Inside RCA Studio B, Nashville

The history of RCA Studio B remains an important cultural and musical icon: without the recordings made at Studio B, American popular music would likely sound very different. Built in 1957 by Don Maddox, a Nashville businessman, the facility was leased to RCA, and put under the control of Steve Sholes (the head of RCA's country division) and recording artist and producer Chet Atkins. Regular use of Studio B ended in 1977, following a labor dispute. Purchased by the Curb Family Foundation in 2002, the facility is an operating studio-- the only one in Nashville that offers tours to the public. 

The photos were taken on January 6, 2014, using a Samsung Note 2 or a Nikon D80; none have been digitally retouched or edited. Click on any image, to view a high-res version. While these photos are not watermarked or otherwise tagged, please credit this blog and its author upon re-publication.

Rear entry-- the door Elvis Presley preferred.

Studio B interior, looking towards the control room.

The colored mood lighting was Elvis' idea-- each color is adjustable via its own variac, for noise-free dimming.

Rear studio door.

Marking the vocal 'sweet spot' in the rear of the studio.

 

  Consoles!

Original Studio B Console, on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

Console [not in use] at RCA Studio B.

Modern Control Room, RCA Studio B. Note that the massive studio monitors in use in the control room today were originally installed in the main room at Studio B!

Microphones!

This mic and podium was set up in Studio D, which was originally intended for recording demos. Note the curved architecture, for sound absorption.

Inside Studio B. Mic booms mounted on the zig-zag side wall.

 

This plate mic was in the front corner of the room, behind the piano and above the control room window.

Speakers!

This speaker was in the room that connected Studio D and Studio B-- the room with the outside entrance that Elvis preferred.

A few guitar amplifiers and a CRT television in Studio D. In the lighted case was a Thorens turntable and a Sony reel-to-reel.

These were the original control room monitors. The pair were located on the floor beside the Hammond organ, beneath the control room window. 

Current in-studio monitors.

Above the control room door, a second door likely leads to the echo chamber, located above Studio B.

Interesting Leslie speaker replacement, in use with the Hammond B3 organ.

Instruments!

A small chime piano in Studio B, heard on many songs.

Tack piano, with Plexiglass front.

The tour guide is standing where Eddy Arnold and many others have stood-- a 'sweet spot' for vocal recording.

Wooden vibes.

Metal vibes.

Hammond B3 organ.

Hammond vibrato circuit detail.

1941 Steinway. Restored in 2013, this piano was Elvis' favorite. Though he always used session musicians, The King may be heard playing this piano, on his version of "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Fender Rhodes beside the Steinway.

 

Tape Machines!

Looking into the control room from Studio B, this tape machine was visible.

This three-track Ampex tape machine was in the front room, along with large black-and-white photographs of famous artists. It contained an amplifier, and a preset program of sound recordings, controlled by the touch screen on the wall. 

This two track machine was also in the front room.

The poster to the tour guide's right depicts every #1 hit recorded by Elvis Presley at RCA Studio B.

Phil and Don Everly. The pair recorded "Kathy's Clown" and "Dream (All I Have to Do)," among others, at RCA Studio B.

Eddie Arnold, Jim Reeves, and the Everly Brothers, all seen at work in RCA Studio B.

For a rundown of gear currently in use at RCA Studio B, click here.

For more history of RCA Studio B in Nashville, visit Scotty Moore's site, recollecting early sessions with Elvis Presley.

RCA Studio B is operated in conjunction with Belmont University's Curb College of Entertainment &  Business. Tours are provided through the Country Music Hall of Fame.