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Understanding the History of Recording Studios

Here is a brief about Understanding the History of Recording Studios.

People didn’t always have recording studios where they could go to help realize their music dreams. Yet, over time, as technology continued to develop and people saw a use for being able to record and playback sounds, recording studios began to emerge. Today, they are an integral part of the global music scene. In this article, we will walk you through a brief history of recording studios as they stand today in modern day America.

The idea of recording music first originated when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in order to improve the quality of the telephone in the late 1800s. It consisted primarily of cylinders made of foil and was able to record sounds. Soon after, Emile Berliner invented a way to mass-produce recorded discs, which paved the way for great artists to go and have their work recorded.

By 1889, boxes with the ability to reproduce recorded sounds were invented and within the next year, the first recording studio was set up called the New York Phonograph Company. Within the next two decades, several recording studios had popped up that were producing records on wax discs. By the early twentieth century, the hand-cranked Victrola was replaced by the triode, which completely revolutionized the scale at which recording studios could now operate. 

Understanding the History of Recording Studios

Once electronically recorded music became the next big thing, Western Electric came around the corner and began to use amplifiers and microphones for recording purposes. This was a massive change in the history of recording studios since before the use of this equipment, the people making music would have to sit very close together and even closer to the equipment, making for an uncomfortable recording experience.

In the mid-1900s, the recording industry started to use magnetic recording tapes, which meant that recordings could finally be edited. Soon after this development, multi-track recorders emerged, allowing audio engineers to mix different tracks recorded at different times. Of course, now we are in the digital age where much of the recording process is done on computers and the possibilities are quite literally endless.

There’s a whole lot that happened in between all these big inventions that shaped the way we record our music today. When did you first visit a recording studio? Was it before the digital age?

And that concludes Understanding the History of Recording Studios.

Share your experiences with us on Twitter @therecordshop

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Useful Studio Recording Apps for iPads

Although recording music on your iPad may not give you the same recording experience you would get in a professional Nashville recording studio, thanks to a number of incredible apps, it definitely can be done. We’ve highlighted some useful studio recording apps for iPads apps that every budding musician should download if they want to experiment with creating some music.

GarageBand is an essential recording tool and an incredibly powerful app. Even though it might not excel in the fine tuning department, and it doesn’t offer much in terms of mixing, it enables users to create music whenever they feel like it. The app comes with an inbuilt pedal selection and extended app. It’s almost too easy transferring music you create to your Mac, and you can also share music with others directly from the app itself. Best of all, GarageBand is free of cost. Garageband-iPad-2

Music Studio is arguably even more powerful than GarageBand. Although it comes at a steep $14.99, it boasts an intuitive and extensive interface. There are a number of different instruments you can use through this app through a virtual keyboard. There are several tune banks that can be purchased for those seeking more options.

 Another great recording app is MultiTrack DAW. The fantastic thing about this app is that it allows users to record four different tracks simultaneously, and up to 24 tracks in total if you are willing to pay for an upgrade. Single tracks can be recorded in stereo, and two tracks in mono. This powerful app offers an easy-to-use interface and an incredible amount of control over the final sound. MultiTrack DAW can be purchased for $9.99.

AmpliTube may cost $19.99, but it is perhaps the most versatile digital audio workstation out there. It has an incredible array of virtual pedals and amps that could almost make you forget that you’re working on a tablet computer.

There are several other useful studio recording apps for iPads, but this list of apps should be sufficient to give you the opportunity to create some great tunes without having to leave your home! What apps do you use to record music on your iPad? Let us know in the comments section!

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API 512c Pre Amp

API 512c, Destressers, Purple Audio MC77Hey there friends!  The folks here at The Record Shop’s Nashville Recording Studio have been slaving away making some music that should be hitting your ear drums ASAP.  For now though, we are very happy to continue our never-ending series BEHIND THE GEAR!!  So far we’ve talked about a lot of great gear, but today we’re going to talk about a piece of equipment that is universally acclaimed for its sound and versatility.  The one, the only API 512c Pre Amp! 

