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Archive 2015 · Recording Studio

  
 
Peter Figen
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Recording Studio


Not just any studio, but Studio A at Capitol with it's new AMS Neve 88 SR console. These were shot for Capitol and Neve. Straight on shot is three vertical stitch with the 24 t/s while the 3/4 shot is with the 17 t/s. Lighting is ambient combined with two and three Arri 650 tungsten lights. The mic in front of the Yamaha piano was Sinatra's favorite Neumann U47 - at least until he left Capitol in the early 60's and they built East-West for down the street on Sunset.





Capitol Studio A with Neve 88SR







Capitol Studio A




Jan 19, 2015 at 03:41 AM
Tom Robinson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Recording Studio


Beautiful Peter. Interesting back-story too!


Jan 19, 2015 at 09:17 AM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Recording Studio


Tom - there's even more back story. When I shot this, there were engineer approved JBL near field monitor speakers on the meter bridge, but apparently they weren't politically correct, so I had them bring the little Yamaha NS10 speakers to my studio, where I photographed them with the same light and lenses - front, 3/4 and side, and dropped them in, in place of the JBL's. Also did a straight on version where I removed the speakers entirely and rebuilt from scratch what would have been behind the speakers.


Jan 19, 2015 at 02:15 PM
Danpbphoto
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Recording Studio


Now that is a control board Peter! Wonderful storyline to the images.
Dan



Jan 19, 2015 at 02:47 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Recording Studio


That's what a million will get you these days. All analog tubes inside.


Jan 19, 2015 at 03:02 PM
glennh56
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Recording Studio


WOW outstanding! More stories please.


Jan 19, 2015 at 05:45 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Recording Studio


I've been shooting at Capitol for over fifteen years now, off and on, and was eager to shoot the current version of the room. It was starting to look pretty dated with the old CRT monitors in the wall and just the wear and tear of being used. The biggest deal here was putting two companies together to split the cost of the shoot, and the timing was critical, as Neve, located in the UK, needed shots of this console for a brochure they were printing. There was a lot of going back and forth between all parties trying to figure out acceptable amounts for both companies to contribute. There's a lot I can't really talk about, but suffice to say that it all came about after lunch on a Friday and we shot on the following Monday morning. At 3:30 in the afternoon Friday, I got an email from someone at Capitol informing me they needed an insurance certificate for five million dollars. That had to be done before 5 PM when the insurance company closed for the weekend. Turns out that four million, which is what my policy is for was enough, but since Capitol no longer owns the building, the new owners require a huge insurance policy for any outside vendors coming on the property - even music equipment rental companies. That's life in the big city these days, I guess.


Jan 19, 2015 at 10:01 PM
jstaylor
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Recording Studio


Great photos, Peter! Always look forward to seeing what you create.

I used to work for OceanWay Recording (www.oceanwayrecording.com) just a block away from Capitol over on Sunset,. Lots of history there too! We had one of the few Focusrite curved consoles in Studio A. Also at Record One in Sherman Oaks (same company) we had the largest Neve board in existence at the time. Good times!

Joe



Jan 20, 2015 at 01:52 AM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Recording Studio


Joe - I think that Neve might be the same one that's now at East West - the one that was built in '73 and then "upgraded" to be double the size so Michael Jackson could mix Thriller on it. What did you do at Ocean Way.


Jan 20, 2015 at 02:03 AM
jstaylor
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Recording Studio


Peter - I was a runner, setting up microphones, tape machines and stuff, and doing some assisting on sessions.

Slight correction.. I meant the largest SSL console was at Record One studio A. The Neve in B at Record One was where Micheal did work. It was customized but not the largest.

The big Focusrite is in OceanWay A.

Joe



Jan 20, 2015 at 01:56 PM
jstaylor
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Recording Studio


Oh, I just looked up East West. What a coincidence. That building used to belong to OceanWay studios when I was there I do remember hearing that building was sold a few years back.

Small world.



Jan 20, 2015 at 02:01 PM
Fast6
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Recording Studio


Peter, thanks for sharing your work and your stories. Both are awesome!


Jan 20, 2015 at 02:59 PM
mikeengles
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Recording Studio


Hello

Are you certain there are valves (tubes) in that desk? If so there must be an amazing aircon to remove the heat. I had a look at the Neve spec, which makes no mention of valves.
Mike Engles



Jan 20, 2015 at 04:55 PM
rattymouse
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Recording Studio


mikeengles wrote:
Hello

Are you certain there are valves (tubes) in that desk? If so there must be an amazing aircon to remove the heat. I had a look at the Neve spec, which makes no mention of valves.
Mike Engles


I can't believe there'd be tubes in a desk like that. You are right, the heat flow would be enormous!




Jan 20, 2015 at 05:31 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Recording Studio


That's a great question. I know they made a big distinction between these consoles and the ones over at Fox and Skywalker dubbing stages where they are specifically digital. I'll see what I can find out.


Jan 20, 2015 at 08:34 PM
seiwert serj
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Recording Studio


Peter Figen wrote:
Joe - I think that Neve might be the same one that's now at East West - the one that was built in '73 and then "upgraded" to be double the size so Michael Jackson could mix Thriller on it. What did you do at Ocean Way.


I've always thought M.J. Thriller was engineered at Westlake by B.Swedien on a Harrison desk.
Thriller

Edited on Feb 17, 2015 at 11:20 AM · View previous versions



Feb 17, 2015 at 10:59 AM
Zane Adams
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Recording Studio


Peter Figen wrote:
.... JBL near field monitor speakers... they weren't politically correct,.
.

Ok I'll bite, What is wrong with JBL ?




Feb 17, 2015 at 11:09 AM
marklankton
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Recording Studio


What a great studio and what excellent photos of it. Really nice and fun to see! Two careers ago I spent some time in studios in Nashville, top-end stuff for the time but not so impressive as this.
Mark



Feb 17, 2015 at 11:50 AM
IndyFab
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Recording Studio


Would of loved to be your assistant on this assignment.
Nicely done.

My friend does all of Chesky's consoles..
http://www.chesky.com/content/about-chesky



Feb 17, 2015 at 12:15 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Recording Studio


"Ok I'll bite, What is wrong with JBL ?"

As near as I could tell, there wasn't anything technically wrong with JBL's as near fields, but more that JBL made larger studio monitor systems that competed with PMC, the British company that made the main monitors in the wall, and somehow there was some sort of implicit endorsement of JBL when they already had a deal with PMC. Now, no one every came out and said as much, but that seemed to be the undercurrent of what I was hearing. Hell, PMC makes their own near fields as well. Maybe we should have had them.



Feb 17, 2015 at 07:37 PM
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