Studio Recording Techniques Through the Years - Photos Please!

Funny seeing Bird and Mitch Miller playing, but Mitch was a big part of "Charlie Parker with Strings" (some of Parker's best playing IMO).

This could be from the session, a live radio broadcast or a promo shot. Anyone know?

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That's very cool Steve. I guess the vocals must be on the 2nd 24 track recorder. I'd love to see the track sheet for that!
Nice touch the way they bothered to mark the leader tape with the important info.

 

"Up until the Sgt. Pepper sessions in 1967, the recording desks used in the control room at Abbey Road Studios were the EMI-built REDD 37. Lenny Kravitz owns this console. This is the most famous console in the world. Lenny supposedly refused a substantial offer from a former Beatle member for it.

Below: Ross Alexander at the console"

 

Thank you, wonderful pics!

 

Nice track sheet....... Linn, Prophet, Arp.... 24 track at 30ips.... mmmmmm

 

Two More Beach Boys shots.

 

"Bird With Strings," November 30, 1949 (the "Just Friends" session), Mercury Studios NYC

L to R: Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Charlie Parker, Mitch Miller, Max Hollander and Milt Lomask

 

You don't think that Mercury shot was staged? There would have been another handful of musicians, and it seems a little too perfect with Miller right next to Parker and the Mercury sign on the mic, facing the camera.

 

God I am glad I stumbled upon this thread. How have I never seen it before!

It makes me happy to see the lack of a computer in these pictures. Not to say that things cannot be done very well digitally, it's just that as a younger guy all I really ever see anymore is a studio with a digital workstation and some crappy monitors. Doesn't really constitute a studio, IMO. Studios were works of art and seeing Bones Howe's diagrams of placements and distances really makes you respect what went into and came out of the recording process.

Thanks all for posting these pics!

 

I agree, Ryan. The older studios such as Western and Radio Recorders, etc were works of art. The most important thing is that generally all the musicians were in the same room at the same time (except for some overdubs) and that also contributes to the quality and "liveness" of the sound. Just about everything these days is recorded separately and lacks the ambience that the old studios and equipment provided. A friend of mine is in a band and they do everything on a digital workstation. Guitar recorded today, bass next week, and drums in a month from now. They are excellent players, but everything sounds detached when they record that way.

 

I do have to say that because of this forum I have discovered numerous old recordings and albums that I would have never had an interest in before. It really was pure talent then, .

There are many bands / artists that continue to do things correctly (I've discovered numerous ones here on the forum) but mostly it is as you mentioned. Things just don't sound "true" any more.

 

I found 2 other shots from the same session...



...both of which seem to be from the same batch of photos used on the back of the "Charlie Parker With Strings" LP:

 

There are almost brand new studios built for analog recording. This is from a two year old local studio, Ocean Sound Recording:









One of their main engineers with a couple of his racks:






It is built speciallly for live in the studio analog recording (but they have the digital option for those who prefer doing it that way)

They even holds concerts in the studio:




http://www.facebook.com/OceanSoundRecordings

 

Beautiful studio. I'm browsing the facebook and website now.

 

Wonderful pics Tone!

 

Elvis Costello and The Attractions recording "This Year's Model"

 

thanks.do you know which studio?

 

Speaking of 'Elvis'.

Elvis Presley, DJ Fontana, Bill Black, The Jordanaires and Scotty Moore - RCA Studio 1 - July 2, 1956

RCA studio, and all RCA mics?

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are those A/C grilles or high frequency drivers?

;-)

what kind of guitar amp is that? maybe a Gibson? Magnatone or Standel?

toilet paper on the hi hat?

and that umbrella thingee is for photography lighting, correct? or room tuning?

GREAT SHOT!

 

Looks like they're doing a photoshoot, with that white backdrop behind elvis and the Umbrella 'key' light.

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^ Elvis recorded three songs on July 2 1956 at RCA New York - "Hound Dog", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Any Way You Want Me". And managed a few photos too. Not a bad day's work...

 

The attached photo reveals the answer - Danelectro (Artisit Model 78A, I think).

Also, the 'backdrop' behind Elvis in the other shot is actually one of the studio baffles - another one is seen here behind the drums.

Many more photos from this session can be found here:

http://elvis-tkc.com/forum2/lofiversion/index.php/t16754.html

[CSI]There's one photo where you can almost read Elvis' watch - looks like it's around 6PM. That's around the time between the afternoon and evening sessions (2pm-5pm and 6pm-9pm) which makes sense[/CSI]

 

Thanks - I wouldn't have thought of him using a Dano - I wonder if it was his amp or the one that the studio provided...