Ask Geoff Tanner

I've scanned the 44 pages of my Technical Information Sheets into over 100MB of PDF files that you can load on your computer and open any time you need technical advice.

As discussed in other posts on these forums, I wrote these Technical Information Sheets at home during the years that I was Head of the Electrical Drawing Office at Neve (1972 to 1976) in order to educate my staff into how to calculate the many formula involved in the design of a large recording console. This was, in the early days, before the introduction of calculators so there are several charts and examples, calculated either by slide rule or logarithm tables, to facilitate getting quick answers to relatively complex equations.

The 31 topics take up a total of 44 pages and they are broken down into the following headings:-

1.Decibel tables – Illustrating the difference between voltage/current and power ratios.
2.The Decibel – An explanation of how dB ratios work.
3.Reed Matrix Information – The pin functions of the most common reed relay circuit boards
4.Calculating Attenuators – How to calculate attenuators for a given dB loss
5.Bus-bar do's and dont's – How to calculate a resultant bus level and impedance
6.Pan-pots – How to design a stereo pan pot with 3dB loss at the centre
7.Oscillators – How to calculate the components for a Wein Bridge Oscillator
8.DC switching and click suppression – How to minimize switching clicks
9.Transformers – Typical resonant terminations for most output transformers
10.Mixing arrangements with less than 10 feeds – Special considerations
11.Attenuator chart – Values from -1dB to -80dB for 10Kohm and 600ohm attenuators
12.Studer remote control details – For A80, B62 and C37 tape recorders
13.P & G Multi-track faders – How to minimize crosstalk between tracks
14.Design considerations for oscillator switching – To minimize breakthrough
15.Do's and Dont's of console design – plus a parallel resistor rapid calculator.
16.Gain boost chart – For BA283, 3411 & 5 front, 3415, 16 and 3513 rear, 3411/12 rear.
17.Virtual Earth Mixing – Calculations and explanations.
18.Bus Level Calculation Chart – Gives the resultant bus level from six different bus resistors.
19.Coupling Capacitor Value – Formula to calculate value for 0.1dB drop at 20Hz into load R
20.Calculation of Amplifier Gain – Both inverting and non-inverting modes.
21.Bus-bar Resistor Comparison Chart – What resistor to use for a different input level.
22.Pre-fade Mixing Arrangements – Taking a pre-fade mono-mix from a Stereo source
23.Design of Stepped Attenuators – How to calculate each step of the switch
24.Design of Calibrated Potentiometers – How to calculate +/- dB range potentiometers.
25.Switch “Trickery” - How to design clever switch functions.
26.Use and characteristics of Amplifiers – Input Z, Headroom, and how the amplifiers function.
27.Coupling Capacitors – Further thoughts on the choice of coupling capacitors
28.Ohm's Law Nomogram – Place a rule across the columns to calculate any unknown.
29.Design of remote gain boost potentiometers – to drive multi-track faders and mixes.
30.Typical Recording Studio Layout – Explains contemporary functions like “Overdub”
31.Potentiometer Slugging – What resistor to use for -10dB at half rotation.

Plus a chart giving the gain boosting required for rare 3401 and 3402 Line amplifiers

I have sold these Tech Sheets in the past in three hole binders for $50 + post/packing but this more versatile format I intend to sell for $40 with free post/packing. For that payment you are getting a piece of history and a great deal of technical know-how in very simple terms. I can ship them immediately as I have no more need to photocopy and collate the 44 pages and you would get them in a format that you can print them whenever you like. Please respect my copyright though and don't copy and resell the CD... I would really appreciate that consideration.

This is also a way that readers of the 2,400+ posts I have of technical advice on my site's Ask Geoff forums can contribute to the effort I put into creating the forums and answering the questions to the best of my ability. These forums have always been and will remain a free service to owners of Neve consoles and modules!

Payment can be to my Paypal account. Please email for details at info@auroraaudio.net

-Phrog