To Mock the Stupendous Mechanism: The Story of The Motherbrain’s WSW Console

Part 1: Fuckit, We can make this work.

Sometimes, the universe takes occasion to make obvious its plan for your life. This was one such moment.

The last year of my life and many other lives besides were spent in the process of making a record for my bestie, the incredibly talented Heather Christian and her band, the Arbornauts.  This was an epic process and after the band and I did the final mix approval listening hang (no recalls!), I passed out on the couch with triumph-lightened shoulders.

Loft/Live Room at The Motherbrain, Brooklyn. (Click to enlarge.)

I awoke to an email from Joel Morowitz at Ecstatic Electric about a very rare console that would prove to be my next massive undertaking based on the joy of creation.

It’s worthy of mention that I had not actually met Joel at that point. Joel was sent my way by Damir Rogina.

Some of you may know Damir as ‘Roginator’ on many of the forums, owner and designer of Synthetic Arts Studio in Croatia, and far and away the most vocal online proponent of the entirely underappreciated Austrian Broadcast manufacturer, Weiner Schwachstromwerke, or WSW. (Auf Deutsch, this means Vienna Low Current Plant. Love me some Google translate right about now, more on this later…).

Most everyone is certainly very aware of Siemens/Tab/Telefunken and WSW is another aspect of this diaspora. In my understanding, many of their designs were either licensed from Siemens or directly influenced by them, but WSW made their own transformers in-territory with a higher Iron content, as well as several utterly unique pieces that are incredibly rare in the U.S.

Damir additionally postulates that the mic pre in these modules might be the early basis for Neve’s designs. I cannot be entirely sure why this brand never gained any traction in the U.S., but the theory that we are working from is that it’s primarily a function of Europe’s geopolitical climate at the time. Most likely, these were being consumed on the other side of the Curtain…

I had reached out to Damir via Gearslutz to try to track down a few extremely special mic pres but kismet happened to have brought Damir from Zagreb to Brooklyn and was, at that very moment, only a few blocks away. And so he and I met, hit it off quickly, and discussed all things WSW. As it happened, he was in town installing an incredible WSW console he and his partner had completely refurbished in Arun Pandian’s Superfund Studio in Carroll Gardens.

My assistant and conciliere Jon Anderson and I went and checked Arun’s desk and each shed a single tear for the sheer beauty of what was before us.

It was a real live WSW desk. Most of you will probably have the same reaction to this as I did, “Do What now?” I didn’t even know this shit existed. I have had the pleasure of spending some significant time with their pres and limiters but had no idea that they had ever built consoles. Damir and Arun beamed like proud fathers as they smoked blue-ringed cigars.

Damir also informed me that he had a number of channel strips of the same vintage as well as a beautiful sidecar that he had restored back at his spot in Croatia. I have been looking for some more outboard EQ to compliment my Tonelux but had some significant hesitation to snag it due to the modifications that would be necessary to get a sidecar making sense in our world in the way it needed to. I hemmed and hawed but ultimately decided it was a lot of bread to not be quite what I was looking for. Bummer.

Cut to a few weeks later and that email from Joel.

As it turns out, Joel had discovered a desk of the same vintage in a sub-basement storage unit in Long Island. (yes, I feel the same way). Joel and Damir were friends and Damir had accompanied Joel to check this console out since he happened to be in town. Damir then pointed Joel in my direction since he knew that I was looking for WSW gear of this era.

This one, however, was split into 7 Russian Military road cases as someone in the mid 60’s had the incredible huevos to tour with this fucker. The console comprises 10x 811 510 Germanium mono input modules, 3x 811 510s Stereo input modules, as well as 4x 811 513 Group Modules, 2x 811 512 Echo Modules and 5x 811 514b Buss Masters. Additionally, the cases housed a pair of 601 430 s Germanium Begrenzers and a number of other outboard pres, even a tone generator.  It was complete.

Detail of the Begrenzers

Various tube modules and huge PSU

The modules in rank and file

Apparently, the guy who had it in storage had a former partner that was far more audio-interested and so this Cask of Amontillado was living, forgotten, covered, and cased, in climate controlled storage for who knows how long.

In fact, the whole thing is rather inscrutable. As I mentioned, there is precious little information about the history of WSW out there and even less about this particular console. Jon and I have spent hours and days pondering the meaning of this particular mound of mashed potatoes. Near as we can surmise, this may have been used as a touring console for live reinforcement and/or radio broadcasts, most probably in Russia. The PCB’s are labeled 1966. There was an Aeroflot manifest on the side of one of the cases. All the wiring is milspec and the racking was obviously a custom job at the factory. The subframes that carry audio I/O and power have WSW asset badges and so my thinking is that this install was entirely factory.

The WSW console's Meter Bridge

When I finally was able to link up with Joel and check out the desk, the thing was in staggeringly good condition. No dirt or dust on the inside, no bulging caps, 97% of the pots moved freely as if new – far cleaner than some of the vintage gear we all use on a daily basis.

Joel also pointed out a Neutrik XLR in the tangled wiring harness that implied the console was in use as late as the mid 90’s. There was no Documentation, however, and certainly no information as to how the whole thing fit together.

Based on the condition alone, I came quickly to the understanding that this is a once in a lifetime find and pulled the trigger…

Holy shit, I just bought a console.

Next up: What the shit is this shit?

After closing one set of doors too many, Brian Bender opened the ones at The Motherbrain, Brooklyn. Brian has enjoyed the pleasure of running sessions at Looking Glass, The Hit Factory, Electric Lady and many more beautiful rooms in New York and beyond. His co-conspirators include names as diverse as Philip Glass, The Counting Crows, Al Green. Borusan Philarmonie and Craig Street. Recent clients include Krystle Warren and the Faculty, Brazilian Girls/Forro in the Dark for the Red Hot Organization, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, R/GA and Bing and Ruth.

Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.