When High Fidelity Was New

The Studio as Instrument

Recording studio developments

Record sales rebounded before World War II, leading to increased attention on record quality and studio acoustics.
Records couldn’t replicate live performance reverberation due to limitations like extraneous noise from shellac discs and limited phonograph frequency range.
In the 1920s, issues with reverberations and echoes led studios to adopt acoustically dead environments to minimize these problems.
Early 1930s saw the use of “live end” and “dead end” studios and echo chambers in radio stations to enhance music and speech broadcasts.
Halls and churches with natural reverberation characteristics became preferred recording environments, gaining a strong reputation.
Recording studios developed unique acoustical signatures known as their “sound.”
Engineers devised methods to recreate these acoustics in smaller spaces.

Reverb

Reverberation, once eliminated from public spaces and movie sound studios, gained importance in music recording during the early days of high fidelity.
It was valued not only for aiding singers but also for making records sound louder.
Controlling reverberation became essential for successful utilization in recordings.
Achieving a realistic sound required the skillful manipulation of recording equipment and microphone placement by recording engineers.
Some record producers aimed to go beyond replicating live performances, emphasizing additional elements for the listener.
This shift marked an increased significance of studio technology, design, and the roles of producers and engineers in recording sessions.

Record Boom: The Record Industry, Broadcasting Studios, and Recording Studios

Decca Records

Music: 35-cent Records - TIME

More Decca

The Record Book

V-Discs

V-Disc recordings | RSA

The Modern Broadcast Studio: NBC Radio City and CBS

Radio City studio complex:

Completed in 1933 in New York City
Cost $5 million, more than half of which was used for sound equipment and acoustic treatment

THE world’s largest and finest radio -broadcasting studios are now in operation at Radio City, New York. Built by the National Broadcasting Company at an outlay of five million dollars, they incorporate many novel features of design and arrangement, in addition to their sheer size and completeness. Thirty-five studios of various sizes are p

Acoustic treatment in Radio City studio complex

Floating construction of walls
Triple-pane plate-glass observation windows
Rock wool
Perforated asbestos tiles
Proprietary materials: Rockoustile, Acoustone, Acousti-Celotex
Acoustic treatment on the walls and within the building’s air ducts

NBC’s design criteria

Not set by the critical judgment of a few people
Based on years of operating experience and the collective judgment and opinion of thousands of listeners
Broadcast studio design is no longer a matter of guesswork or trial and error methods
It is also determined by what sounds good to the listening public

CBS Studios

Recording Studios: RCA Victor, Decca, Columbia, Capitol

RCA Victor

RCA Victor New York studios

Located at 155 East Twenty-Fourth Street from 1936 to 1969
Far from the bustle of Midtown Manhattan, nestled between Miller’s Harness Store and a stable on the block between Lexington and Third Avenues

Here are the bullet points of the website http://www.scottymoore.net/studio_rca.html:

Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1954 to 1960.
Studio B was a small, cramped room, but it had excellent acoustics.
Presley and Moore recorded many of their biggest hits at Studio B, including “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” and “Jailhouse Rock.”
Studio B was also used by other artists, such as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and Dolly Parton.
In 1977, Studio B was designated a National Historic Landmark.

I hope this is helpful!

Summary of https://swingandbeyond.com/2018/09/09/victors-24th-street-new-york-recording-studio-cherokee-1939-charlie-barnet/ in bullet points:

Victor’s 24th Street recording studio in New York City was one of the most advanced studios in the world when it was built in 1929.
Many of the biggest names in music recorded at Victor’s 24th Street, including Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington.
In 1939, Charlie Barnet recorded his version of “Cherokee” at Victor’s 24th Street.
Barnet’s recording of “Cherokee” is considered to be one of the most influential recordings of the swing era.
“Cherokee” was one of the first tunes on which Charlie Parker began his experiments which led by the early 1940s to the development of the jazz idiom called bebop or more simply, bop.

Conclusion:

Victor’s 24th Street recording studio was a landmark in the history of music. It is where many of the biggest names in music recorded their hits, and it is where Charlie Barnet recorded his groundbreaking version of “Cherokee.”

