[knobtwiddler]

I got my partner a wonderful book for Xmas containing previously unseen photos from the shoot of the film 'Rockers' - and I highly recommend the book for anyone with an interest in the scene. There is a great photo of Tubby powering up a sizeable valve amp, with entourage looking on.

A few years back, I went to an AES lecture tracing the history of audio technology from 1880-1980. I learnt that there really is nothing new under the sun. For example, at the time, the Internet was awash with discussion bemoaning excess dynamic compression in modern releases. I discovered that labels had embraced excessive limiting as a potential means for commercial advantage with the advent of the delta-mu valve in the 30s. Various 'pancaked' recordings from the time were played. The lecture was given by the incomparable Sean Davies. He ended with a track by King Tubby, explaining that he felt this was about as advanced as things got, and it seemed a fitting point to end the lecture.

To my mind, Tubby and his contemporaries such as Jammy and Perry revolutionised the way future generations would approach recording equipment. Up until that point, studio engineering had been regarded as a pretty dry, academic discipline, often handled by men in lab coats. They approached studio electronics as if they were instruments in their own right, looking at them from a completely different different angle. I think Tubby's influence resonates as strongly today as ever.

I shall check the R4 doc - thank you for the heads up!