The roots of RSD go
way back to 1976 when a small group of sound engineers, frustrated
by the lack of high power amplifiers available in the UK, decided
to design and build their own. The company name Recording
Studio Design (RSD), was chosen as it reflected
the aims of taking studio quality in to the live sound arena.
Also one of the guys had a previous company called RSD and the
name had kind of stuck!
At
this time, if you were powering a large PA system you would have
to use imported amps from the USA which were expensive, hard to
get and difficult to service. So, after several months of design
the 800B amplifier was produced and a small production line set
up in a 'chicken shed' in Cheshunt, England. Primitive surroundings
they may have been but the amplifiers soon set standards in the
audio business. The major innovators in sound then were not electronics
or loudspeaker companies, but a rock band called Pink Floyd. If
they used your product it was the ultimate endorsement and fortunately
they started using the RSD 800B
power amplifiers. Through 1977 most PA hire companies in the UK
were using the 800B amps due to the growing demand for larger,
higher powered rigs to support the 'Punk' explosion. The demand
expanded into Europe and the company RSD was firmly established.
The energy and
enthusiasm of a youthful company like RSD soon realised that
power amplifiers were just the start. There was a growing demand
for affordable mixing consoles for bands and small installations
that had not been addressed by other companies. The first of
a long line of mixers was born with the RSD
12-2. 12 mic inputs and 2 (stereo) outputs sounds
tame today, but the 12-2 came with semi-parametric equalisation
- unheard of in such a small console.
The
company now turned its attention to the evolving home and project
studios which again, all needed compact cost effective mixers.
The name RSD was now strongly associated with live sound and for
this new venture it was decided that a more appropriate name should
be used. A brain storming (including one or two brews) followed
and the name Studiomaster
was thought up, totally fitting the bill. Once again innovation
was the key phrase when the Studiomaster
16-4 console was completed. 16 mic/line inputs
with 2 frequency sweeps in the EQ, 3 auxiliaries, full monitoring
and large VU meters housed in a package under 32 inches wide!.
It matched the needs of 4 track open reel recording studios perfectly
and the Studiomaster line was up and running. Both the 12-2 and
16-4 also started the valued feature of 'input expandability'.
Blocks of 4 mic channels could be added to the consoles at any
time to meet the users ever increasing input requirements.
The
future was set with the success of these products, by now distributed
all over the world, and the company was ready to take on the challenges
of the next decade.
