"I've always enjoyed analogue consoles, and I'll use whatever suits the job," says Boothroyd. "A band like AC/DC warrants using a good old analogue desk because they're a good old analogue band. It's not like I have masses of processing, FX sends or over-EQing going on, just a little bit of compression. Nothing fancy as it doesn't need to be, and I'm having a great time using it."
The 25-year-old PRO40 was painstakingly cleaned up and restored by Boothroyd together with Tim Boyle and Pete Cornell from Concert Sound, which owns the desk. "I have a lot of association with this console, and it's got a great history," Boothroyd continues. "We had access to lots of spare parts and modules and spent many hours restoring it, wiping away the years of dirt with a Q Tip. Concert Sound and Midas would have worked closely on what was needed when it was made, listening to feedback and ideas. That's a process that still goes on today and what's always been good about Midas, they listen to and work with the people that use the gear."
Boothroyd has a PRO6 as the front end for recording shows onto the KT DN9696 hard disc recorder. This PRO6 has also been programmed with a live mix for the band in case the PRO40 has a senior moment. However, as befits its rock and roll credentials, so far this hasn't been necessary.
(Jim Evans)