Western Electric 22C console

And finally: (322) CLASSIC BROADCAST MICROPHONES - YouTube - a long documentary demonstrating many microphones used in radio broadcast including the RCA 77

Recording consoles in recording studios evolved from the original control panels of the Western Electric electrical recording system.
RCA Victor and Columbia Recording used consoles designed and built by their respective engineering departments.
Smaller recording studios utilized broadcast consoles manufactured by companies such as RCA, Raytheon, Western Electric, and Gates Radio.
The engineer’s control over the consoles primarily included adjusting input volume from microphones and output to the disc cutter, as well as balancing instruments.
The popular microphones during the era were RCA ribbon microphones, specifically the diamond-shaped RCA 44 bidirectional and the bullet-shaped RCA 77 unidirectional.
These microphones were developed in the early 1930s in RCA laboratories under the guidance of Dr. Harry Olson.
RCA 44 and RCA 77 microphones became widely adopted in studio recording during the 1930s and 1940s.

Decca Records

Capitol

Temples, Churches, and Dance Halls: The Big “Natural” Sound

Pythian Temple

Recordings places’ trip#10 Pythian

Liederkranz Hall

Recorded at Liederkranz Hall (1941)

The recording in question showcases a blend of dead room and live room ambience, noticeable through distinct characteristics in different elements.
The lead vocalist’s sound appears dry, resembling a performance in a vocal booth, creating a dead room effect.
In contrast, the brass section, trombone solo, drummer’s rim shots emulating bat sounds, and the male chorus exude a significant presence, highlighting the room’s spaciousness.
Achieving volume without exceeding groove dimensions was a key concern in those days, as louder records required wider grooves and resulted in reduced playing time.
Studios capable of delivering an apparent loudness quality were highly prized, both artistically and commercially, during the big band era.

Closing of Liederkrantz Hall

In the late 1940s, Columbia Records thrived as a label, while its parent company, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), had a rising presence in television.
CBS President William S. Paley made a significant decision to convert Liederkranz Hall into television studios.
This decision was met with apparent unpopularity, and it ultimately led to the destruction of the hall’s legendary sound.
According to musician Manny Albam, the hall’s remarkable acoustics were ruined by a simple act of applying a coat of paint, resulting in the demise of the studio.

Columbia Studios at 30th Street

Columbia Records eventually discovered an ideal venue in an abandoned Greek Orthodox Church located on East Thirtieth Street.
This studio was built on a foundation of solid rock, and its floors consisted of three layers of one-inch-thick maple and pine, serving as a solid wood sounding board.
Over time, Columbia’s 30th Street Studio gained a remarkable reputation as “the ‘Stradivarius’ of recording studios.”
It was revered to the extent that it was considered not just a studio but also the ultimate designation as a musical instrument itself.

Parabolic reflectors in recording studios, bullet points:

Savory designed 8-foot parabolic reflectors on wheeled tripods for easy repositioning.
He placed the reflectors behind musicians to give recording engineers more control over the sound and musicians a better listening environment.
Brass musicians thought the reflectors were wonderful, while some other musicians found them strange.
One violinist told Savory that the reflectors would make him practice more because he could hear all his mistakes.

In summary, parabolic reflectors can be used in recording studios to create a more direct sound and reduce reverberation. However, some musicians may find them strange or uncomfortable.

Glenn Gould at 30th Street

Glenn Gould recorded at 30th Street Studios in New York City on two occasions. The first time was in 1955, when he recorded his debut album, The Goldberg Variations. This album was a critical and commercial success, and it made Gould a star.

Gould returned to 30th Street Studios in 1981 to record another version of The Goldberg Variations. This recording was made towards the end of Gould’s life, and it is considered by many to be his finest work.

30th Street Studios was a legendary recording studio that was used by many of the biggest names in music, including Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday. The studio was known for its excellent acoustics and its state-of-the-art equipment.

Gould’s recordings at 30th Street Studios are considered to be some of the best classical recordings ever made. His unique interpretations of Bach’s music have influenced generations of musicians and listeners.

Mimicking the Hall: Spring Reverb, “Echo” Chambers, EMT Plates

Summary of the Les Paul echo effect story in bullet points:

Les Paul witnessed two Chicago radio engineers serendipitously invent a makeshift echo effect.
The engineers were trying to create the sound of thunder for a soap opera.
They removed the needle from a phonograph pickup, inserted a long spring, and hit the spring with a mallet.
This created the crashing sound of thunder.
The engineers then put a pickup on the other end of the spring to receive the signal.
This created an echo effect.

Paul was amazed by this new echo effect, and he began to use it in his own music. He is credited with popularizing the use of echo effects in guitar music.

This experiment became the Spring reverb: A type of echo effect composed of an electromechanical system that was later incorporated into the Hammond organ.
Invented by Laurens Hammond in 1935: Laurens Hammond was an American inventor who is best known for inventing the Hammond organ.

