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Trident A Range consoles were originally built by and for
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry.
...
. When word spread about this revolutionary new multi-track recording console design, other studios placed their orders and Trident Audio Developments was formed.
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios is a recording studio facility in Hollywood founded in 1972 by members of 1960s pop band The Robbs. Cherokee has been the location of many notable recordings by such artists as Steely Dan, David Bowie, Journey, The Cars, Foreign ...
in Los Angeles was one of the early recipients of one of the first production models.
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
, and
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
are among the early artists who first recorded hit records on Cherokee's first A Range console. With only 13 consoles ever built of this model, the Trident A Range has attained a near mythical status in the professional recording industry.
"Though it had a very limited run, the Trident A Range console gained a reputation for its very distinct and pleasant sound with a very "musical" EQ section. Along with channel strips from early Neve and Helios consoles, original Trident A Range modules have kept a healthy resale value and are much sought after by engineers who like to combine old-school analog gear with leading-edge digital recording technology."Mix Magazine July 1, 2001
Cherokee Studios & Trident A Ranges
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios is a recording studio facility in Hollywood founded in 1972 by members of 1960s pop band The Robbs. Cherokee has been the location of many notable recordings by such artists as Steely Dan, David Bowie, Journey, The Cars, Foreign ...
and Trident A Ranges have a long history together. Cherokee was one of the first customers for the new console, and the first recording studio in the United States to take delivery and begin recording with one. Cherokee Studios became synonymous with the Trident A Range console as the boards recorded over 300+ gold and platinum records while working at the world famous studio during its 35+ year run.
In the 1970s, Cherokee's owners the Robb brothers (
the Robbs
The Robbs were an American 1960s pop and rock band from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They are best known for being the house band on Dick Clark's mid-1960s show ''Where The Action Is''. They are also known for placing the most singles on '' Billboar ...
) had been looking for a console when they heard Harry Nilsson and The Beatles "Hey Jude." The recordings sounded so different from anything else at the time that they hunted down the common denominator – the recording console at Trident Studios in London.
The Robbs
The Robbs were an American 1960s pop and rock band from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They are best known for being the house band on Dick Clark's mid-1960s show ''Where The Action Is''. They are also known for placing the most singles on '' Billboar ...
were transitioning from their ranch studio to the former MGM records space on Fairfax. While they were making their very important console decision, they had received 2 channels from Neve, Helios and Cadac. At the last minute, 2 Trident A Range modules arrived from England in an inelegant mess inside a box. They mic'd a set of drums, pit the modules against each other and the Tridents made such an impression that it was no longer a contest. They ordered their first console, and ultimately purchased four (3 new directly from Trident Audio Developments and 1 from a broker).
Of the four A Ranges Cherokee owned, they still own two (the first console ever purchased which became their Studio 3 console and the one purchased through the broker with the additional inputs added which became their Studio 1 console.) Number 13 was sold to
Smart Studios
Smart Studios was a recording studio located in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands. The studio produced bands such as Killdozer, The Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Tad, and Nirvana. After in ...
in Madison WI, and was the console in their downstairs "A" room. Cherokee's other A-Range sat unused for ten years and has since been in use at Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle WA.