PHOTO : ANDRE KADEN BLACK
EMI TG12345 MKIII vintage console on display in Studio 2
1969 , the studio was named after the label that owned it , EMI . Before that time , every new piece of gear that came in the studio was thoroughly inspected , tested , and , if necessary , modified to EMI ’ s standards . The studio literally has hundreds and hundreds of microphones to choose from , stacked in shelves and cases , most of which are still used today because of their history and age . Testing famous microphones out , like their vintage Coles 4038 , which was used to track Paul McCartney ’ s bass during the recording of Sgt . Pepper as well as Pink Floyd ’ s album The Piper at the Gate of Dawn , was a pretty surreal experience .
PS : How about instruments ? Did the band put any of the hallowed pieces housed within the studio to use for this album ?
AKB : There was also a lot of gear available just sitting around the studio . Some of the instruments included two Hammond organs , a Challen Studio Upright Piano , along with a Steinway Model D Grand and the
IOV set up to record in Abbey Road Studio 2 live room historic “ Mrs . Mills ” 1905 Steinway Vertegrand Model K upright , which was used in many Beatles recordings including “ Penny Lane ,” “ Lady Madonna ,” and “ With a Little Help from My Friends .” All pianos were in perfect tune – the studio hires piano techs to come in weekly – except for the Mrs . Mills Steinway , which is tuned in a particular way that makes it sound out of tune , but in a good way , like an old , beaten up saloon piano . We did take advantage and recorded one song that won ’ t be featured on the record called “ Good Men Fall ,” written and preformed by the band ’ s guitarist , Matt , about his uncle who unexpectedly passed away last year in a tragic snowmobile accident .
PS : How would you describe the sonic character of Studio 2 ’ s live room , and how did it specifically shape the sound of this record ?
PHOTO : JOSHUA FURMAN
AKB : Once everything was set up and we began tracking , you could really get a sense of how the room sounded . The height of the room was about 25 ft . by about 40 ft . and it seemed to bring out stronger mid-range tones . I found it to be more of a short reverb for such a large live room . Having such an unusual tone , the studio actually prohibits any sampling being done . The studio room itself was very flexible in terms of its acoustics with wrap-around drapes that could be drawn back in several different amounts as well as the bass trap panels on the walls , which easily handles the measure of reverb necessary for orchestral recordings as well as a more mainstream pop or rock sound .
PS : Beyond the people that travelled with you from Canada , which personnel at the studio itself had a hand in this project , and how did you find that collaboration ?
AKB : When we arrived , we were greeted by our two engineers : Chris Bolster , our main engineer who has since worked on records with Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters , as well as his assistant , Paul Pritchard , who sat in with the likes of the Arctic Monkeys , Sting , and Sigur Ros . Both of them were very knowledgeable and easy to work alongside during the process . During the end of one of the lunch breaks , we all went into the live room and started an impromptu jam session , which was incredibly fun . It was that moment where I found myself lost in the music , standing in the middle of the most historic studio live room in modern history .
PS : Tell me about what you felt exiting the studio after your last session , and looking back now , what do you think you ’ ll most fondly remember about this experience ?
AKB : After spending as much time as we did recording there , in a weird way , it almost felt like it became a piece of you . We all truly got to know the staff and engineers we worked with who made us feel completely at home during our time there . I remember celebrating our accomplishments with a last round of beers , raising our glasses with everyone involved . After taking one last walk around the studio building , we packed up our gear and began to load the two vans waiting for us outside behind the leftover tourists loitering under the streetlights . If I had to sum up my experience at Abbey Road Studios in one word , it would have to be “ surrealistic .” Everything from playing Beatles songs on the actual pianos they were tracked with to the historic and now retired recording desks to the absolutely fantastic food we ate at the cafe . All of it was amazing .
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief of Professional Sound .