Did we say universally acclaimed?  You’re darn tootin’ we did.  In a subjective world of personal tastes and preferences it is hard to come by pieces of gear that practically every person likes, but the API 512c is definitely one of those that breaks the mold.  Engineers have been using these puppies since their creation in the 1970’s by Saul Walker.  The 512c was so perfect that, to this day, it’s design has remained the true to Walker’s classic lunchbox design.API 512c Creator Saul Walker  512c’s have been used on countless recordings by artists such as Prince, The White Stripes, Fleetwood Mac, Jack Johnson, Van Halen, and The Rolling Stones.  This mic/line/instrument pre amp sounds great on literally everything. Drums, vocals, guitars…EVERYTHING. 

Now comes the real fun; the API 512c’s wonderful features!

  • Mic preamp with 65dB gain
  • Front- and rear-panel mic input access
  • Line/instrument preamp with 45dB gain
  • Front-panel line/instrument input
  • LED VU meter for monitoring output level
  • 20dB pad switch, applies to mic/line/instrument
  • 48V switchable phantom power
  • Proprietary API fully discrete circuit design
  • Uses the famous API 2520 Op-Amp

 Us Record Shop Nashville natives absolutely love how much punch and clarity you can achieve with the 512c, which is why we installed six of them into our system.  The transparency of the 512c is something that needs to be talked about more.  These pre-amps bring out every harmonic overtone without adding any coloration to what’s being sent through it.  We highly recommend the 512c to anyone and everyone!

Thanks for tuning in for today’s Behind The Gear.  Feel free to check out The Record Shop Nashville’s full gear list here, and come say Hi to us on Twitter @therecordshop!

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Read About Us In Mix Magazine

The Record Shop Nashville is honored to be mentioned in the latest issue of Mix Magazine, which features many our recent studio sessions!  Read what they had to say here!Blurb about The Record Shop in Mix Magazine.

 

 

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Taylor Guitars- NAMM 2013

We had the great pleasure of working with Taylor Guitars to produce a series of videos covering their new product line and all of the amazing performances that took place on the Taylor Stage at NAMM 2013. Check it out!!!!

Taylor Guitars NAMM 2013

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Behind The Gear At The Record Shop Part 2: Purple Audio MC 77

Welcome back to behind the gear at The Record Shop. Are you ready to roocccck!?!?!? (cue stadium of screaming fans) This week we take a look at the Purple Audio MC77. The MC77 is a superior recreation of the legendary URIE 1176 Peak Limiter. This piece of gear bleeds rock and roll. If it was magically transformed into a person it would make Slash look like Yanni. From Drums to guitars to vocals, this thing will give you clarity, punch, and attitude for days. Let’s start by giving you a quick back story on the MC77’s estranged father, the URIE 1176.

The 1176 was designed by audio legend, Bill Putnum in 1967. Bill was a revolutionary in the audio world. He is noted to have been the first cat to use artificial reverb, double a vocal recording, and develop a multi-band equalizer. So it is no surprise that he was also the dude that created what is arguably the most commonly used limiter in modern recording. The 1176 became the first true peak limiter with solid state circuitry. It was popular for its super fast attack time, resulting in a signature tone that can be heard on countless records.

In 1997, a new audio company called Purple Audio released their first product, the MC76 (If you paid attention in roman numeral class you’ll get it). Designed by Andrew Roberts, the MC76 looked like an 1176 that Barney got a hold of in the restroom, and it sounded like one that hung out with Jose Canseco (if your not hip to baseball or the news, he did a lot of steroids). It had all the vibe of a vintage 1176 without the price tag, and it quickly became a highly sought after piece of gear. The MC77 is an update of the original with a few extra features.

Aside from the paint job, the MC77 really stands out in the crowd. It has the sonic characteristics of the classic, vintage 1176 with an improved high frequency response and added grit. We’ve used it on just about everything when we are looking for something to give a track some attitude. If we want to add some punch to drums, smooth out guitars, round out a bass, or put some rock in a vocal, the MC77 delivers every time.

