TREVOR HORN’S LEGENDARY STUDIO MIXING DESK TO FEATURE IN PROPSTORE’S $4 MILLION MUSIC AUCTION

Trevor Horn’s legendary SSL mixing desk – the console behind hits for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal, and George Michael – will feature in Propstore’s Auction.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Trevor Horn’s legendary SSL mixing desk – the console behind hits for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal, and George Michael – will feature in Propstore’s Music Memorabilia Live Auction on October 23–24, 2025. The sale, featuring more than 550 exceptional lots celebrating the world of music, is expected to realise over $4 million, with the desk alone estimated to fetch $132,000 - $264,000.

Installed at the iconic Sarm West Studio 2 in June 1983, Trevor Horn’s Solid State Logic (SSL) mixing desk became the beating heart of one of Britain’s most innovative recording spaces. Over the next two decades, it shaped the sound of the 1980s and 1990s, capturing an extraordinary era of creativity that pushed the boundaries of music production.

One of the first tracks recorded and mixed on the console was Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes in 1983. The single is often regarded as one of the first rock songs to merge live performance with cutting-edge computer technology. Horn later reflected, “When I get asked to name my best production work, two tracks come to mind: ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ and ‘Slave to the Rhythm.’”

Grace Jones’s Slave to the Rhythm, also produced on this console, began life as a single before evolving into a full album — a sonic experiment in rhythm and frequency that remains a benchmark in production innovation. The record became an industry reference point for audio excellence and is still used by hi-fi manufacturers today to test the performance and range of their systems.

Sarm West Studio 2 and Horn’s SSL console were far ahead of their time. “People used to come and ask me, ‘How did you do this?’ or ‘How did you do that?’” Horn recalled. “They couldn’t figure out how it was all done.”

When not in use on Horn’s own projects, the studio and console were rented commercially and became a creative home for other major artists. WHAM!’s Careless Whisper was recorded and mixed on this console, and George Michael continued to use the room throughout his career. The desk also played a role in recordings by Coldplay, Shakira, Metallica, Rihanna, and many others.

Still fully operational today, the SSL mixing desk remains a working piece of music history and a symbol of studio craftsmanship. Now coming to market for the first time, it is the only studio console associated with Trevor Horn ever to be offered for sale. Horn held onto it for decades, explaining, “Because it’s lucky. A disproportionate number of hits were made with it.” Estimated between $132,000 – $264,000 at Propstore’s upcoming Music Memorabilia Live Auction, the desk represents a rare opportunity for collectors to own a defining piece of music history.

Among the many hits recorded or mixed on the console are:

– YES – Owner of a Lonely Heart (1983)
– FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD – Two Tribes (1984), The Power of Love (1984), Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984)
– GRACE JONES – Slave to the Rhythm (1985)
– BAND AID – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (12” Remix, 1984)
– ART OF NOISE – Who’s Afraid of the Art of Noise (album, 1984)
– SEAL – Crazy (1991), Kiss from a Rose (1994), Seal I (1991), Seal II (1994)
– PET SHOP BOYS – Left to My Own Devices (1988), Actually (album, 1987), Very (album, 1993)
– WHAM! – Careless Whisper (1984), Last Christmas (1984), Make It Big (album, 1984)
– GEORGE MICHAEL – Faith (1987), Freedom! (1990), Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (album, 1990), Older (album, 1996)
– GODLEY & CREME – Cry (1985)

This remarkable item carries an exceptional level of history, nuance, and provenance, with countless stories woven into its legacy. To explore its full journey and detailed background, readers can view Propstore’s specially designed brochure for the console here: https://content.propstore.com/auction/music25/Trevor_Horn_Mixing_Desk.pdf

The two-day Music Memorabilia Auction will begin at 3:00 PM BST / 7:00 AM PDT each day. The first day of the auction features in-room bidding open to the public at The Cumberland Hotel on Thursday, October 23, 2025. The second day, on Friday, October 24, 2025, will be an online-only Oasis celebration, offering over 170 lots of memorabilia from one of Britain’s best-loved Britpop bands, marking their monumental world tour return this year. Global online, absentee, and telephone bids will be accepted throughout the event.

Registration is now open, and the full catalogue is available to view and bid on at https://propstoreauction.com/auctions/info/id/460.
Find out more about the public exhibition at The Cumberland Hotel over at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/music-live-auction-vip-exhibition-the-cumberland-hotel-london-tickets-1595678259629?aff=oddtdtcreator

Mark Hochman, Propstore’s Music Specialist, commented: “Trevor Horn’s SSL console was truly ahead of its time, pushing the boundaries of what technology and creativity could achieve in the studio. Many of the sounds that defined the 1980s and 1990s were born on this desk, yet its influence still feels completely modern today. At Propstore, we are thrilled to bring such a significant piece of recording history to auction, one that embodies both the innovation and nostalgia of a golden era in British music.”

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Notes to Editors:

For further information, catalogue images and expert interviews, please contact:
Bethany Willetts | bwilletts@blazepr.com

Register for auction updates: https://propstoreauction.com/auctions/info/id/460

Images are available in the following Dropbox link (please copy and paste URL): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/cdptjdkj40jym29vl6zxj/AMYLqOO_kOUQMhfzOT3YilA?rlkey=ag8gg1mk4rv2mrba9k9mf4kdo&dl=0
Credit: Propstore

About Propstore
In 1998, Propstore founder Stephen Lane’s love for movies led him to hunt for the same props and costumes used to create his favorite films. He found that he could provide collectors with access to their most coveted pieces and establish archival standards for this new, pop-culture hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting—prop art.

Since 2014, Propstore has regularly hosted live auctions featuring some of the world’s greatest Entertainment Memorabilia treasures. Propstore specializes in film and television props and costumes, production materials, and artwork, as well as music memorabilia, posters, and collectible toys. Propstore also holds regular online auctions in association with many of the industry’s major production materials and has over 5,000 items available for sale via Buy Now on www.propstore.com.

Following our 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Propstore was thrilled to receive the honor again in 2024, this time as the prestigious King's Award for Enterprise. Widely regarded as the highest accolade for business success in the UK, the King's Award for Enterprise recognizes British companies that have excelled in innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

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