audiobriefs
9:03in productionCh. 1 · Solid-state shift/ 9:03 · ceiling 15 min
Mixing & mastering · Studio & recording

EMI TG12345

EMI

It didn’t shape sound — it shaped track count.

The TG12345 was Abbey Road’s first solid-state console, installed in late 1968 to enable 8-track recording. It had 24 mic inputs, 8 tape outputs, and per-channel compression and EQ — a leap from the tube-based REDD .51 and the four-track Studer J37. It did one thing decisively: expand track count while integrating dynamics and tone shaping into every channel. It offered no automation, no recall, and no adaptability beyond that fixed architecture. It belongs in a working historical studio, not a modern hybrid setup.

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Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 1:06
    Solid-state shift

    First solid-state console at Abbey Road with per-channel compression and EQ.

  2. 2:38
    More inputs, more tracks

    24 mic inputs and 8 tape outputs — double the I/O of the REDD .51 it replaced.

  3. 4:04
    The 8-track enabler

    Doubled multitrack capability: from 4-track to 8-track recording.

  4. 5:24
    Tape recorder upgrade

    Made the switch from the Studer J37 to the 3M M23 possible.

Worth your time?

Yes. Use the whole thing.

3.5/ 5
What works
  • 8-track-workflow
  • per-channel-compression
  • per-channel-eq
  • solid-state-mixing
What does not
  • sound-design
  • synthesis
  • effects-and-pedals
  • instruments
Use it if
  • studio-historian
  • archive-engineer
  • period-recording-practitioner
Skip it if
  • modern-producer
  • home-recorder
  • DAW-user
The written brief1 min read

What it is and what it was built for

The TG12345 is a solid-state mixing console built by EMI for Abbey Road Studios. It was built to replace the REDD .51 and enable 8-track multitrack recording.

How it works, in terms a player would use

It has 24 mic inputs and 8 tape outputs. Each channel has built-in compression and EQ. It is solid-state, not tube-based.

What it does better than anything else

It enabled simultaneous 8-track recording at Abbey Road Studio Two in late 1968 — the first console there to do so with integrated per-channel dynamics and EQ.

What it does badly

It offers no automation, no recall, no monitoring matrix beyond its fixed signal path, and no digital integration. Its per-channel processing cannot be bypassed or re-routed.

What people made with it

It was used to record albums requiring 8-track capability after late 1968 at Abbey Road Studio Two, following the switch from the four-track Studer J37 to the eight-track 3M M23.

Who should use it, and who should not

Only studios committed to authentic late-1960s EMI hardware workflows should use it. Anyone seeking flexibility, recall, or modern routing should not.

Is it worth your time

It is worth your time only if you are restoring or operating a period-accurate Abbey Road–style 8-track workflow. It does not translate to modern DAW-based production as a tool or a sound model.

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