The Trident 24 and Its Legendary T Series EQ

The Trident 24 is a British recording console built around a deceptively powerful idea: give a medium-sized studio the routing depth of a much larger room without making the desk impossible to operate. Its 24-buss architecture suits multitrack recording, overdubbing, subgroup processing and mix automation, while the T Series equaliser gives each channel a distinctive musical voice.

For engineers interested in the equipment that shaped recorded music, the desk sits between compact project-studio mixers and large-format recording systems. It belongs to the period when analogue consoles were becoming more flexible, yet still rewarded an operator who understood signal flow, gain staging and the physical relationship between channels, busses and monitoring.

British Design With Studio-Scale Ambition

Trident consoles came from the British recording tradition associated with custom studio installations, carefully voiced equalisation and hands-on control. The 24 was designed for facilities that needed substantial multitrack capability but could not justify the footprint or cost of a much larger 32- or 48-input desk. Its identity is therefore tied to practical studio engineering rather than consumer mixing.

The console’s 24-buss specification is central to its appeal. A buss is a shared signal path that allows several channels to be combined and sent to a recorder, subgroup processor or mix destination. With 24 recording busses available, the engineer can separate drums, guitars, backing vocals, effects returns and other sources with far greater precision than a simple stereo mixer allows.

The Trident name also belongs to a broader family of British consoles whose architecture evolved through different models and production periods. Variations in module layout, automation options, connector panels and power arrangements matter when identifying a particular desk. A useful reference point for comparing historic designs is the console archive, especially when a second-hand listing uses an imprecise model description.

How The 24-Buss Architecture Works

A 24-buss desk gives every input channel access to a matrix of group destinations. During tracking, a kick drum might be assigned to one or two recorder inputs, while bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals occupy other tracks. The engineer can make those assignments without repatching the entire console, which keeps a session moving when musicians are waiting in the room.

This flexibility becomes even more valuable during overdubs. A vocal can be routed to a dedicated tape or converter input while also feeding a monitor mix, an effects send and a cue system. The console’s routing controls determine whether the engineer is listening to the source, the multitrack return or a blend of both. That distinction is essential for avoiding doubled signals, accidental feedback and confusing latency.

In a mix, the busses can function as subgroup paths. Drum channels can feed a stereo drum group, backing vocals can be gathered into another pair, and parallel compression can be created by sending a controlled amount to an external processor. The Trident 24 therefore supports a hybrid workflow in which the desk remains the central routing and summing environment while a DAW handles editing, recall and session management.

The physical layout encourages deliberate decisions. A producer can see channel levels, equaliser settings, auxiliary sends and routing assignments at the same time. This is slower than clicking through software menus when making a single change, but much faster when shaping several related signals during a live recording or a complex mix.

The Character Of T Series EQ

The T Series EQ is one of the reasons engineers remember the Trident 24 as more than a practical routing console. Its appeal comes from the way frequency shaping can sound assertive without becoming brittle. The circuit is often associated with broad, musical curves that suit the tonal problems found in drums, electric guitars, vocals and keyboards.

Equalisation on a desk like this is not simply about correcting faults. A small lift in the upper range can open a vocal or add attack to a snare, while a controlled reduction in the low-mid area can create space for bass and kick drum. The T Series design encourages those moves because its controls can produce audible results without requiring extreme settings.

The sound depends on the individual module, maintenance history and surrounding gain structure. A restored console with healthy power rails, clean switches and correctly calibrated channels will behave differently from a neglected example with noisy faders or drifting components. Engineers should also distinguish the tonal character of the EQ from transformer coloration, preamp saturation, bus summing and outboard processing.

A sensible approach is to use the EQ while monitoring at a realistic level and to compare matched bypass conditions. Older consoles can make an apparently impressive boost seem louder, so level matching is important. The most convincing T Series settings are often modest: a little presence, a carefully controlled low shelf or a narrow cut that removes congestion without thinning the source.

Recording And Mixing Around The Desk

The Trident 24 makes sense when the engineer treats the console as a complete signal-flow system rather than a collection of separate preamps and equalisers. Microphone signals enter the input modules, pass through gain and EQ stages, and then travel towards multitrack busses, auxiliary sends, monitor paths or the stereo mix. Knowing each destination prevents routing errors that can be difficult to diagnose in a busy session.