We have one trick in particular that produces some really unique results. But in order to explain clearly, let’s start with a story. At some point back in the day, there was an audio engineer who spent way to much time playing with the gear in the studio. One day he said, “Hey, I wonder what would happen if I pressed down all of the ratio buttons on this limiter at the same time?” Once he had all four of the ratio buttons locked in place, he cranked the input and the rest is history. There are a few different names for this trick; all buttons in, nuke, British mode; but the result is a super compression that has been used to create some really unique sounds. I’m a big fan of smashing the drum room mics with this setting. The setting creates a lag in the attack time, resulting in extra punch, and a drastic compression slope, resulting in a quick drop in level. As this push and pull repeats with each transient hit we can achieve a rhythmic pumping of compression that breathes with the track and amplifies the “room sound”. Listen to any modern rock record and your bound to find this effect in play.

And that concludes this evenings presentation. Check back next week for our next installment of “Behind The Gear at The Record Shop”, where we take a look at another colorful device, the CL1B tube compressor. In the meantime, feel free to drop by our Gear Page for more information on our vast array of equipment.

As always, we love to hear feedback on our articles. If this was helpful, or a complete waste of your time, let us know! We love making new friends as well. Feel free to drop by our page on Facebook and sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive valuable resources and updates on the studio. Thanks for dropping by For The Record. Catch you next week!

-Giovanni

Therecordshopnashville.com

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Behind The Gear at The Record Shop Nashville Recording Studio

“Wow! Look at all those knobs.” As an audio engineer that is probably the most common phrase I hear uttered by an artist the first time they step foot in a studio. In an effort to figure out what all these fancy buttons do ;) , we thought it would be fun to introduce a new series on For The Record called “Behind The Gear.” The Record Shop is home to a unique collection of modern and vintage equipment. Our audio arsenal was carefully selected to offer a wide range of sonic colors and textures. Each week we will offer an inside look at a different piece of equipment we use here at The Record Shop. We will take a look at the history of the piece,  outline the various ways it is utilized during a session and share some unique tricks that we use to shape the tone of a recording.

This week, we’ll start the series off by offering some basic information on each category we will be covering: Microphones, Pre-Amps,  Compressors, Equalizers, and Plug-Ins. For those of you familiar with the basic function of these devices, we invite you to join us next week when we take a look at the Empirical Labs Distressor, a studio legend that reigns as one of the most versitle compressor/limiters on the market. For the rest of you fine folks, read on my friends…….

Microphone

If your reading this, I’m sure you don’t need a proper definition of what these things do, but for the sake of covering our bases, we’ll turn to Wikipedia. “A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal.” Sounds simple enough, but what makes our job so fun is that each microphone does this differently and, in turn produces drastically different results. There are three different categories of microphones that are most commonly used in the recording studio: Dynamic, Condenser, and Ribbon. A dynamic microphone is work horse device, capable of reproducing loud sound sources as well as those with a powerful attack (such as guitars, kick drum, and snare drum). A condenser microphone is a more delicate device, designed to react sensitively to its sound source, offering a more defined sound on things such as drum overheads, acoustic instruments, and vocals) A ribbon microphone offers a unique tone due to the natural lack of high end frequency response that the ribbon reproduces. Ribbons have become very popular as a method to achieve a “vintage” vibe on modern, digital recordings. For more detailed information visit Wikipedia’s “Microphone” page….

Pre-Amps

A Pre-Amplifier (pre-amp) is a device that takes a low level signal from a microphone, or instrument, and boosts it to a line level signal that can be recorded. As with microphones, every pre-amp offers its own, unique tonal characteristics. There are two types of pre-amps commonly used in the recording environment: Tube and Solid State. As the name suggests, tube pre-amps utilize tube components to amplify the sound, offering a “warm” tone and a subtle distortion that is preferred in many applications. A solid state pre-amp does not make use of tube components and generally offers a cleaner, more transparent tone. Within these two types of pre-amps are countless brands and models that all have their own sonic flavor. For more detailed information, visit Wikioedia’s “Pre-Amplifier” page….