Custom echo chambers

The EMT 140 Reverberation Set, developed in 1953, was a popular electronic means of achieving reverb.
It consisted of a large steel plate that was excited by a loudspeaker-like device and picked up by a microphone.
The reverb time could be adjusted between one and five seconds.
The EMT plate was portable, tunable, and size-efficient, making it a good option for studios with limited space.
Not everyone immediately embraced this new form of electronic reverberation.

Additional thoughts:

The EMT 140 Reverberation Set was a major breakthrough in reverb technology. It was the first commercially available electronic reverb unit, and it quickly became a standard in recording studios around the world.
The EMT plate was known for its smooth, natural-sounding reverb. It was used on countless classic recordings, including “Pet Sounds” by The Beatles and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson.
Although the EMT plate was not immediately embraced by everyone, it eventually became widely accepted as a valuable tool for recording engineers and producers.

Overall, the EMT 140 Reverberation Set was a landmark product in the history of recording technology. It helped to shape the sound of recorded music for generations.

Reluctance in adoption:

Although the EMT plate offered more control over reverb than natural spaces, engineers, producers, and artists were initially resistant to using it because they wanted to be sure that they would get the desired sound from a trusted source.
They were concerned that the EMT plate would not sound as natural as the live chambers that had been used to record so many hit records.
Phil Ramone was able to dispel their doubts by camouflaging his EMTs and conducting a “tone test.” His clients were none the wiser, and the EMT plate quickly became a standard in recording studios around the world.

Additional thoughts:

Ramone’s “tone test” is a fascinating example of how the psychology of perception can play a role in the adoption of new technologies. Even though the EMT plate sounded just as good as, or even better than, live chambers, many engineers and producers were reluctant to use it because they were unfamiliar with it and didn’t trust it.
Ramone’s experiment showed that once people got used to the sound of the EMT plate, they couldn’t tell the difference between it and a live chamber. This helped to pave the way for the widespread adoption of electronic reverb units.

Overall, the bullet points you provided provide a good overview of the early resistance to electronic reverb and how Ramone’s “tone test” helped to overcome it. It is a reminder that even when a new technology is clearly superior to the old one, it can take time for people to accept it.

Slap-back Echo

(322) Slapback echo - YouTube
(322) Elvis Presley - The Story Behind Sun Studio’s Famous “Slap Back” Echo - YouTube
Other songs with slap-back echo
- How High the Moon by Les Paul & Mary Ford
- Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley
- Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On by Jerry Lee Lewis
- Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry
- Be My Baby by The Ronettes

In addition to echo chambers, another popular means of achieving echo in the early days of recording was tape slap, or slap-back echo. This was done by using two tape recorders and recording the signal onto one recorder, then playing it back on the other recorder and re-recording it onto the first recorder. The time delay between the two recordings could be adjusted to create a variety of echo effects.
Les Paul and Sam Phillips were two of the early pioneers of tape slap echo. Paul used it on his own recordings in the late 1940s, and Phillips used it to create the distinctive “Sun Sound” on the first Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis records.

Additional thoughts:

Tape slap echo is a simple but effective way to create echo effects. It is still used by recording engineers today, although it has been largely replaced by digital reverb units.
Tape slap echo has a unique sound that is characterized by its short delay time and bright, clear tone. It is often used to create a sense of space and depth in recordings, and it can also be used to add excitement and energy to a track.
Some famous examples of songs that use tape slap echo include:
- “How High the Moon” by Les Paul
- “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley
- “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis
- “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry
- “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes

Tape slap echo is an important part of the history of recorded music, and it continues to be used by recording engineers today to create unique and interesting sounds.

“Music was not what was played . . . but rather what people heard”: Adventures in Microphoning

Summary of bullet points:

In the early days of recording, engineers and producers began to experiment with room acoustics to create different sounds.
At the same time, conductors Leopold Stokowski and Andre Kostelanetz began to experiment with the microphone as an instrument in its own right.
Stokowski collaborated with Bell Lab engineers to improve the fidelity of sound transmission and reproduction.
He was also the first musician to publicly recognize the importance of the control engineer and their role in shaping the sound of a recording.

Additional thoughts:

Stokowski was a visionary conductor who was always looking for new ways to improve the sound of his music. He was one of the first conductors to use microphones in a creative way, and he helped to pioneer the use of electronic reverb and other effects.
Stokowski’s work with Bell Lab engineers helped to lay the foundation for the high-fidelity sound that we enjoy today. He was also one of the first to recognize the importance of the control engineer in the recording process.
Stokowski’s legacy is immense. He was a pioneer in the field of recording engineering, and he helped to shape the sound of recorded music for generations.