Decline of the studio
Discussion
In recent years a good percentage of the top studios have closed, Townhouse on Goldhawk Rd, Master Rock on the Kilburn High Rd, Mayfair in Primrose Hill, Maison Rouge in Fulham plus loads more here and in America.
Everything seemed to go downhill around the turn of the new millennium with record companies not giving huge advances, the rise of pro-tools for cheap recording, the downgrading of music in general all played their part in the demise of the studio.
Bearing this in mind I can thoroughly recommend Dave Grohl's film Sound City if you get chance to watch it,the film is based around the Neve 8028 console which was used to record some of the great albums of all time, a beautiful sounding analog console.
Everything seemed to go downhill around the turn of the new millennium with record companies not giving huge advances, the rise of pro-tools for cheap recording, the downgrading of music in general all played their part in the demise of the studio.
Bearing this in mind I can thoroughly recommend Dave Grohl's film Sound City if you get chance to watch it,the film is based around the Neve 8028 console which was used to record some of the great albums of all time, a beautiful sounding analog console.
The rates were at their peak in the 80s, Master Rock if memory serves was up to £1200 a day, $2000 dollars a day in Electric Lady in New York at similar time, I did a bit of work in Air when it was on Oxford St and should imagine it was dearer still.
I think Gallagher used Air and Master Rock for Be Here Now but that was long after my time.
I think Gallagher used Air and Master Rock for Be Here Now but that was long after my time.
GetCarter said:
Angel and Abbey are cheaper now than they have been for years. (+/- £2.5k and £3.5k per day respectively).
Thing is, I can do 90% of what I do there in my studio at home, so I only use one of those when I need to record orchestral stuff... which is why most of them went bust. Only the best few remain.
Check out this great site about the studios that have gone in this country.http://philsbook.com/Thing is, I can do 90% of what I do there in my studio at home, so I only use one of those when I need to record orchestral stuff... which is why most of them went bust. Only the best few remain.
Air which is now in Hampstead do a lot of string arrangements, they used have a residential in the Caribbean island of Montserrat and one of the famous Neve consoles Rupert Neve designed for George Martin can be seen in the Every Little Thing Is Magic video by the Police, the console was sold to A and M studios which carried on making hit albums, probably one of the the most desirable consoles in the world.
Abbey Rd now uses AMS Neve 88 series consoles which has nothing to do with Rupert Neve only that Siemans kept his name when they brought his old company out.
This year I am going to visit Mr Neve in Texas as I worked for him for 3 years in the 80s and have remained good friends, he is a true gentleman.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 8th May 22:58
DanoS4 said:
FWIW, I only use the "big" rooms when I need to now. I'm more of an SSL man myself, so I've got all the gubbins at home.
I'm not that far away from Real World (Peter Gabriel's place) so go there when I need to do anything that I can't do at home.
That said, not been there in over a year now......
I hear he's got a great set up at Real World, he use to own a firm in the 80s making preamps and now owns SSL I do believe, I met him in the lift at a AES convention held in London in the 80s. I'm not that far away from Real World (Peter Gabriel's place) so go there when I need to do anything that I can't do at home.
That said, not been there in over a year now......
I must admit I prefer the Neve consoles especially for tracking, SSL I find better for mixing and making life easier.
The album SO to me sums up that nasty mid 80s SSL sound and would be quite happy if I never heard Sledgehammer again, another album that I'm guessing was tracked through a SSL of the same period is Invisible Touch by Genesis, being a fan of Genesis I found this album to be a big disappointment but like SO for Peter Gabriel was probably one of Genesis biggest sellers, guess I'm stuck in the late 70s,lol.
Honk said:
One of those "small world moments". My friend Annie was providing medical cover in Montserrat at the time The PolIce were recording "Ghost in the machine". She spent a lot of time at Air Montserrat (stories of crazy nights out with the Straycats, watching Stevie Wonder play a spontaneous set in a tiny bar etc) and she brought me back an Air Studios Montserrat promotional T shirt.(my friend went to Montserrat and all I got was this lousy T shirt...).Anyway some time later I was walking on the prom in Llandudno wearing said shirt when a chap stopped me and enquired when had I been there.It transpired it was he who had installed the Neve desk. Cool starry bra etc 
Great story.Is your T shirt like this one?
ReaderScars said:
Would love to hear any anecdotes from the recording industry (either side of the glass) from any of you guys who work/have been involved in recording/engineering/production...
Gossip use to go round,here's a few, Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars had just been released by Edie Brickell ATNB and we heard Edie Brickell's backing band The New Bohemians were useless and they had to get session guys in to finish the album at Rockfield or there's a certain deceased comedian keep leaving his coke spoon in the toilets at Master Rock (Rockin Around The Christmas Tree), Eric Clapton arguing with Hugh Padgham outside the Townhouse that his Ferrari is better than Padgham's PorscheJazzy Jefferson said:
I've just spent a week in a London Studio, recording on what they claim to be a top end SSL set up with pro tools, the works. And lovely it was too.
However, for less hassle and money I could have got the same result in my studio. These days, the equipment is so good, if you've got the right stuff, you'll be doing good work. There is still scope for music and recording studios, but the traditional "model" if you will is long gone. That said, our studios seem to be getting more business as time goes on, so perhaps not. Who knows.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 12th May 12:11
The late Big George Webley who I admired for his musical knowledge once said music started going downhill in the early 80s and we've ended up where we are today, a far cry from the mid to late 70s when music was at it's peak, we were spoilt in all genres at the time whether you liked the west coast sound Aja by Steely Dan, Rumours by Fleetwod Mac or punk with The Clash, dance music with Chic, the choice was endless and all good quality.
Bebee said:
Gadd is a god! I've been watching this over and over, listen to the roll he does at 1:15, just brill, he has the most natural feel.
Here he is paying homage to the great Buddy Rich who died a year or so before this concert was performed. Rich played 'keep the customer satisfied' in his set for years, and Gadd played on the original, so this is fitting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=181-cW9FNTU
Don't forget 'the Purdie shuffle'Here he is paying homage to the great Buddy Rich who died a year or so before this concert was performed. Rich played 'keep the customer satisfied' in his set for years, and Gadd played on the original, so this is fitting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=181-cW9FNTU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0ZbmU6aR98
Bebee said:
Have you heard JB doing it in the studio?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14GYov0EdyQ
Excellent!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14GYov0EdyQ
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 14th May 23:27
Interesting that you mention JB's playing and his half-time shuffle on Fool In The Rain, recorded at Abba's Polar Studios, a year later Genesis went there to record Duke and I reckon Collins listened very closely to FITR when he wrote Misunderstanding!
garycat said:
Get a copy of My Bass and Other Animals by Guy Pratt, or better still, see him live.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Other-Animals-Guy-Pra...
This is worth a read.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Other-Animals-Guy-Pra...
Seems not to be working at the moment but will make sure I sign.
When Air was on Oxford St the first time I went there was with Rupert Neve and his son Jonathan in relation to the sub mixer for Montserrat, man comes up to Rupert Neve and introduces himself, it was Bob Clearmountain, walk into the foyer and the Pretenders are sitting on a plush sofa, I thought after all those crap jobs I had since I left school I've finally found the dream one. The album they were working on was Get Close.
When Air was on Oxford St the first time I went there was with Rupert Neve and his son Jonathan in relation to the sub mixer for Montserrat, man comes up to Rupert Neve and introduces himself, it was Bob Clearmountain, walk into the foyer and the Pretenders are sitting on a plush sofa, I thought after all those crap jobs I had since I left school I've finally found the dream one. The album they were working on was Get Close.
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