In a modern room, the multitrack recorder is commonly a DAW connected through a converter interface. Outputs from the interface return to console channels, where the engineer can apply T Series EQ, use aux sends for hardware reverbs and compress groups through external equipment. The final stereo mix can then return to the computer for printing, revisions and delivery.

Automation requires particular care. Some examples of the Trident 24 were fitted with automation-related systems, while other installations relied on manual moves or external automation hardware. An engineer working with an unmodified desk may prefer to automate volume and plug-in parameters in the DAW while keeping the console for analogue tone, monitoring and summing. This approach preserves the hands-on character without pretending that every vintage feature integrates seamlessly with current software.

Recall is another practical consideration. Photographing the channel strips, recording fader positions, saving DAW notes and documenting patchbay connections can turn a difficult mix revision into a manageable task. A clear recall sheet should record EQ frequencies, gain settings, buss assignments, auxiliary levels and any unusual modifications made by the studio.

Living With Vintage Gear In Australia

Australian studios face a few realities that are easy to overlook when reading specifications written for British or American facilities. Mains power is 240 volts at 50 hertz, so an imported console must have a suitable power supply or a properly engineered conversion. A step-down transformer is not automatically the right answer, particularly for a large desk with multiple rails, substantial current demand and sensitive audio grounding.

Sydney and Melbourne have the deepest concentration of commercial studios, technicians and second-hand pro-audio equipment, but large consoles also appear in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and regional production rooms. Local availability can change quickly. A desk advertised as “working” may have spent years in storage, and transporting a frame across Australia can expose weak connectors, oxidised contacts and ageing power-supply components.

Climate matters as well. Humidity around coastal cities can accelerate corrosion on switches, patchbays and metalwork, while dust and heat in rehearsal or production spaces can affect ventilation. Regular cleaning, stable room temperature and avoiding drink bottles near the meter bridge are simple habits that protect a console whose replacement parts may no longer be readily available.

Imported equipment can also attract freight costs, GST and customs or brokerage charges. Electrical compliance should be taken seriously: any modification to the mains wiring or power supply should be performed by a qualified Australian technician, with attention to applicable safety requirements and the Regulatory Compliance Mark where relevant. These details are part of the real ownership cost, not minor inconveniences added after the purchase.

Choosing, Restoring And Integrating A Trident 24

The best purchase is rarely the cheapest chassis. Before committing, inspect the power supply, channel count, meter operation, faders, switches, patchbay, connector loom and documentation. Ask whether the desk has been recapped, whether the EQ modules have been serviced and whether all 24 busses are available at the rear connector panel. A missing loom or undocumented modification can cost more to resolve than a visibly worn faceplate.

A serious restoration should begin with testing, not wholesale replacement. A technician can measure noise, frequency response, gain accuracy, crosstalk and power-rail stability before deciding which capacitors, switches or op-amps require attention. Replacing every component without a diagnostic plan may alter the console’s original behaviour and create new faults.

Integration with a DAW is usually easiest when the interface has enough line outputs and inputs to support the intended workflow. For a full 24-buss system, the converter count can become substantial, especially if the desk is used for both tracking and summing. Studios with fewer outputs can still exploit the EQ and preamps by using selected channels, subgrouping inside the DAW or connecting a smaller patchbay-based setup.

For engineers interested in building a custom hybrid environment rather than buying a complete vintage desk, build your own offers a useful way to think about modular console functions. The same principles apply: provide clean distribution, sensible normalled connections, reliable monitoring and enough headroom for analogue equipment to operate comfortably.

Practical Checks Before Buying

A well-maintained Trident 24 remains a compelling centrepiece for a professional recording room. Its 24-buss layout supports serious multitrack work, while the T Series EQ gives engineers a direct, tactile method of shaping tone before signals reach the computer. With careful restoration, safe Australian electrical work and a documented hybrid workflow, the console can continue to serve modern sessions without losing the character that made British analogue desks so influential.

Studios considering one should approach it as an integrated engineering project: verify the hardware, map the routing, assess the local service options and build a realistic operating plan. Done properly, the Trident 24 becomes more than a vintage purchase; it becomes a hands-on recording system with the control, depth and sonic identity to earn a place in contemporary Australian production.