A West Coast Phenomenon- The Studio That Charlie Built Former A&M Studios, Hollywood: A state-of-the-art facility with a Written by Mel Lambert in November 1997 Operating a successful multi-room facility in today's highly competitive recording industry is not a job for the feint-hearted. The advent of project studios has meant that commercial facilities are forced into being more aggressive in attracting tracking and remix clients; these days, you need to offer a number of flexible environments for the former (a good mic collection won't go amiss), and powerful console automation, with plenty of outboards, for the latter. And even then, clients can be fickle about their tastes in consoles and monitoring systems; installing "flavor-of-the-month' brands might work in the short term, but if that type of hardware goes out of favor, you can be stuck with a large amount of non-earning real estate. Deep in the heart of Hollywood, A&M Studios has been quietly going about its business for just over three decades. And places as much of an emphasis on technical and creative functionality as specific brands of recording and production hardware. A&M Recording Studios is a division of A&M Records, which is now owned by PolyGram, Inc. "Why should a producer record at A&M Studios?" queries Ron Rutledge, VP of Studio Operations. "Mainly because our ongoing R&D ensures that we offer the latest developments in audio, while still maintaining an 'Old World' studio feel. We also have some of the best-sounding rooms in LA, with 24-hour technical support. Our classic microphone collection is outstanding; we include a good selection of outboard gear in each Control Room- the rest of our outboards are available on a first-come basis at no additional charge. And we shouldn't forget our great collection of eight live chambers and 15 vintage EMT plates, all of which can be reserved for a session ahead of time." As Rutledge explains, A&M Recording Studios is a multi-room audio and multimedia recording/mastering facility located on the historic Charlie Chaplin movie lot. "Record producers can handle a complete project from concept to mastering in one location," he stresses. It is a common misconception, Rutledge acknowledges, that the studios serve only A&M Records artists. "That simply is not true. In fact, more than 80% of our business comes from other record companies and independent productions. We encourage outside clients! Our ace-in-the-hole is the capability of our technical and support staff; we employ an incredible collection of staff engineers and assistants in what I like to refer to as a 'Collaborative Environment'." "Our philosophy for hiring new people is simple," Rutledge explains. "We try and promote from within, and look for new people that can quickly fit into our way of life. Each of the session engineers has been with us for at least 6-7 years; all of them started here as runners. Our staff of 40 engineers, technicians and support staff is essential to the smooth running of A&M; without them we could not offer the level of client services for which A&M has earned its reputation for over 30 years. "All of the staff need to be familiar with the 'A&M Philosophy'- the client is our #1 priority. Session engineers, aside from being technically competent, have to be able to get on with our clients- they need those extra 'people skills' that lets everybody work as part of a creative team. We often see sessions here for several weeks, or even several months! In that respect, we try and make A&M feel like a 'home studio;' one in which clients can feel relaxed and part of our 'A&M Family,' and not have to worry about the environment- just get down to making music! "Studio A, in particular- because of its tracking, overdub and remix capabilities- is a firm favorite with our clients. But we find that some clients like to record here and then mix at different studios; others like to bring us their [elements] and mix here. "We believe in offering a spectrum of options to producers and engineers. Also, we have changed the way we make outboard systems available with each of our five rooms. We have now standardized on the same, excellent selection of outboards for each control room, so that clients are able to move freely from environment to environment and secure access to the same range of effects in each area."