Compressor

A compressor is an audio device that effects the range between the loudest and quietest parts of a sound source (known as dynamic range) A compressor accomplishes this by lowering the volume of the sound source when it passes above the volume threshold that is set by the user. The amount of compression, and the reaction time of the device, is set by the ratio, attack, and release knobs. Just like pre-amps, compressors are also built with either solid state or tube components. Compressors can be used for a variety of applications, from subtly taming dynamics,  to extreme “pumping” that can create intriguing rhythmic effects. For more detailed information, visit Wikipedia’s “Audio Compressor” page…

Equalizer

An equalizer adjusts the balance between frequencies in an audio signal. It allows us the ability to “shape” the frequency range of a sound in order to enhance its qualities, fit it into a mix, etc. There are two main types of EQ’s used in the studio environment: Parametric and Graphic. A Parametric EQ offers a variable frequency selection on multiple frequency “bands” (ranges) and a variable “Q” (range of effected frequency). This allows us the flexibility to hone on the desired frequency and effect it accordingly. Graphic EQ’s have fixed frequency and q selection, often based on frequency “octaves” to offer a natural, musical response. For more detailed information, visit Wikipedia’s “Equalization” page…

Plug-In’s

Plug In’s are used in digital recording to emulate the function of analog equipment. While, it can be argued that software can never take the place audio moving through actual components (and I agree!) software plug-ins have continued to grow in their sonic offering and can be very useful in the modern recording environment in many situations. There are endless options when it comes to plug-ins. The market is flooded with new, innovative tools for manipulating audio. A recent development in plug in technology is what is referred to as “emulation plug-ins” These software devices are built off of algorithms developed through the testing of actual analog gear. Through this process, developers have been able to create plug-ins that embrace the tonal qualities of a specific type of gear. This is a very exciting technology that we have found very useful in Universal Audio’s, UAD Plugs. You can learn more about Plug-ins by visiting this interesting article at Delicious Audio…

Well, now you are ready to venture “Behind The Gear” at The Record Shop. Check back next week for our first installment, highlighting the Emperical Labs’ Distressor. In the meantime, feel free to drop by our Gear Page for more information on our vast array of equipment.

As always, we love to hear feedback on our articles. If this was helpful, or a complete waste of your time, let us know! We love making new friends as well. Feel free to drop by our page on Facebook and sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive valuable resources and updates on the studio. Thanks for dropping by For The Record. Catch you next week!

-Giovanni

Therecordshopnashville.com

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Yourmuzik.net

Our friend Randy Brunson drops by to share the news on his new digital download widget available at yourmuzik.net

In 2007, I had just spent 3 years developing a piece of property in Spring Hill , Tennessee. Until then,……..thats what I did. Building and Development. But music was always a passion.  Coincidentally, by developing where I did, all the new friends I made were in the music business. My longtime friend and business partner, Jim Heaton, was involved at the time building a Nashville based spa business, with partners that were/are in the music business as well. His immediate partner is a great singer/songwriter, and her sister was well on her way to becoming a celebrity with Dancing With The Stars, and eventually a recording contract of her own.

Jim and I have always had our own passion for performing, but an equal passion for the creation of something that would outlast us. Our idea at the time was, in the aftermath of the collapse of Napster,   that someone needed to give independent artists a platform to perform and expose their talents at an affordable cost to them, to  build a facebook for musicians, and a digital download widget that would give independent artists, (as well as established) the ability to directly sell their music to the public digitally, but “RETAIN MOST OF THE MONEY”.

So came the birth of the initial concept for Yourmusik.net.   In 2009, we created a venue for independent artists to perform at  my farm in the Spring Hill, Tennessee area. Billed as “Howling at the Moon”, it was an instant success with over 20 acts, and 350 people attending an afternoon event that lasted for several hours into the night. We initially had hoped to launch Yourmusik.net at the second party, given this summer, but unfortunately had too many problems with the programming of the download widget.  We had another great day managing to bring in “Younger than Yesterday, Former Members of the BYRDS” as a headliner.  Three years later, thousands of dollars poorer, and beat up on by every software programmer that could get their hooks into us, we are finally at a crossroads with a piece of programming that actually works, and does just what we set out for, gives over 80% of the  proceeds of the sale of music back directly to the artist.

