A&M RECORDS STUDIO D

"D" HISTORY
"D" EQUIPMENT

A&M RECORDS STUDIO D HISTORY

The original Studio D opened in 1968 with a HAECO console. The room was Bernie Grundman's mastering suite used for re-mixing and mastering. Holzer also built cutting systems.

In 1973, A&M opened a new Studio D. The room was 20 x 30' with a 24' ceiling. It could handle sessions with up to 30 musicians and had vocal and string isolation booths. The control room was 17' x 24' with with a Quad Eight Custom Console. The console featured:
Fully discreet, transformer balanced (custom wound QE/Cinemag and UTC transformer sets),
32 input, 16 buss, 32 monitor split design
3 band inductor type peak/shelving eq,
custom specified QE music frequencies and pass filters
7 position gain mic/line select with 60+ DB gain.
Vertical Weston metering (projector light mirror design)
All console demarcations are engraved into a custom surface material

The quad console remained in use until 1981. During the year, this console was replaced by a Trident with Melquist computer TSM custom and the studio's acoustics were updated.

Beginning in 1975 with their Horizon album, the Carpenters used Studio D almost exclusively for their recordings through their last recordings.

Notable albums recorded in Studio D:

* Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers Sleepless Nights (1976)
* Simple Minds
* The Tubes
* Jeff Beck Blaze Of Glory, Young Guns II
* Ray Conniff Love Will Keep Us Together
* Lori Lieberman Home Of Whispers
* Barry Manilow "Copacabana"
* Joni Mitchell Mingus
* George Harrison Extra Texture (1975)
* Happy the Man self-titled album (1977)
* Circle Jerks Wild In the Streets (1982)

In 1979, Herb Alpert recorded "Rise" on the console and into the prototype of the 3M 32-track digital system.

For the television show "Solid Gold," Studio D was used to produce tracks for Dionne Warwick, Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Roy Clark and Joe Piscopo.

Tracking and overdub capabilities. Entered through a 20' by 21' control room, two isolation chambers were set off on the left side. The main recording room was 28.5' by 34' with an 18.5' ceiling. Behind the main room were two more ISO booths, one 14' by 18' and the other 16' by 18'. Studio D also had a private lounge and bath.

Carpenters filmed two of their videos in Studio D, "Only Yesterday" and "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song." They also reserved weeks at a time in "D" when recording their albums.

Studio D was chosen for the 3M multi-track tape machine installed February 6, 1979. Herb Alpert tested the new equipment when he recorded his Rise album in 1979. He also recorded his Magic Man album in D.

In 1988 Continental Studio Builders (CSB) updated the studio.

In 1998 Studio D had SSL tracking and mix with a 4072 G Series.