Last remodeled in 1986 by Vincent Van Haaff, president of LA-based The Waterland Group, Studio A features a custom Neve Model 4972 Console equipped with a variety of vintage 44-31106 and 08-1073 channel modules, and laid out in a 52-input/24-buss/32-monitor configuration with Flying Faders Automation. Tape Machines include a pair of Studer A800 analog multitracks plus A820 and Ampex ATR-102 two-tracks; DASH- and PD-format digital multitracks are also available as necessary. TimeLine Lynx systems provide timecode lock between audio and video transports. Digital mastering/reference is handled by custom A&M-designed A-to-D and D-to-A converters, linked to Sony PCM-7010 and Panasonic SV-3700 DAT data recorders. "The main monitors," Myerburg continues, "comprise a custom A&M/Van Haaff system that uses Pioneer/TAD components." Near-fields comprise familiar Yamaha NS-10M units. Each room offers a good selection of outboards; Studio A is no expectation- Fairchild 670, UREI LA-2a, LA-3 and 1176 limiters, Neve 32264a compressor/limiters; Pultec EQP-1A3, EQP-1A and EQH-2 equalizers.. the list is long and varied. Studio A's vintage Neve 4972 has an interesting history. Rumor has it that, back in 1978, producer George Martin and engineer Geoffrey Emerick has asked Rupert Neve to return to the company he had just sold and build three more consoles for Martin's AIR Studios. "Indeed," Myerburg recalls, "this was the very last Neve console created by Rupert himself." The three desks were eventually installed at various AIR-London studios: two within the Oxford Street facility, and a third at the resort studio built on the island of Monserrat. In the early Eighties, the first 4972 was purchased by Atlantic Records for its New York facility; in 1986, as part of a massive reconstruction effort, A&M bought the console from Air Monserrat for Studio A. Eight additional channel modules were added in 1993, along with Flying Faders automation. (The New York console eventually was sold to Bryan Adams for his Vancouver-based studio.) "During its re-commissioning," continues Myerburg, "our Neve console underwent an extensive rebuild by the famed 'A&M Tech Squad,' from caps and op-amps to replacement of worn metalwork. It was the first from Neve to feature a hybrid design utilizing both monolithic op-amps and discrete circuitry, whose use is enhanced by the very musical sounding high-level driver circuits and transformers [that] are used any time a signal leaves the console. "The 4972 also features remote-controlled mic pre-amps, which lets up put them close to the signal source, and reduce noise and RF pickup in mic lines." Studio A's recording area measures approximately 38 feet by 39 feet, with 20-foot ceilings, and connects to a pair of iso booths along the right-hand wall, and a third, smaller vocal booth along the left, with visual communications into the control room. Studio B features a 56-channel/112-input SSL SL-6056E with Total Recall and G-Series Automation, linked to a pair of Studer A800 multitracks. Again Studer A820 and Ampex ATR-102 two-tracks handle analog-mastering duties, in addition to A&M's proprietary Mixdown/Reference A-to-D and D-to-A converters; digital data is tracked on a mixture of Sony PCM-7010 and Panasonic SV-3700 DAT machines. The main monitors comprise custom A&M/Van Haaff systems with Pioneer/TAD components plus NS-10 near fields. The recording area measures 30-by-2 feet, with a pair of iso booths located along either side of the control room glass. The renovated Studio C, with acoustic design by The Waterland Group, houses a 48-module/96-input Euphonix CS-3000 digitally-controlled analog console with Surround-Sound Panning. Again, tape machines include a pair of Studer A800 multitracks and an A820 two-track, with TimeLine Lynx synchronizers. The main 5.1-channel multiformat monitoring array is a custom A&M dual-concentric design. "It was a sad day in late December, 1996," offers Steve Bamcard, senior engineer, "when I finished a session at around 10 PM, brought down the faders on the [API] console, and commemorated more than 25 years of service and hundreds of hit records that have come that historic room." On December 26, 1996, A&M's "Rasta" Bob Harris took his sledgehammer to the room and demolished it back to the studs and cement. (The console and equipment had already been removed.) "We remodeled and upgraded Studio C with the new Euphonix," says Ron Rutledge, "because we see an increasing need to handle surround-sound and multiformat sessions. We are often asked about remixing music soundtracks to 5.1-channel and related formats, as well as preparing music for Digital Versatile Disc and future Audio-DVD formats. The CS-3000 comes equipped with a bunch of useful features, and represents excellent value for money. The console packs lot of functionality onto a small amount of space, which is important because this is a narrow control room. "Studio C has only recently [late-September] come back on-line, but already it is proving very popular."