I say crossroads, because I feel even after all this, we still have a long way to go to establish everything we set out for.  The rest of our concept is to create a website that gives musicians a resource to turn to other musicians for camaraderie and support, and to the site itself for the least expensive resource for recording, equipment, vocal and instrument lessons, videos, and on line practice and recording, to name just a few things.

What I will say, is that we are proud to present the Yourmusik Download Widget to  independent artists of all genres, and are working constantly to improve the
speed and performance of this programming. We have built in all the necessary reporting/accounting details so that each artist can monitor the results of their sales with this widget.  We  are essentially licensing the use of this widget directly to each artist who would like to use it, to copy and paste to whatever site they wish, be it Facebook, Myspace, or independent.

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Converse ventures into the studio biz?

Austin Carr of fastcompany.com shares the recent news of how Converse is jumping into the music industry for a unique method of promotion.

Converse is testing a new way to get its foot in the door of the music industry.

The shoe company is building a studio in Brooklyn called Converse Rubber Tracks, which will provide artists with free recording time in exchange for future promotions. Converse is not looking for revenue from the songs themselves–artists will actually keep ownership rights–but it is hoping to gain access to on-the-verge bands, which will generate good will for the brand for helping to break them and get Converse in on the ground floor. read more…….

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Barry Rudolph reviews Ohm Force’s “Ohmicide”

 

Barry Rudolph has teamed up with For The Record to share his reviews with the latest in recording products. Barry is a recording engineer/producer and contributing editor for MIX Magazine, ‘New Toys’ columnist for L.A.’s Music Connection Magazine, and writer for www.prosoundweb.com. He also is editor/writer of Gear Lust, his online special review section at www.barryrudolph.com. 

Ohm Force Ohmicide

 

Ohmicide is from the French company Ohm Force’s Melohman family of plug-ins. Ohmicide is a distortion plug-in that is completely malleable in nearly every way possible. It starts by splitting audio into four frequency bands each with six different processing modules. The modules are: M/S matrix, noise gate, dynamics, distortion, make-up gain, pan, and it finishes with an acoustic feedback path. I liked the dynamics processor with its Shape control (a low-level compressor) and Body (basically it acts like an expander or limiter of sorts).

The Distortion processor module has three variants, Standard, Xxx, and Odd of 37 distortion algorithms making a total of 111 Types of distortion. A distortion Type is further adjustable using a Gain control, a DC offset control called Bias that simulates the erratic behavior of broken audio gear, and the Alt knob changes the underlying algorithm of the Type. The main graphic at the top of the plug’s GUI is an audio oscilloscope that shows: input, output, or both together superimposed and a second bar chart below shows where the filters of each frequency band begin and end. Somewhat useful and cool looking, you get an idea of what is going on but, as always, my ears tell me what’s really going on–complete audio mayhem!

My main use for Ohmicide is in mixing where I want to “rough” up certain tracks so they cut better or they take on a particular character and prominence. With a plug-in this deep and rich, I start with a preset to get close to what I’m looking for. For sound designers Ohmicide represents a major new tool for endless experimentation–you’ll never leave your studio!

The factory presets come in folders of twelve called MegaPatches and are selected via a MIDI keyboard or by clicking on the GUI. They are designed, tested and named for specific applications. Cool! They are: BassXxxxx for electric bass; DrumBassXxxxx is for Bass+Drum mixes; DrumXxxxx (my favorite!) is super for drum kits or loops; GuitAmpXxxxx sounds like the worst guitar amps ever made on fire; MiscXxxx are for general purpose grunge; and PercXxxx presets are for singular drum kit pieces like snares and kicks.Ohm Force

Available in RTAS, AU and VST formats for PC and Macs, Ohm Force Ohmicide:Melohman sells for about $125US and is now my “go to” filth box. I have many guitar amp simulators and other garbage makers but none as totally variable at Ohmicide or comes with as many great starting presets. Order up some dirt at: www.ohmforce.com


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