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| Studio (recording) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Recording studio |
| Caption | Control room and live room of a commercial recording studio |
| Type | Audio production facility |
| Location | Worldwide |
| Opened | 20th century |
Studio (recording)
A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio mastering used by musicians, producers, engineers, and film directors to capture performances for albums, film scores, radio broadcasts, and television productions. Studios evolved alongside technologies introduced by Thomas Edison, Emile Berliner, Les Paul, and Alan Blumlein, influencing practices in rock music, jazz, classical music, and electronic music. Modern studios integrate digital systems from companies like Avid Technology, Yamaha Corporation, Neve Electronics, and SSL while serving artists associated with labels such as Columbia Records, Motown Records, and Island Records.
Early commercial studios developed in the era of Edison Records, Victor Talking Machine Company, and Columbia Records, where engineers experimented with mechanical horn capture and Edison cylinder sessions. The transition to electrical recording involved pioneers like Western Electric and innovators such as Alan Dower Blumlein and Harry Nyquist, enabling better fidelity for Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Enrico Caruso. Multitrack recording emerged through work by Les Paul, Ampex Corporation tape machines, and facilities like Abbey Road Studios and Capitol Studios, which hosted sessions for The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and The Beach Boys. The rise of analog synthesizers by Moog Music and ARP Instruments and digital systems from Sony and Phillips fostered studios used by Kraftwerk, David Bowie, and Brian Eno. The home studio revolution accelerated with personal computers from Apple Inc., Microsoft, and software from Steinberg Media Technologies and Ableton, changing industry structures influenced by Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment.
Commercial studios range from large scoring stages like Capitol Studios and AIR Studios to boutique facilities used by Prince or Bon Iver, and project studios built by independent artists such as Trent Reznor and Steve Albini. Radio broadcast studios at BBC Radiophonic Workshop and television audio suites for NBC or BBC Television have specialized control rooms and isolation booths. Mobile recording trucks used by engineers for live events at Woodstock and Glastonbury Festival employ split-console layouts similar to those in classical recording halls used by Deutsche Grammophon and Sony Classical. Typical layouts include a control room with mixing console and monitors, a live room for ensembles, and isolation booths for vocals, following designs used in facilities like Sun Studio and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Core equipment includes mixing consoles from Neve Electronics, Solid State Logic, and AMS Neve; microphones by Neumann, Shure, AKG and Royer; preamplifiers by API and Focusrite; tape machines by Ampex; and digital audio workstations such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and Cubase. Monitoring relies on speakers by Yamaha Corporation and Genelec and headphone systems from Sennheiser. Outboard gear includes compressors from Urei/Universal Audio, equalizers by Pultec, and reverbs modeled after Plate reverb and units from EMT. Digital conversion uses A/D converters by Apogee Electronics and Lynx Studio Technology, while synchronization depends on word clock systems and standards like MIDI and AES/EBU adopted across studios associated with artists such as Radiohead and Kraftwerk.
Techniques span single-take live recording exemplified by sessions at Sun Studio for Elvis Presley to multitrack overdubbing used on The Beach Boys's productions with Brian Wilson. Close-miking, room-miking, stereo pair techniques like ORTF and XY used by engineers at Abbey Road Studios and EMI Records, and microphone selection practices from RCA Victor sessions shape timbre. Editing and comping in Pro Tools echo methods from splice editing of tape by engineers at Capitol Studios; mixing approaches such as parallel compression, bussing, and automation were standardized by practitioners at Motown Records and Stax Records. Mastering for vinyl and digital release follows workflows established by facilities like Sterling Sound and Masterdisk.
Key personnel include recording engineers trained under figures like Geoff Emerick and Alan Parsons; producers modeled on Phil Spector, Quincy Jones, and George Martin; mixing engineers who worked with Timbaland and Dr. Dre; mastering engineers associated with Bob Ludwig and Howie Weinberg; session musicians from unions like American Federation of Musicians; and studio managers coordinating bookings for labels such as Atlantic Records and RCA Records. Support roles include assistant engineers, tape operators, and instrument technicians who maintain gear from Fender, Gibson, and Steinway & Sons.
Acoustic treatment principles draw from research by Raymond Murray Schafer and standards used in concert halls like Carnegie Hall and studios like Abbey Road Studios. Isolation employs floating floors, double walls, and Helmholtz resonators similar to designs implemented at Capitol Records Tower and AIR Studios. Diffusers and absorbers from companies inspired by the work of Leo Beranek and Wall of Sound architects help control reverberation for orchestral recordings for labels like Deutsche Grammophon and pop sessions at Motown Records.
Studios operate under business models including label-owned facilities (e.g., Motown Records' Hitsville USA), commercial rental studios like Electric Lady Studios, and project studios for independent artists such as Nirvana's demos. Legal frameworks involve contracts, union rules from American Federation of Musicians, licensing administered through organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, and rights managed by publishers such as Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group. Royalty arrangements, work-for-hire clauses, and synchronization licenses for film and television coordinate stakeholders including producers, labels, and performing rights organizations.
Iconic studios include Abbey Road Studios, Sun Studio, Motown's Hitsville USA, Electric Lady Studios, Capitol Studios, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, AIR Studios, and Studio 54's recording suites, each linked to landmark records by The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie. Studios shaped genres from rock music and soul music to hip hop and electronic music, influencing cultural movements documented alongside festivals like Woodstock and labels such as Island Records. Preservation efforts by organizations linked to UNESCO and cultural institutions aim to protect heritage sites associated with pivotal recordings and artists including Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and The Rolling Stones.
Category:Recording studios