The EMI Abbey Road Recording Studios

The Beatles recorded virtually all of their songs in the recording studios owned by EMI on Abbey Road. Yes, this is the same Abbey Road that they named their final album after. This page gives you more detail about the recording studio. Most of the information came from the Abbey Road Recording Studio website and also from the Beatles' own website. All of "A Day In The Life" was recorded in Studio 2 except for the orchestral part which was recorded in Studio 1. STUDIO 2 Layout Studio 2 in 1967 John's viewpoint Pauls's viewpoint Georges's viewpoint Ringo's viewpoint Studio 2 Today Studio 2 Control Today STUDIO 2 RECORDING EQUIPMENT Microphones - Featured in the studio Here in the Studio, Paul, George and John are all singing through Neumann U47 mics, which have also been employed to mike up the bands guitar amps. For Ringo's drums, an STC4038 overhead mic is being used with an AKG D20 picking up the bass drum. A 'layout sheet' taken from one of the sessions in 1967 illustrates a typical microphone set-up adopted by Geoff Emerick during this period of the bands recording career. A Neumann U48 was used for the Vocals; Neumann U47's for the electric guitars and Paul's bass was miked up with an AKG D20. The drums were recorded using an AKG D19 overhead mic, with an AKG D20 for the bass drum. Tape machines: Tape machines current to The Beatles first appearance at the studios were mono and stereo machines manufactured by EMI and called BTR's. The other tape machine used over this period was a Studer J37 4-track. Despite the presence of the 4-track, the band recorded their first two albums using BTR 2-track machines. Later, in 1968, 3M's 8-track tape machines were introduced into Studio 2. Recording consoles: Up until the Sgt. Pepper sessions in 1967, the recording desks used in the control room were the EMI-built REDD 37 and later, the REDD 51. In 1968 Abbey Road went 8-track, with the introduction of another EMI manufactured mixing desk. The valve driven REDD 51's had now been superseded by the first transistorised 8-track console to be installed at Abbey Road. STUDIO 1 Layout Studio 1 Today Studio 1 Control Today

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