Episode 24: Malcolm Toft (Trident Studios) Interview

Malcolm Toft has a career spanning over 50 years in the professional audio industry.  He started his career at CBS studios in London and went on to work at the iconic Trident Studios. There he began as an audio engineer, then moved to studio manager working on records by The Beatles, David Bowie, T-Rex, James Taylor, Joe Cocker and many others. As a designer, he founded Trident Audio and was responsible for the design of many of their iconic consoles, including the A Range, B Range, Series 80 and TSM.  He eventually became the co-founder of Trident Audio Developments. Toft went on to form another console company, Malcolm Toft Associates, which eventually led to Toft Audio Designs and the founding of Ocean Audio. Currently he manufactures a range of professional audio products under his own name. In 2009 he was awarded a visiting professorship by Leeds College of Music while The University of West London awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Science. I have always been an advent Trident console user, so it was pleasure to sit down with Malcolm and discuss his prolific career in the audio industry. GUITAR TRAX is hosted by mulit-Emmy award winning guitarist Brian Tarquin featuring in- depth interviews with today’s hottest guitar legends and airs every Monday night from 10pm-12pm on NPR's WFIT 89.5FM on the Florida space coast and can be streamed on WFIT.org. Brian Tarquin & Heavy Friends lifted up the spirits of our veterans through music with Beyond The Warrior’s Eyes which peaked at #1 Top Fusion Album on Roots Music Reports and #5 on Relix/Jambands charts. In 2023 Brian’s music video “Speed of Sound” featuring Joe Satriani won Best Video of the Year by the Josie Music Awards. His all star album Brothers In Arms topped the metal radio charts peaking #7 on the NACC Loud Rock charts and #11 on the Metal Contraband charts. Both in 2022 & 2023 the Josie Music Awards nominated Tarquin for "Musician of the Year (Guitar)" and "Music Producer of the Year." In 2023 the Hollywood Independent Music Awards nominated his company BHP Music-Guitar Trax Records for "Independent Record Label of the Year."