Can you tell me anything about it?

Sounds like the board that was built for Tom Dowd.

I'd try and reach Ross Alexander who was a tech there at the time. He does system and studio design these days all over Florida and should be easy to get a line on.

Hey,
For one thing its not the first MCI custom board that Jeep built for Criteria.
It was the third custom console, was originally a 16 track, then expanded on the monitor side to 24. It always had only 20 inputs.

Did you hear that folks... you can make multiplatinum records with only 20 inputs.

Not true, he had an electronics business long before he got into the console game.

I don't remember Joan Jett ever being at Criteria.

Those are painton faders and no the are not reversed, or wasn't when it was in Criteria.

Are the drawings (schematics) with the board?

Here's Ross Alexanders shop number: (305) 947-7372
He will have intimate internal knowledge of that board, what might be unattainable, and its possible value.

So many great sounding records were made on those boards its staggering.

I suspect pilot error.

I didnt say she was at Criteria. I was told she was on the same cover of MIX magazine that this console appeared on. I beleive she was with The Runaways at the time.

Anyone have this issue of MIX from 1977?

While that list of Gold singles and albums is impressive, they would have gone Gold with or without that console. It seems like you may have something cool as far as nostaligic value, and I'm sure the sonics are good too, just don't forget it's not going to lay golden eggs all the time. Those artists and songs were good before they stepped into the studio that owned that console. Best of luck to you though.

She was there with her manager/producer Kenny Laguna, who was producing Bow Wow Wow in Studio A (I Want Candy). I don't remember if she recorded anything or not.

Agreed.
This console would not be given justice in the average, commercial studio. It will most likely go to a fan of American music history or someone that can appreciate the legacy of MCI and it's founder.

In realizing the above, Im not sure anyone other than this would be able to give a realistic value.

As I said we had one of the criteria boards- NOT that one-
Ours didn't have the extra section on the right, otherwise looked the same.
Same faders, NOT reversed direction.
Ours was the actual one that "Layla" was done on.
Good thick "antique" sound, our clients ot the time didn't like it, the faders weren't smooth, a "zipper" effect was audible-
I would thing it would be a very cool PT front end these days- THICK mic pres & eq (on ours there were only 8 eq's, switchable to the channels), all discrete of course, minimal circuitry-
no bells & whistles though, and those faders...

It belongs in the Smithsonian Institution.

Will someone have the courage to donate it?

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

That is an option we are looking at, though my client also has the first 16 track (prototype of the Ampex MM1000) and the Smithsonian refused the donation.

The 'zipper' sound could have been a cleaning issue, when we heard that zipper effect the shop woud clean them with non epa approved chemicals. Those paintons were half db stepped (if I remember correctly).
There was a seperate EQ package that connected to the input or the remix side through Alco connectors on the back of the patchbay, the same package for the C console remix side only, as the inputs had in line EQ's.

That board was sold to Pink Floyd when it left Criteria.
Its interesting that it ended up in SF in the 80's.

Sorry, I misinterpreted this to mean she was in the photo.

Sorry to be late lol but some informations here are not quite right.

The Gibb brothers recorded the 5 songs of SNF (side A) at Studio d'Herouville (nicknamed "Le Château") on a very recently bought MCI JH 528 and listened to the results on Tom Hidley monitoring system.
The MCI desk had replaced an Auditronics console (and Scully 16 tracks recorder...) at the request of the Gibb Brothers.

The MCI board at Hérouville (circa 1978).

I believe Stuart Eales is very respected MCI tech. I know that he did all the servicing of Gus Dudgeon's MCI.

Just wondering, whatever happened to this old console? Wasn't this on eBay for a while?