Reggae fans, take note: a historic mixing desk used on recordings from a long list of reggae artists that includes Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer and Dennis Brown has gone up for sale on vintage gear marketplace Retro Gear Shop.
The seller believes that this was the desk used on Marley's classic songs Get Up, Stand Up; No Woman, No Cry; One Love and Jamming, among others
Nicknamed the 'Dub Station', the 20-input and 16-output console is a rare surviving example of a Helios HJ-1, thought to have been manufactured in 1973. Still in full working order, the desk spent many years as the primary console in the Harry J Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, where it was used to record Bob Marley's first four studio albums, along with many more legendary reggae artists. The seller believes that this was the desk used on Marley's classic songs Get Up, Stand Up; No Woman, No Cry; One Love and Jamming, among others.
The seller says that they "went to Jamaica in person" to acquire the desk, which was pulled from a long-time previous owner's home recording studio. Decorated in a fetching teal finish, the console comes with a pair of Yamaha NS10s in the same colour.
"Helios consoles are very rare to come by," the listing says. "Rough estimates put it at only a couple dozen. Most have been parted out for their amazing analog preamp/equalizer channels.
"The Helios sound is absolutely legendary, with artists including Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Roxy Music and many more having recorded through Helios consoles."
