RCA Studios Hollywood LA in the 1960s

[vbsh]

I was wondering, why there is such a lack of info about this studio on the net? I've googled everything, including google books and also I checked archives with scans of old magazines (like studio sound, billboard etc.) but I've found no info about the gear that they used there. This was an important studio, The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" was recorded there. I read on the forums and many assume that they used Ampex there (and most probably they did), but why there're no sources on this? All we have is just one photo (The Monkees, 1966) and there's something that looks like an Ampex 354 on the right, but i have no more info. And how to be sure that the Rolling Stones were using the same machines in the late 1965? Maybe there were changes in the studio. Thanks and excuse me for my english.

[/img]

[analogika]

RCA Studio B is featured in the fabulous book "Temples of Sound: Inside the Great Recording Studios".

Even if the technical information may be a little scant (I can't recall how the chapter on RCA is, offhand), it's a fantastic read that you should own, regardless.

http://www.amazon.com/Temples-Sound-Ins ... 0811833941

[roscoenyc]

I was wondering, why there is such a lack of info about this studio on the net? I've googled everything, including google books and also I checked archives with scans of old magazines (like studio sound, billboard etc.) but I've found no info about the gear that they used there. This was an important studio, The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" was recorded there. I read on the forums and many assume that they used Ampex there (and most probably they did), but why there're no sources on this? All we have is just one photo (The Monkees, 1966) and there's something that looks like an Ampex 354 on the right, but i have no more info. And how to be sure that the Rolling Stones were using the same machines in the late 1965? Maybe there were changes in the studio. Thanks and excuse me for my english.

[/img]

There was one room that was in what I'd call "historical condition" in 1979 when I recorded there with Top Jimmy. It had been re-named "Annex Recorders" and it was a former RCA room in Hollywood. When I say "historical condition" I mean it looked like it probably did in '65 and all that had been done was they kept it very clean.
I sure wish I had taken pictures.
Had all the old gear and pretty much none of the stuff of the time besides the addition of headphones.
UA console, LA-2a's, Pultecs.
They had those old monitors where there was Left, Right and Center in both the control room and the studio. It really blew my mind and I think of it often.

[vbsh]

analogika, thank you very much for the suggestion. I hope I will get the book soon. roscoenyc, it's so great that you had an opportunity to work there! Right now i'm interested to learn about the tape machines used for recording famous singles or albums. I found the series of articles "Classic Tracks" on soundonsound.com very useful, but The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" is not included there, unfortunatelly. I guess it was recorded on some Ampex but I'm not 100% sure.

[joninc]

http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.bl ... d.html?m=1

Some pretty good stuff on gearsslutz about this as well.

[joninc]

http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.bl ... d.html?m=1

Some pretty good stuff on gearsslutz about this as well.

[vbsh]

Thanks joninc, it's interesting, but unfortunatelly it doesn't mention the tape machines that were used there.

[Dominick Costanzo]

There were few choices for professional quality tape machines in 1965 and if you were in California, unless you were DIY-ing it, you used Ampex. No other company had support lines available. Though RCA had attempted to build machines in the late 50's they did not match Ampex's quality and were long abandoned by 1965. Scully was yet to rise from Presto's ashes. There really wasn't anything else stateside at the time. Picture shows a custom Ampex 1/2" 4 track using a 300 deck and 2 354 electronics. Not an Ampex catalog item. No sel-sync switching panel so this was probably a mixing / reduction room.

[joninc]

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... s-60s.html

"When I was first there in 1969, RCA had just got their first 16
track Ampex MM1000"

[vbsh]

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... s-60s.html

"When I was first there in 1969, RCA had just got their first 16
track Ampex MM1000"

Thanks joninc, but thats the end of the 60s, My question was more about The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction". "Aftermath" is also recorded there. Still, it's an interesting info, thanks for the link.

There were few choices for professional quality tape machines in 1965 and if you were in California, unless you were DIY-ing it, you used Ampex. No other company had support lines available. Though RCA had attempted to build machines in the late 50's they did not match Ampex's quality and were long abandoned by 1965. Scully was yet to rise from Presto's ashes. There really wasn't anything else stateside at the time. Picture shows a custom Ampex 1/2" 4 track using a 300 deck and 2 354 electronics. Not an Ampex catalog item. No sel-sync switching panel so this was probably a mixing / reduction room.

Thanks Dominick, it makes sense. It was most probably Ampex (99%). RCA in Nashville also used Ampex. But I wish there was some source on this. I know that RCA produced some tape recorders, but I'm not sure if they achieved to produce professional models for studio use.