A&M RECORDS STUDIO A

A&M RECORDS STUDIO A HISTORY

Herb Alpert, Larry Levine and Howard Holzer with the original Studio A Console.

Studio A was the largest room at 48,000 cubic feet. It had tracking, overdub and remixing capabilities. In 1970 the room was 40' x 50' with a 25' ceiling. Up to 50 people could work in it during a session. The original console was built by Holzer, a HAECO with 30 input and 24 output. The original speakers were four Altec 604Es.

Among the artist recordings to come from Studio A are:

* "We Are the World" by USA for Africa
* Herb Alpert remixed his Fandango album and recorded Blow Your Own Horn 
* Hoyt Axton recorded in "A" for many of his projects
* Joan Baez's Diamonds and Rust album
* Burt Bacharach with orchestra for his records, Dionne Warwick and Glen Campbell
* Carpenters self-titled album, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft"
* Sheryl Crow self-titled album 1991
* Jack Daugherty and the Class of 1971
* Captain & Tennille's Love Will Keep Us Together
* Stan Getz's Apasionado
* Lani Hall's Es Facil Amar album (mix)
* Chuck Mangione Chase the Clouds Away
* Jeffrey Osborne's self-titled album
* Billy Preston's vocal on "Nothing From Nothing" and Hammond B3 on The Kids and Me
* Supertramp Breakfast In America
* The Tubes Young & Rich
* Michael Hedges Menage a Trois (mix)
* John Lennon Rock n' Roll
* Joni Mitchell Court and Spark 
* Living Colour
* Henry Mancini used Studio A for his large ensemble work
* Richard Marx
* Mister Loco self-titled album (mix)
* Joni Mitchell
* Instruments on Barbra Streisand's Butterfly
* Don Henley End Of the Innocence
* Crosby, Stills, Nash & Another Stoney Evening and Young American Dream (mix)  

According to the A&M Studios web site, artists entered Studio A through its control room. In the late 1990s, the control room was about 19' by 22'. (All dimensions are approximations because the studio complex contained many walls that were set on angles.) On the left side of the control room was a vocal ISO booth. Two more ISO booths were on the right side of the studio. One was about 16' by 20' and the other was 20' by 26'. The control room windows looked out into the main recording room with its 20' ceiling. The main area was about 38' by 39'.

The HAECO console was replaced with an API and the room was upgraded to eight speakers. In 1976 the API was upgraded with a Trident TSM 40/24/32 that stayed in service until 1986 when the Neve console was installed. 

The vocal booths were added after 1975.

Studio A was updated in 1986 by Continental Studio Builders (CSB).

In 1998, the room still had the Neve 4972 console.

HOWARD HOLZER CONSOLE

STUDIO A

AIR MONTSERRAT CONSOLE

This console was one of the last three designed by Rupert Neve for the Neve Company. Producer Sir George Martin developed the specifications for the desks that were to be used in Air Studios. Engineer Geoff Emerick also added his specifications. This console got its name because it was installed in the Air Montserrat Studios. While at Air, it was used to record The Police albums Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity.

In 1987, A&M Records bought the console.

The console featured 52 channels with:
40 Remote Preamps in a 4 x 10 channel system
44 x 31106 Eq and 41-44 have mic preamps inside the 31106 case
8 x 1081
4 x 32088 Eq's
44 x 32436 Aux Routing Modules
8 x 1974 Routing modules
Flying Faders
TT Patch Bay
remote-controlled microphone preamps and toroidal transformers,
integrated circuits

STUDIO A EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENT IN 1970s

LATE 1990s