Studio Recording Techniques Through the Years - Photos Please!

Please post some photos and commments on recording techniques in the studio through the years.

Here's two photos of Django & group in Studio.

1st one is the group around one mic 1938 Decca studio in London. Second 'room' mic, if it's being used.

Second photo, 1946, has a seperate mic on Django. Abbey Road studio I believe.


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An early Acoustic recording for Gennett records.

Early recordings were made entirely acoustically, the sound being collected by a horn and piped to a diaphragm which vibrated the cutting stylus. Sensitivity and frequency range were poor, and frequency response was very irregular, giving cylinder recordings an instantly recognizable tonal quality. A singer practically had to put his face in the recording horn. Cellos and double basses were completely unrecordable. Violins were barely recordable but instruments were modified with a horn built into the sound box to direct the sound into the recorder's horn.

When a jazz group recorded, drums were completely eliminated because their "boom" would dislodge the cutting stylus from the groove. The loudest instruments stood the farthest away from the collecting horn. Lillian Hardin Armstrong, a member of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band that recorded at Gennett Records in 1923, remembered that at first Oliver and his young second trumpet, Louis Armstrong, stood next to each other and Oliver's horn couldn't be heard. "They put Louis about fifteen feet over in the corner, looking all sad." (See a photograph of Gennett's recording studio here.)

 

Classic "Wrecking Crew" photo from the mid 60s shows some of the miking techniques of the day. Still just 2 mics on the drums (overhead and kick mic probably. can't see it here).

Wish they still did 'em this way.

 

If you find those Steve, do post!

Here's from the Classic Sinatra Captiol Sessions (which one?) ...... Lord, thos mics.

"We don't need no stinkin' isolation!"

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Morrison Hotel sessions

 

Something purely kiwi:

Pictured above: Sandy Edmonds and a recording engineer

This shows how primitive NZ recording studios were. Yes, it is the same "Come See Me" song as the one done by The Pretty Things.
If you listen to the recording (its on utube) it shows that the above picture are very acurate. The sound quality is as bad as you would expect.

 

Byrds, Stones in Chess studio, Early Beatles.

 

The Big E and Nat.

 

Jimi at the Record Plant, Dean and the Rat Pack.

 

Awesome Glenn.... thanks!

Again, 2 mics on the drums on most of those. (if that) Most drum recordings today use 8-10, which is more than the total mics in used these classic Singer/Orchestra sessions.

 

Here's a great shot of Brian & "Keef" at RCA in early 1966....... Wonder what song they're working?

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Pardon my ignorance, but which one is Django, the one on the left or the right of the bass player?

 

The one to the left as you look at the picture (ie the one without all the fingers on his left hand).

 

You are welcome Anthony. How far do you want to go back ? Here's a typical acoustic orchestra recording session by Victor, using recording horns. Is that too far back ? (Ah, I just saw that Spyder already posted the old picture). Also, here's Phil with Sonny Bono at Gold Star,the Stones at Olympic, Jimmy Page in Olympic in 69 recording Led Zeppelin 2, and Frank Sinatra .

 

I believe the Elvis session photos are from 4/14/56.He is recording
"I Want You,I Need You,I Love You" at the old RCA studios on McGavock St.
Looks like Chet Atkins is playing Elvis' Martin in its leather cover in the top left photo.The building was torn down in 2006;I was unaware of its location
until after it was gone.(Info from the Scotty Moore website.)

 

Good info thanks.

By the way, here's a link to a site with a nice, brief history of recording, and there are sound samples. I found it interesting. Check it out.

http://www.charm.rhul.ac.uk/history/p20_4_1.html

 

Three more pictures for the night.

 

i use the Decca discography at the CHARM site all the time-i've gotten quite
obsessive about it.great to play an old classical cassette tape & be able to
get session details!

 

A couple of Bob ones I like - not the usual '65 ones, but from Self Portrait/New Morning period,

 

That's from the cover of the 1961 LP, SINATRA'S SWINGIN' SESSION!!!, but it's a staged shot. Sinatra didn't stand right there while recording. For an extended discussion of this photo, see starting here:

[post=5825456]Sinatra / Capitol Sound & Photo Quality: "Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!" - 1961 (post #43 and beyond)[/post]

 

March 7, 1955, at Capitol's Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood (the former KHJ Radio studio). This pre-dates the Capitol Tower.

The vocal group is The Nuggets. They're recording the single sides "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)" and "From the Bottom to the Top," produced by Dave Cavanaugh (aka "Big Dave's Music").

 

BTW, I forgot to answer the question (which session?). That's August 23, 1960, at the Capitol Tower. The sheet music Frank is holding is for "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me." See also: Matt Lutthans' web page about this photo.

 

Anyone have any shots taken at the 1950s Contemporary Records studio (aka the Contemporary Records warehouse)? I've seen some session photos on the back covers of LPs, and you can see cartons of LPs stacked up in the background. Those recordings sound so good too!

I'd love to see a photo of an early Atlantic Records session, back when they were recording after hours in the company's office. They used to move the desks and chairs out of the way and set up the mics right there.