In 1970 when designing the follow up to the successful J37, Willi Studer invited Abbey Road engineer Ken Townsend to his factory to preview a new 8-track machine known as the A80.

This entirely new design concept had outstanding characteristics: 8-track capabilities, a sturdy tape transport mechanism, electronic tape timing and electronic speed control.

Several were adopted for use at Abbey Road shortly thereafter.

George Harrison was so impressed by the design that he bought an A80 for his home studio at Friar Park.

Subsequent versions were later introduced including 2” 16-track and 24-track machines. The former was used to record Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon here in 1972. A80s are now revered as the longest-built, best-selling tape machines in Studer’s history.

A80 master recorders are still in use at Abbey Road, largely on archive work for analogue disc cutting.