Researching Langevin

by John Trauscht
(Nashville, TN)

Hi, my name is John Trauscht. My father, Donald Trauscht, was hired by the owner of Langevin (Ed Swanson?) from 1964-1967 to pull the company out of the red and return it to profitability. He did, thankfully. Unfortunately, I don't think he ever really grasped the legacy of what he accomplished before he passed away on Nov. 12, 2016. I have only recently learned of a little of it myself, thanks to a friend who acquired and lovingly refurbished a 1965 Langevin console for his studio here in Nashville.

I am in the process of trying to piece together that legacy, and would greatly appreciate any insight. I am aware that those vintage consoles are currently sought out, but I am unaware of what original recordings might have inspired such brand loyalty. Motown? The Wrecking Crew? Was Aretha Franklin recorded on Langevin consoles? Beach Boys? Martha and the Vandellas? I would love to know.

I am also aware that Bob Heil engineered a custom Langevin console to launch the historic Grateful Dead tour in 1971, producing decibel levels that until then had not been achieved. I've also learned that Elektra used Langevin consoles on the early Doors records.

John Trauscht