Sphere Eclipse
Type III
At the heart of Russian Recording is our fully rebuilt and customized 72-input Sphere Eclipse Type III console.
Originally built in 1972 by Sphere Electronics as the only Eclipse Type II ever made, it was one of the company’s first large-format consoles, commissioned for Bob Beckham’s Combine Music in Nashville. It lived there until the 1990s, when it was brought to Bloomington by Echo Park Studios. In 2010, we acquired the console when Echo Park closed their B studio.
Our console was featured on the original Sphere Type II brochure and, as far as we know, no other Type II was ever built. The Type II predates the Eclipse A (which is often mistakenly thought to be the first Eclipse), and was a sibling to the even larger Eclipse Type I. Now, after a five-year ground-up rebuild, it’s the only Eclipse Type III in existence.
The modern Type III retains the original discrete signal path, featuring vintage M1200b mic preamp cards, SPA50 output amps, and 900 Series EQs, while introducing a host of thoughtful updates: rotary-switched pan controls, transformer-balanced inserts, stereo groups, flexible routing, and a reimagined master section that includes a blended master insert and 900 Series stereo bus EQ.
This one-of-a-kind console was meticulously reimagined in-house to meet the demands of modern hybrid workflows, without compromising the tone, clarity, and headroom that made the original so special. Paired with 28 A/D and 52 D/A of Burl Mothership conversion and our Otari MX80 2” 16/24 track tape machine, it allows seamless tracking, mixing, and stem printing entirely through the console to tape or to the DAW.
MASTER SECTION
- Switchable transformer balanced master insert
- Wet/Dry blend of master insert using 24 position Elma rotary switch
- Switchable Type III Stereo Master EQ (build from a pair of NOS 900 Series EQs and a pair of 300 Series EQs with mastering boost/cut increments)
- Master EQ can be positioned pre-insert, wet path, dry path, post-insert, or used as an outboard EQ
- 24 position pre-insert trim (+/- 4dB)
- 24 position master stereo balance (+/- 4dB left to right)
- Separate Dry and Wet Outputs
MAIN CHANNEL STRIPS
- Vintage M1200b preamp w/stepped input gain, output gain, 48V, Polarity, and input impedance select and up to 81 dB of gain with LED metering
- Transormer balanced line input with LED metering
- 24 position Elma rotary switches for pan
- Vintage 900 Series EQ
- Transformer balalanced switchable channel insert (mic and line)
- 4 x mono aux sends
- 4 x stereo aux sends
- 16 x Output Busses
- Channels 17-24 have direct outs
STEREO CHANNELS
- Transformer balanced line inputs
- Switchable between stereo channels or stereo subgroups
- Bounce Feature (allows you to print stems a the same time as your mix)
- Stereo balance push-pot (push for mono)
- Two stereo Aux Sends
STEREO ECHO RETURNS
- Transformer balanced line inputs with stereo LED metering
- Bounce Feature (allows you to print stems a the same time as your mix)
- Stereo balance push-pot (push for mono)
- Normalled to outboard effects processors
- Assignable to all 16 output busses
CONTROL ROOM SECTION
- Control Room level on 32 position Elma rotary switch
- Subwoofer mute, assign, and level adjustments
- SPA62 based headphone amplfier
- Mute, mono, dim
from
TYPE Ii
to
TYPE iii
By the time we acquired the console, the original Type II had undergone numerous modifications over the years, including homemade PCBs with ICs for the line inputs and summing amps. More significantly, it wasn’t a true in-line design. Other limitations included no polarity reverse on the mic or line inputs, and a limited aux send matrix.
Addressing these limitations meant more than just a few upgrades, it required rebuilding the entire console from the ground up. That included new wiring, custom modules, an overhauled layout, new faceplates, updated controls, and a fully redesigned power supply. We even went so far as to source the original Rogan knobs and machined exact replicas of the original red and blue anodized aluminum fader caps.
In 2019, we began designing the Sphere Eclipse Type III. Our goal was to preserve the discrete circuitry and sonic integrity of the original while expanding its capabilities for today’s studio environment. The result is a completely redesigned console built into the original Type II frame. It maintains the core vintage elements: M1200b mic preamps, SPA50 output amps, and 900 Series graphic EQs, while introducing new, modular, and fully serviceable designs.
To handle the expanded signal flow, inputs and outputs and summing architecture, our technician and electrical designer Mike Stucker created a brand-new, socketed version of the original SPA62 op amp, used throughout the console for all summing and newly added functions. Every component was rethought with performance, longevity, and serviceability in mind.
The result is a truly one-of-a-kind analog console—restored, modernized, and purpose-built to serve as the creative centerpiece of Russian Recording.
Dive deeper into our Sphere Eclipse Type III Console in this Tape Op Magazine feature.
