Editor's Note: Fletcher, Rec Pit forum moderator extraordinaire and head of Mercenary Audio in Boston, has graciously provided the following, part 1 in a multipart series, for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to visit Fletcher's forum!

In the early days of our industry, equipment was made to serve the user's needs. Many of the original studio owners came from a radio background. They built their own equipment, from consoles to compressors to equalizers, etc.

They didn't have cost-effective manufacturing in mind when they created this equipment. They built it in order to make superior-sounding recordings.

At some point, other people in the audio community asked these pioneers to build equipment for their studios. The world of professional recording equipment manufacturing was born.

While much of the original research and development was carried out by Bell Labs, many of the early studio owners took these designs to the next level for their own purposes.

While today some "boutique" manufacturers still make some excellent equipment, a far greater number of manufacturers make relatively inferior products.

Discriminating professionals find these latter products unacceptable and are always eager to lay their hands on tools that will help them get the sound in their head onto the tape. For many, "vintage" equipment helps them to realize their goals.

The term "vintage" is seriously overused. It applies very well to wine and guitars, but it does not apply easily to pro audio hardware.

Whereas a '62 Château Lafitte-Rothschild is a dream to behold, and a 1960 Strat (the first year they made the fret boards in rosewood) can very well change your life, I have never heard of anyone who would consider a '74 Neve 8014 desk superior to the '72 version (or vice versa). Although a Neve desk may be identified as "vintage" by its owner, "old" is often the more descriptive (though arguably less flattering) term.

Of course, the fact that something is old and has tubes doesn't necessarily make it good. Transformers, Class A amplifiers, big knobs, faded paint, inability to pass a square wave, excessive second harmonic distortion or the need of a forklift for installation - none of these features necessarily makes a piece of equipment good. What does make it good is its usefulness in a given application.

Shamless logo drop-in to go with shameless plug in the side paragraph!

Though I am a sales weasel by day, I am an engineer on nights, weekends and other days off. I have done major-label work, and have a few Gold/Platinum records on the wall. I have chosen to approach this survey from the point of view of my engineering practice. Nowhere will you find the words "Mercenary Audio" (oops). What follows is a list of a few of my favorite things, and why.

A caveat. The history of the earlier days of our industry is for the most part undocumented. When I was first contacted to put together a guide to "vintage" equipment, I went through piles of manufacturers' original spec sheets, old advertisements, etc. - I found them to be almost completely useless. Most historical knowledge is passed on verbally and may be distorted along the line. With that in mind, I recommend that you take the following with great big handfuls of salt. Magazine articles are no replacement for experience.