RTBF’s Classic 21 rock journal carries the Dirty Mind console story for the French-speaking side of the country — with extra detail on the financial backstory and the eight-month Prince Estate review that delayed delivery to December 2025.
Vanderheyden tells the broadcaster the console was bought by Prince’s team in 1980 because “Prince had already spent all the money he received from Warner.” The desk is now being restored to be “bulletproof for the next 50 years,” after which it’ll be made available to other producers chasing the dry, late-70s analog sound it was designed for.
“C’était un gars qui avait beaucoup de chance parce que chaque matin, quand il se levait, c’était un autre personnage. Parfois, il ne parlait pas pendant 8 jours… Il courait pour ne pas devoir croiser des gens… mais c’était aussi un blagueur, il était très fun.” (He was a guy with a lot of luck — every morning when he got up, he was a different character. Sometimes he wouldn’t speak for eight days. He’d run so he wouldn’t have to bump into anyone… but he was also a joker, very fun.)
Kris Vanderheyden on Prince, RTBF Classic 21
📰 Read the original (French): rtbf.be — La première console de mixage de Prince découverte en Belgique