Console & Mixer Database · How We Got Loud
How We Got Loud  ·  Historical Archive
Live Sound Mixer Archive
A growing research archive documenting the consoles and mixers that shaped live sound — from the earliest PA systems to the present day.
516Entries
—Manufacturers
1928– Present
95+Years of History
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Research in Progress — This is not intended to be a final or complete record. It is a working framework built to collect, organize, and preserve information before it disappears. Information may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. If you spot an error or have something to add, please reach out at HowWeGotLoud@gmail.com
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Manufacturer Model Released Type Mono In St. In Buses Aux Matrix VCA/DCA Flying Notable Features Used By Origin
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About This Archive

This database grew out of the How We Got Loud podcast and ongoing research into the history of live sound and the equipment that shaped it.

The goal is to document the consoles and mixers — landmark and obscure, touring and installed — that defined how live music has been amplified, mixed, and heard for nearly a century.

Much of this history exists only in the memories of engineers who were there. This archive is an attempt to capture it before it disappears.

Key Sources
  • Pisfil, Sergio. A New History of Rock Music: Documenting Live Sound between 1967 and 1973. PhD dissertation, University of Edinburgh, 2019.
  • Pisfil, Sergio. "Woodstock and the Live Sound Industry in the Late 1960s." Popular Music and Society, 2019.
  • AES Convention papers and Journal of the Audio Engineering Society archives
  • Mix, FOH Online, Pro Sound Web, RE/P Magazine archives
  • NAMM Oral History collection
  • Manufacturer documentation, service manuals, and period advertising
  • Direct interviews and correspondence with engineers and industry figures
  • Community submissions via the How We Got Loud community
Contribute

Did you work on one of these consoles? Do you know of a model that isn't listed? Have a correction, a photo, a manual, or a story?

This archive depends on people who were there. Every submission — however small — helps build a more complete record.

✉ Submit information or a correction
How We Got Loud · Console & Mixer Database · Research Ongoing howwegotloud.com