Well, my studio-owner pal was here today picking up the Nagra and admitted he had only just put in the valves but hadn't yet fired it up. Working up the courage! Shouldn't be be any problems, it was well crated for its journey across the pond.
It's an early Fifties Ampex 300 full-track, 15 & 30 ips. Many great hits and jazz classics were mastered on these 'bathtubs'.
It takes it's place alongside a 3M M79 and Studer A80, the latter will be out on its ear when a long-awaited C37 materialises.
The studio is small but quite nicely equipped with vintage gear including Telefunken mic amps, Universal Audio compressors, EMT plate reverb, AKG C12, Neumann KM56 & U67 (nice long body U47 currently with Peter Gefehl in Germany for fettling), Schoeps 221 and Coles 4038 mics. Looking for a good Neumann M49 and (we can dream!) an undamaged Altec 639 birdcage.
Early days yet but the ball is rolling with 1st album recorded there getting good reviews in the press.
Wish I was younger and fitter to be more actively involved than I am :(
Brian.