Chandler Limited Curve Bender Equaliser

The Chandler Limited Curve Bender is a high-end TG equaliser created to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Abbey Road Studios. Designed by Chandler Limited’s Wade Goeke, it is based on the classic EMI TG12345 console used on recordings by The Beatles and Pink Floyd.

Continuing EMI’s long tradition of equaliser design, which began with the RS57 in 1954, the Chandler Limited Curve Bender draws directly from the 1969 TG12345 and the 1974 TG12412 units.

Wade expanded the original’s limited EQ range to offer 51 selectable EQ points, along with a multiplier switch that allows for up to ±13.5dB of cut or boost. The multiplier also sharpens the Q and enables further tonal shaping. Both the high and low bands include filter and bell/shelf options for added flexibility.

From 2011 onwards, the mastering and standard versions were merged into a single model. When the multiplier is set to x1, EQ adjustments occur in 0.5dB increments, offering up to ±5dB of gain per band. Switching to x1.5 expands this to ±13.5dB per band. The main left and right output level controls always operate in 0.5dB steps for precision gain adjustment, with a range of ±5dB.

History

Developed from meetings in 1967 between Abbey Road and EMI’s Central Research Laboratories, the EMI TG12345 MK.I was a germanium transistor-based solid-state console created to replace the earlier valve-driven EMI REDD desks.

Though basic by today’s standards, the TG12345’s equaliser section represented a significant advancement over the REDD consoles. Installed in Abbey Road’s Studio Two in November 1968, the TG12345 made its first appearance on an 8-track session with The Shadows and marked a major transition from valve to solid-state technology at the studio.

The EMI TG12345 MK.I played a key role in shaping the sound of The Beatles’ Abbey Road, offering a fuller, more refined tone compared to their earlier recordings. The console went on to be used for landmark albums including Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and major film scores such as Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The TG12345 underwent multiple revisions throughout the 1970s and remained Abbey Road’s primary recording console until 1983. Despite its iconic status, TG consoles were never made commercially available.