An iconic 5 channel mixer, and probably the best known of WEM’s stand-alone mixers. It was used in the 1970s by many bands such as Pink Floyd and The Who in the early days of stadium and festival PA systems. There were at least 2 variations of this mixer and it became quite popular as it was one of the first to include monitoring (foldback) facilities and it could also be linked to a 2nd Audiomaster to give 10 channels in total.

I have 2 Audiomasters –

The first was acquired via an on-line sale (not an auction) in November 2015. When I purchased it the reverb didn’t work and several of the controls either didn’t work or were very scratchy. However, all working now and sounding great – thanks to Ian Woledge. This particular one is a later model, probably from around 1974, which you can tell as it has the additional foldback gain controls on each channel just above the channel Gain controls. It also has a case. I know that WEM did supply cases for Audiomasters and, judging by the state of the case, I think this one is probably an original.

Here is the case after a bit of a clean and polish and with the rusty metalwork painted with Hammerite.

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This 2nd Audiomaster joined my collection in November 2016. It’s extremely unusual as it has white tolex covering. This is its original colour. It has definitely not been painted. This Audiomaster is another later one as it also has the additional foldback gain controls on each channel just above the channel Gain controls.

Here are a few pics of the internals of the white Audiomaster –

I’ve used some upholstery cleaner and white polish to clean it up a bit. Not perfect by a long way but better than it was –

Many thanks to John who has provided some info which potentially explains why this Audiomaster is white –

“In the early 1970s I was working as sound engineer for a band called Principal Edwards. They were a reduced size continuation of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, a prog folk/rock band who were discovered by John Peel and were the first signing to his Dandelion Records. In their original form (before I had any connection with them) they had a fairly advanced light show, and I believe their lighting tech went on to work with Pink Floyd. Floyd’s Nick Mason produced their early recordings. In order to show their lighting to best effect they approached Charlie Watkins who built a special WEM PA system, all covered in white material, including the speaker front fret cloths, not painted. Presumably as the band’s fortunes changed the white system was sold off, and when I joined them they had a conventional black WEM column system. So far as I know, this was the only WEM system made in white, and I thus assume that your white Audiomaster was originally part of said system. During my frequent wanderings around the West End music shops such as Macari’s and Sound City I would sometimes come across white WEM equipment, some still stencilled with PEMT!”

This next Audiomaster was in my collection but has since been sold. This particular one is an earlier model which you can tell as it does not have the additional foldback gain controls