SH Spotlight Studio Historians - 1950's-'60's typical recording studio setup & use

In the 1960's Wally Heiders studio one in Hollywood had very similar equipment to the gear shown the United Recording photo.

 

Great stuff!

 

Thanks all for sharing the great photos.

Steve, any images of John Kraus at work?

 

Too bad. I don't think I've ever seen a pic of him.

 

Yup....tubes vs. transistors.....and the audio path was probably a lot simpler back then......certainly more direct. Thanks for sharing those pictures. A lot changed in 13 years!

 

Anyone know what Bunny Robyn had in Radio Recorders when he recorded Fats Domino in the late 50s?

Jason

 

Wow, tough room today.

Equipment. Mics, tape recorders and the like.

 

Maybe hard-wired vs IC's too? Tubes have the magic, no doubt about it.

Dublin's a beautiful town, BTW. We go to the Memorial Tournament (from Dayton) more often than not. Gotta support Jack.

 

Hi Steve

I tend to think Bill Putnam did not design the gear especially for Heider. Probably, the tube console (very much like the United photo you posted) and the outboard gear used in Heiders Studio One was purchased from Putnam's Universal Audio and its installation supervised by Heiders chief engineer, Frank DeMedio. Heider and DeMedio, however, were former Putnam employees and Wally's studios reflected many Putnam design techniques.

Wally later built Studio Three at the same Hollywood location. The story of Studio Three’s creation goes something like this: Putnam’s United/Western Studio Three was one the hottest (most single hits) studios in town and Wally wanted that hit sound for his new room. He booked a half hour of time at United/Western Three, measured the room, copied the surfaces and control room as much as possible, and built his own Studio Three. The major departure from Studio One's equipment was the solid state console that Putnam designed.

 

No I hadn't seen that, very cool. Thanks for the links.

However, I've just realized my early senility led me to say Radio Recorders instead of Master Recorders, where Robyn recorded Rick Nelson, The Coasters and Sam Cooke, as well as Fats Domino. So that would have had three track too. I'm guessing a bunch of Neumanns as well, right?

Jason

 

There were quite a few sessions there, starting in 1953:

Goin' Back Home, You Left Me, 44 (Sept 19, 1953)

I Lived My Life, Little Mama, I Know (July 10, 1954)

Help Me, All By Myself, Ain't It A Same, Oh Ba-a-aby (March 15, 1955)

La-La, Blue Monday (March 20, 1955)

Don't Blame It On me, If You Need Me (November 7, 1955)

Howdy Podner, So-Long (November 30, 1955)

What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You, The Twist Set Me Free (June 21, 1956)

Blueberry Hill, Honey Chile (June 27, 1956)

It's You I Love, Valley of Tears, Wait and See, True Confession (April 11, 1957)

Little Mary, Stack & Billy, When I See You (June 15, 1957)

Sick and Tired, No, No (February 4, 1958)

If You Need Me, Hands Across the Table, So Glad, Darktown Strutter's Ball, Margie, The Sheik of Araby (October 30, 1958)

My Heart is Bleeding, I Hear You Knocking, Lil Liza Jane, Every Night, When the Saints Go Marching In, Country Boy (November 4, 1958)

And I see by looking at the discography that Domino did do a session at Radio Recorders in April of 1953, so I'm not completely senile!

Jason

 

Jordan, look in Sessions With Sinatra - there's a picture of John Kraus at one of the Tower's Ampex's. Too bad there's not one of him in the control room or the performance areas.

I've also looked for pictures of John Palladino - the only one I could find was with his back to the camera, and I needed John to tell me that was him from me sending him a copy of what I found. I've never seen his face...

 

Steve and Jason,

I believe the Fats Domino song is Blueberry Hill. I've read that's the only song he cut in California while signed to Imperial Records.

Russ

 

That would make sense, of course. The Bear Family box is packed away right now and I can't get to it, otherwise I'd check. I'm a little curious about the songs with overdubs, like It's You I Love and Valley of Tears. I could have sworn Valley of Tears was stereo. So that would have just been a 1/4" tape to tape overdub.

Jason

 

Interesting thread!

I have a question. Here's a slightly better scan of Columbia'a 30th St NYC Studio, and also Fred Plaut manning the controls:



In the left-hand shot, I see three tape machines. In the center there is one black, one white. Are these both mono? Then the one to the far left, that's an Ampex three-track? I believe there would be another three-track out of frame there, provided the other two are mono.

 

Was the lava lamp part of the stock studio setup, or was that your own addition?