23 Facts About Graham Blyth

Graham Blyth is an English audio engineer who is known for designing mixing consoles.

Graham Blyth is a co-founder of Soundcraft, a manufacturer which Blyth helped form into a world leader in sound reinforcement and recording mixers, establishing the "British sound".

Graham Blyth was born 22 March 1948 in Chessington; his father was an architect and his mother a teacher and painter.

Graham Blyth was schooled from an early age in Epsom, Surrey, England.

Graham Blyth began studying the piano at the age of four years, and in his teens worked to gain a scholarship to Trinity College of Music in London.

In September 1973, Dudderidge and Graham Blyth formed Soundcraft Electronics, Ltd.

Graham Blyth's leadership was significant in the design of a wide variety of Soundcraft mixers which established the British EQ sound, including the Series 1S and the 1624 which became the 2400 in 1982, one of Graham Blyth's favourite projects.

Dudderidge left within the year, but Graham Blyth stayed to serve Harman as product designer and was responsible in 1991 for creating the "affordable" Spirit-by-Soundcraft line of mixers which sold more than 120,000 units by 1995.

Graham Blyth designed the Soundcraft Notepad, "a bit of a cult product" which is a small and "elegant" mixer.

The Soundcraft GB30 microphone preamplifier circuit is a successful Graham Blyth design used on many of Soundcraft's mixers, including the FX model lines which include digital reverberation effects by Lexicon, a sister company within Harman.

In October 2007, Graham Blyth was named a Fellow of the AES.

Graham Blyth reported that he was "surprised and delighted" upon learning that he was to be so honoured, especially considering that he had "never presented any papers on my subject".

Graham Blyth said his success in designing mixing consoles stemmed more from "having green fingers and a very inquiring mind than any structured research process".

In November 2012, Graham Blyth was honoured with a Doctor of Science degree from University of Hertfordshire, in recognition of his audio engineering innovations which advanced the field of mixing console design.

Graham Blyth worked off-hours as a keyboardist in the early 1970s.

At age 38, Graham Blyth revived his interest in keyboard performance, returning to school to pick up performance diplomas from the Royal College of Music, and his former alma mater, Trinity College of Music.

Graham Blyth performed a piano recital at Whitfield Street Studios in 1988 for his 40th birthday.

Graham Blyth joined the Royal College of Organists, an organisation for the promotion of organ and choral music.

Graham Blyth has played at the Brick Presbyterian Church, the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and St Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, the Eglise de la Madeleine in Paris, the Jesuit Church, Vienna, the Dom zu unserer lieben Frau in Munich, the Temple Church in London, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, and at Grace Cathedral and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco.

Graham Blyth consults for organ builders such as Saville Organ Company and helps tune organ installations.

Graham Blyth is president and tonal director of the Veritas Organ Company.

The father of three grown children, Graham Blyth plays organ, piano and harpsichord, and he conducts musical ensembles.

Graham Blyth owns a Fazioli piano, a Veritas electronic organ of his own design, and a harpsichord built by John Horniblow.