Studio M serves as the facility's dedicated Mixdown Room. Control-room hardware centers around a 72-channel/144-input SSL SL-6072E console with Total Recall and G-Series Automation, linked to a pair of A800s, an ATR-104 four-track with VSO, plus an A820 two-track. Again, proprietary A-to-D and D-to-A converters provide a reference system for digital mastering. The main monitors are custom A&M/Augspurger systems, with NS-10M near fields. A companion lounge and overdub booth measures nine feet by 10 feet, A&M's microphone closet is both extensive and well maintained, In addition to the familiar models from AKG, Beyer, E-V, Milab, Neumann, Sennheiser, Shure and Sony, clients have access to a pair of Bruel & Kjaer 4004s, four RCA 44BXs, seven RCA 77DXs, a Telefunken CVM3 and three Telefunken ELA M251s. Additional services include CD, DAT, cassette and vinyl refs, plus PQ/ISRC encoding of PCM-1630 masters. "Until the PCM-900 becomes standardized as a manufacturing format," stresses Chief Mastering Engineer Dave Collins, "the PCM-1630 format [with companion 3/4-inch U-Matic VCR] is still the only format we recommend. We can also provide Exabyte and CD-R masters," Collins adds. By way of an example, Dave Collins' Mastering Room houses a highly customized Studer Model 820 tape transport linked to a variety of analog electronics systems, including A&M Custom Vacuum Tube and Custom Solid State Tape Playback racks in half- and quarter-inch formats (with Flux Magnetics Heads). Equalization includes A&M Custom High-Resolution Three-Band EQ, "Davelizer" Hycor Two-Band Peaking EQ and others available upon request. Compression is handled via Manley Variable-Mu Comp/Limiters, and SSL Model G-384 (modified for mastering). "A lot of work has gone into optimizing the analog tape machine playback in our studios," Collins continues, "[a development] that has paid off sonically. Our mastering consoles are a custom A&M design utilizing the shortest possible signal path. There are no coupling capacitors or transformers, and it features all solid-core wiring and coin silver-plated switch contacts. All equipment selection/bypassing is handled with silver switches; there are no relays in the system. And I have a choice of Class-A solid-state or tube output amps." Low-noise/high-capacity external power supplies are used throughout the mastering complex. Conversion is handled via customized dB Technologies Model 122 A-to-D converters, and A&M Custom D-to-As that use the Ultra Analog chipset. "Our trio of Sonic Solutions 24-bit editing systems," Collins explains, "features a USP eight-channel I/O, and a 27-Gbyte storage capacity- that gives me 15-plus hours at 24-bit resolution." Sony CDW-W1 CD Recorders, Marantz CDR-610 CD-Rs, Panasonic SV-3700 DATs (modified for low-jitter digital I/O), and a Yamaha DMC-1000 eight-input/24-bit digital console are also featured, along with a T.C. Electronics Finalizer. Monitoring is handled via Martin-Logan Quest Z electrostatic panels as the mains, powered by Aragon Paladium Class-A monoblocks; near-fields comprise a pair of Quested Model H-108s driven by Mcintosh MC-240 amps. "And let's not forget the good old LP record," stresses Chief Mastering Engineer Dave Collins. "Lacquer mastering is far from dead. Although we don't cut as much lacquer as we once did"- since Compact Disc became the primary consumer format- "our rooms cut a lot more than [clients] might imagine. Many audiophiles prefer [vinyl]; many kids cannot afford anything else. Where would hip-hop, disco and rap be without vinyl? And vinyl pressings often contain bonus tracks that cannot be obtained anywhere else." A&M's Scully lathe with CAPPS preview system has been modified and tuned to perform far beyond the standards of a stock system. "The lathe features an in-house designed and machined custom head suspension, linked to a custom-wound Haeco [cutting] head," Collins says. "And a customized analog/digital preview system allows cutting from sources of any format." Summarizing the overall philosophy of this historical facility, Ron Rutledge, A&M's VP Studio Operations, is highly pragmatic. "It is not just a matter of getting the latest hardware, but more a matter of studying what we have here and responding quickly to what the client needs. We always want to be at the leading edge of state-of-the-art technology. Wherever that takes us." Sources of information include: "The American Film Industry, A Historical Dictionary," by Anthony Slide, and "Charles Chaplin: My Autobiography." STUDIO C: STUDIO D: STUDIO M/Mixdown Room: Microphones: Additional Outboard Gear: (subject to availability, first-come/first-served) A&M Mastering Studios
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"All of our studios," Rutledge continues, "are laid out as self-contained suites, with separate entrances and client lounges, so that producers and artists can maintain their own privacy."
Studio D houses a 72-channel/144-input Solid State Logic SL-4072G with E-Series EQ and Total Recall, linked to a pair of Studer A800s, an Ampex ATR-104 four-track, plus A820 two-tracks in quarter- and half-inch formats. The room's main monitors are custom A&M/Augspurger systems, with NS-10Ms as near fields. The recording area measures a spacious 28 by 34 feet deep, with 18-foot ceilings, and features a pair of iso booths in the two corners opposite the control room window, plus a third that looks into the control room itself.
