In today’s Gear That Made Us we bring you the template for the modern recording console, the REDD.17 desk.

In 1958, EMI engineers Peter Burkowitz and Lenn Page revealed the REDD.17. It was EMI’s first console to appear in desk form.

Routing signals, changing tone, volume and panning, this valve mixing desk allowed the engineer more control than ever before.

Four units were built in total - some installed in mixing rooms at Abbey Road and others used for off-site recordings.

Here at the studios the REDD.17 and subsequent REDD.37 & .51 desks were relied upon for the best part of ten years. Used for nearly all recordings made in the 1960s including every Beatles album apart from Abbey Road.

Engineer Ken Scott recalls them utilising the natural distortion of the REDD.51 for Revolution 1. He walked into Studio Three Control Room to find John, Paul and George plugged directly into the desk, overloading the input to create the unique distortion you hear on the record.

Plugin counterparts of all the REDD desks have been made in collaboration with Waves Audio.

Read on as we compare/contrast the REDD .17 and the REDD .37-.51 models.

We first need to distinguish between the REDD.17 and the REDD.37-.51 as they actually have quite a difference in tone. In both REDDs, the controls are similar, though the REDD.37-.51 offers a choice between the REDD.17/REDD.37 preamps or the lower-distortion, higher-headroom preamps used in the REDD.51. Also, the tone control supplements the REDD.17’s high-frequency shelving controls with Pop or Classic modes. The low shelving is the same (boost/cut at 100 Hz), but the Pop option modifies the high-frequency boost to a bell curve at 5 kHz instead of a shelf. For both strips and both REDD.37-.51 modes, the high cut shelf frequency is 10 kHz.

Sonically, the differences become most apparent by turning up the drive control and really pushing the console. The REDD.17 is the more colourful and heavy-handed of the two—the overdriven, out-of-control sound of Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn album comes to mind. The REDD.37-.51 still adds plenty of character, but the “crunch” sounds more controlled and somewhat more refined.

On drums, the REDD.17 takes otherwise polite sounds and gives them punch. The bass lift can really push a kick for dance music. Drive does add the requisite grit, but light to moderate settings seem preferable because the tradeoff for a fatter sound is reduced clarity. Note that when overdriving the REDD.17, increasing the treble EQ returns some of the clarity.

In general, the REDD.37-.51 sounds more refined, especially with higher drive settings, so you can slam it harder before the sound becomes too blurry. The bass lift is more controlled and less distorted when pushed. Also, the Pop tone mode provides a punchier alternative compared to the Classic mode’s diaphanous high end. Overall, the REDD.17 seems best-suited for that hard-hitting sound associated with earlier Beatles recordings, while the REDD.37-.51 is cleaner and more versatile, but still has its own kind of gritty vibe and tube warmth.

Find out more about the REDD Waves Audio Plugins.