The Village Recording Studios Continues a Sound Tradition Using AMS Neve Consoles
(AMS Neve | Posted 2006-11-04)
The Village Recording Studios has been a beacon for music for nearly 40 years. The landmark studio, with its brilliant architecture as a former Masonic temple, has attracted hundreds of music's leading artists and composers since The Village opened in 1968. Fleetwood Mac recorded Rumours there, The Rolling Stones made "Angie," and Eric Clapton, Supertramp, Barbra Streisand, Stone Temple Pilots, Heart, Steely Dan and many others have worked on monumental projects within The Village walls. All of them recorded on what has become central to the sound of The Village over four decades: AMS Neve consoles. The Village has the largest complement of AMS Neve analog consoles in the U.S. and is one of the largest all-AMS Neve studios in the world. These include private studios maintained at The Village by leading producers and artists, including the legendary Robbie Robertson of The Band, who uses his vintage AMS Neve 8021 console in The Village's Studio C, and superstar John Mayer, who is now encamped in his private studio at The Village with an AMS Neve BCM10 sidecar mixer.
"There is a sound that is particular to AMS Neve consoles, a sound so extraordinary that the records made on AMS Neve consoles simply stand the test of time like no others," observes Jeff Greenberg, CEO of The Village. "Whether it's records or film, when people come in to The Village to do music, they come away amazed at how much the AMS Neve consoles contribute to making their records sound great."
The list of artists who have employed AMS Neve at The Village defines the musical culture of the last 40 years. A vintage 72-channel AMS Neve 8048 is in place in Studio A, the room used by Steely Dan for many of their classic albums, as well as by The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, James Taylor, Heart, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, who recorded "Tears In Heaven" there, as did a pantheon of Urban stars including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Nate Dogg when they made The Chronic. In The Village's Studio B, the 72 inputs on the studio's AMS Neve VR Legend console have hosted tracks by Stone Temple Pilots, Supertramp, Barbra Streisand, Sixpence None The Richer, and Meatloaf. Smashing Pumpkins created their masterpieces Mellon Collie... and Adore in Studio B. Studio D has served the film community in Hollywood well, recording and mixing scores for The Shawshank Redemption, The Bodyguard, Tarzan, Moulin Rouge, and There's Something About Mary. The Village's newest addition, a 72-channel AMS Neve 88RS, has been recently employed in Studio D on movies including Walk The Line, Talladega Nights, Mr. 3000, All The King's Men, Master And Commander: The Far Side of the World, I Heart Huckabees, Christmas With The Kranks, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Hidalgo, Cold Mountain, and Angels In America, as well as the forthcoming film based on the music of the Beatles, Across The Universe. The 88RS has also served on music tracks by artists such as Tom Petty, John Mayer, Nine Inch Nails, Brian Setzer, Dixie Chicks, Lucinda Williams, and Guns N' Roses for the yet to be released Chinese Democracy album. Furthermore, The Village's AMS Neve consoles have been the hub for hundreds of broadcasts on KCRW originating from The Village's studios, for performances from artists including The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, Beck, Paul Simon and Yo-Yo Ma.
"Every day, it seems, something new comes out of The Village that's destined to become a classic," comments Greenberg. "It has to do first and foremost with the talent of the artists, producers musicians and engineers who have worked at The Village over the years. But I also attribute a great deal of that success to the AMS Neve consoles we've used exclusively for over 35 years. And we've been with AMS Neve for the same reasons -- the consoles sound great and the support and service have been superb. The Village and AMS Neve have been a team for decades, and they will be for decades to come."
Photo: The Village - Studio A
Photo courtesy of Edward Colver and www.VillageStudios.com
