One of the things about designing professional equipment for studios is that you need to have experienced life in a real recording studio from a user's point of view before you can ask the question "How can I make things better?".

MCI grew from the roots of the recording industry.  Their designs always strived to improve sound quality.  In addition, they were responsible for many technical innovations in both their consoles and tape machines.

As opposed to making custom consoles built to spec like older Neve and API consoles, MCI took a more mass-produced approach, offering standard models with options.

MCI did not unnecessarily introduce new models, rendering previous models obsolete.  Instead, they were constantly improving their existing products by adding retrofit assemblies where necessary to enable users to keep their older units fully up to date.  You could even buy complete kits to update your 8-track to a 16 or 24 track.

MCI products were a technician's dream!  Except for special parts (with the prefix "SP" in the original MCI part numbering system) such as motor assemblies, heads and so on, most components were intentionally chosen to be available "off the shelf" from electronics parts suppliers at the time.  Console frames and tape machine cabinets were solid and rigid, without being too cumbersome.  They were designed for maximum serviceability.  For example, the power supplies for consoles and tape machines had removable "chimney" assemblies which consisted of a fan, heatsinks and electronic circuitry for these high power regulators, making it possible to work on the things whilst the machine was running.  Virtually every area of the tape machines were accessible, in most cases without even the need for a screwdriver.  And of cause, the consoles were fully modular, with solid extender boards enabling them to be worked on whilst running.  All PCBs were very high quality, well laid out and tough, making it easier to replace components.  These measures directly translated to dramatically reduced down time when work was necessary.  No other audio manufacturer came close in this regard.

MCI was based in Fort Lauderdale in Miami and was not afraid to take advantage of the surrounding space industry manufacturers for high precision components such as the capstan motor assembly for the tape machines.  They utilised large high quality double-sided plated through hole circuit boards in place of hand wired smaller boards in expensive metal boxes like Neve consoles, resulting in a genuine manufacturing cost reduction.

MCI History

In the late 1950's Grover C. "Jeep" Harnard, who went on to found MCI Inc in 1965, did major work at the brand new Criteria Studios on their custom-built valve 16 x 3 console which was initially found to have 20% THD and their ½" 3-track recorders to improve their sound quality.  He remained friends with Mack Emerman who owned and built Criteria Studios - responsible for a massive string of hits over the following decades from artists like Eric Clapton, The Bee Gees, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, The Allman Brothers and Bob Marley.

Jeep later built a custom recording console for King Studio in Cincinnati, so impressed was owner Syd Nathan with the Criteria Harnard-modified console.  This console had no model number.  He also began building retrofit audio cards for Ampex 300 machines and later complete machines from surplus transports from Cape Canaveral.

In 1968, MCI built the audio electronics for the world's first 24-track machine - an Ampex 300 modified by Tom Hiddley to take 2" tape.

Around that time, Jeep was contacted by renowned engineer Tom Dowd, who was associated with Atlantic Records.  Together, they designed a console for Atlantic's New York studios that was to revolutionize console design.  This console became known as the JH-400 and was the first "inline" console.  Another notable person involved with the design of the JH-400 was Dave Harrison, who later went on to make Harrison consoles.

The JH-500 series was first introduced in 1975 and whilst conceptually based on the JH-400, it was much bigger and added many refinements.  Around 1978, automation was added, making it the world's first automated console.

The JH-400B was released shortly after the JH-500 and is basically a JH-400 retrofitted with the ARMS automation system.  These consoles were only manufactured for a while, before being replaced by the 600 series consoles.

The JH-600 series was a totally new transformerless design, including many of the JH-500 features in a more compact frame with automation.  They were relatively low priced and sonically excellent.

Unfortunately, things didn't go well for MCI with the JH-600 console.  Many studio owners perceived these desks as being too cheap and too small to be taken seriously and sales were disappointing.  There was an early shipment of 18 desks which were reluctantly rushed to Australia to beat an upcoming import duty increase before they were ready.  MCI sent technicians to Australia to work on them after they were delivered!  There were some problems with the board layout resulting in cross-talk between the channel busses.  This didn't bother the music studios too much, but made them unacceptable for broadcast applications.  MCI ended up replacing all of the modules in all of these desks free of charge - it must have cost them a fortune.  Someone ended up doing a deal with MCI and ended up modifying the old modules and putting them into new frames.  You can recognise these desks by their "honeydew" coloured modules.

Meanwhile, various incarnations of the JH-500 (B, C and D) remained the flagship console.

One cannot help but speculate that there must have been a JH-700 on the drawing board - a big brother for the JH-600 to replace the now ageing JH-500.

MCI advertised a 3" 32 track analogue tape machine.  I never saw one in this country and would hate to think what it would have been like trying to lift a 15" roll of 3" tape onto it!

It was rumoured that MCI had been working on a digital tape recorder.

In 1982, Jeep sold his company to Sony.  Although Sony continued to market re-badged machines for another year, the MCI era was over.