OceanAudio The Ark 500 Series Owner's Manual - Introduction
Ark 500 range - Owner’s Manual - Revision 2.2 - page 3
Introduction
Thank you for your purchase of the Ark.
This manual is for all models of the Ark 500 range
(Ark 504, Ark 516, Ark 508 Expander and Ark 516 Expander)
We hope you’ll have as much pleasure using it as we had designing and building it.
The Ark is designed by Malcolm Toft, who was the founder of console manufacturer Trident Audio
Developments in 1972. Prior to that he was a recording engineer whose credits include the David Bowie
‘Space Oddity’ album, three albums with T-Rex and James Taylor’s first album. He was also involved
with the mixing of the Beatles ‘Hey Jude’ single at Trident Recording Studios in 1968.
Malcolm has been designing recording consoles for over forty years and some of the artists who have
recorded hits on his consoles include: Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Rod Stewart, Queen, David
Bowie and Elton John. More recently, Radiohead, Muse, Dire Straits, Coldplay and Oasis have added
their name to the list. And now you !!
Malcolm was made a visiting professor by Leeds College of music in 2008 in recognition of his unique
combination of experience as a recording engineer and console designer. It is this wealth of experience
and pedigree that is brought to the design of the Ark consoles.
Enjoy working with the Ark
All the best
and the Ocean Audio team
Here are just a few artists, studios and bands whose names may sound familiar to you, and who have
used, or are still using, consoles designed by Malcolm Toft.
Elton John - David Bowie - Queen - Lou Reed - Harry Nilsson - James Taylor - Carly Simon
The Eagles - The Beatles - T-Rex - Dire Straits - Bachman Turner Overdrive - Linda Rondstat
Supertramp - Thin Lizzy - George Harrison - Jeff Beck - Radiohead - Tony Visconti
Ringo Star - Paul McCartney - Brian Eno - Supertramp - Chris De Burgh - Ian Anderson
Amy Winehouse - The Manic Street Preachers - Ricky Nelson - Paul Weller - Oasis - Muse
The Chemical Brothers - Hard-Fi - The Nice - Rick Wakeman - Joe Cocker - The Move
Aphrodite’s Child - Blood Sweat and Tears - The Nice - Phil Manzanera - The Record Plant LA
The Record Plant San Francisco - Chipping Norton Studios - Sarm Recording Studios
Trident Studios - Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts - Leeds College of Music - Sound 80 Minneapolis
Armin van Buuren - Lenny Kravitz - Dennis Ferrer - Vienna University of Performing Arts - Frank Sinatra
- Genesis - Cherokee Studios Hollywood