There it was, at the 129th AES show, in all its knobby glory: the newest creation from legendary console designer Malcolm Toft, the Trident Series 82. While the general crowds at AES may have petered off after the first day, there was a constant swarm of analog fanboys and studio mavens hovering around the unassuming man in front of the massive board, all vying for a glimpse of what was once thought to be an endangered species.

Gino Robair got a chance to speak at some length with Mr. Toft about the Series 82, and the designer was more than happy to give us a tour of the board's main features and configuration options. According to Malcolm, the demand for these big boards is back in a big way, thanks to a renewed appreciation for the otherwise unattainable sound of analog mixing and summing. If it weren't for the recent death of the Sony Cassette Walkman, we'd officially declare the eighties as "back."