{"id":17358,"date":"2016-09-29T14:22:56","date_gmt":"2016-09-29T13:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/?p=17358"},"modified":"2018-06-07T14:33:19","modified_gmt":"2018-06-07T13:33:19","slug":"a-look-around-bbcs-wonderful-maida-vale-studio-mv3-west-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/a-look-around-bbcs-wonderful-maida-vale-studio-mv3-west-london\/","title":{"rendered":"A look around BBC&#8217;s wonderful Maida Vale Studio MV3, west London"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-01.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Yesterday I was fortunate\u00a0enough to spend time at\u00a0the BBC&#8217;s famous studio complex at Maida Vale, recording live tracks with my old\/new band <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Monochrome_Set\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Monochrome Set<\/a> for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b00c72y1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marc Riley&#8217;s BBC6 Music radio show<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-02.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios\u00a0(of which five are in regular use) which have been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 6 Music from 1946 to the present.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-03.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The site was built in 1909 as the Maida Vale Roller Skating Palace and Club before being rebuilt\u00a0in 1933-1934 as one of the BBC&#8217;s earliest premises, pre-dating Broadcasting House.<\/p>\n<p>The studios were the centre of the BBC News operation during World War II and has since survived several attempts by developers to turn the place into luxury apartments.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-04.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Still dripping in period detail, the studios have been\u00a0home to the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 1934,\u00a0and provided the base for the wonderful\u00a0BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1958 until its demise in 1998.<\/p>\n<p>The Beatles used studio MV5 several times in 1963 to record sessions for BBC radio, and the famous sessions for John Peel&#8217;s Radio 1 programme were also recorded here.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-05.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some items in the studio look like they&#8217;ve been here since the 1930s.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-06.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maida_Vale_Studios\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a> lists the current uses for the studio complex:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Studio MV1<\/b> is one of the largest recording spaces available in the UK. Equipped with a <a title=\"Studer\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Studer\">Studer<\/a> D950 digital desk, MV1 is currently home to the <a title=\"BBC Symphony Orchestra\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Symphony_Orchestra\">BBC Symphony Orchestra<\/a>. It was also used by the <a title=\"BBC Radio Orchestra\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Radio_Orchestra\">BBC Radio Orchestra<\/a> on some of its larger sessions until the early 1990s.<\/li>\n<li><b>Studio MV2<\/b> had its technical installation decommissioned some years ago. It currently provides rehearsal space for the <a title=\"BBC Singers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Singers\">BBC Singers<\/a> and the <a title=\"BBC Symphony Chorus\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Symphony_Chorus\">BBC Symphony Chorus<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Studio MV3<\/b> is a large studio, equal in size to MV2. With an <a title=\"Solid State Logic\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solid_State_Logic\">SSL<\/a> 9000J series analogue desk installed, MV3 is used for a large number of <a title=\"BBC Radio 2\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Radio_2\">Radio 2<\/a> programmes and some <a title=\"BBC Radio 1\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Radio_1\">Radio 1<\/a> session recordings and live audience shows. <a title=\"Bing Crosby\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bing_Crosby\">Bing Crosby<\/a> made his last recording session in this studio in 1977, three days before he died of a heart attack on a golf course in Spain. It was the home of the <a title=\"BBC Radio Orchestra\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Radio_Orchestra\">BBC Radio Orchestra<\/a>, a specialist light music session band, with music director <a title=\"Neil Richardson (composer)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neil_Richardson_(composer)\">Neil Richardson<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Studio MV4<\/b> is a smaller studio with vocal booth and balcony. Utilising a SSL 9000J series analogue desk, MV4 was home to the <a title=\"John Peel\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Peel\">John Peel sessions<\/a> and has continued to be used to record the BBC Radio 1 sessions for shows that have replaced Peel&#8217;s.<\/li>\n<li><b>Studio MV5<\/b> is now one of two spaces used for the <a title=\"Live Lounge\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Live_Lounge\">Live Lounge<\/a>, and plays host to a large number of current pop acts.<\/li>\n<li><b>Studio MV6<\/b> is a drama studio still in regular use to produce programmes for <a title=\"BBC Radio 4\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC_Radio_4\">BBC Radio 4<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Studio MV7<\/b> was a drama studio but is now decommissioned and used for tape storage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-07.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Each artist gets his\/her own little headphone mixer, with the old school warning lights sparking into life at very &#8216;sensible&#8217; levels (as a drummer, I needed a lot of volume when we were recording, so I was accompanied by a disco light display).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-08.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>1960s style studio sign.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-09.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I used my small Pearl Traveller kit for the session with a piccolo snare, a couple of cowbells, Paiste Sound\u00a0Edge hi-hats and some really cheap cymbals (!).<\/p>\n<p>I would have preferred to have used my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/small-portable-drum-kits-gretsch-catalina-drum-kit-with-18-inch-bass-drum-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">swankier Gretsch kit<\/a>, but I needed something very small and figured that the BBC engineers would be able to get a great sound out of the smaller kit (they did!).<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/building-an-extra-small-extra-nimble-super-portable-drum-kit-for-gigging-drummers\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Building and buying an extra small, super-portable drum kit for gigging drummers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-10.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The kit is dwarfed by the enormous MV3 studio.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-16.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicradar.com\/tuition\/drums\/13-correct-ways-to-mic-up-a-drum-kit-209119\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">X\/Y overhead mics<\/a> captured a stereo image of the kit.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-11.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Plaque on the wall reveals that this was the place for Bing&#8217;s last stand.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-12.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Soundchecking.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-13.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The keyboard player was ecstatic at the wide range of vintage keyboards that were available in the studio!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-14.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-15.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-17.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ready to record. Note the headphone mixer to the left.<\/p>\n<p>You can hear the three tracks we recorded live here\u00a0(at least for a while):<br \/>\n<a class=\"externalLink setFavicon\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b07w586b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Monochrome Set, Marc Riley &#8211; BBC Radio 6 Music<\/a><br \/>\nTracks come up on 22mins, 48mins and 59 mins.<\/p>\n<p>And the fourth track is here (2hrs 53 mins) <a class=\"externalLink setFavicon\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b07w586d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gideon Coe &#8211; BBC Radio 6 Music<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-18.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-19.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-20.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Quad power amp.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-21.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The engineer decided that I was making too much noise, so to ensure decent separation, these ruddy great anti-social panels were wheeled in front of me.<\/p>\n<p>Glass panels ensured I was still able to see at least something of my fellow band members. Less is more. Possibly.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-22.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The place has very, very long corridors.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-23.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-24.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Our keyboard player\u00a0John was especially thrilled to get his hands on this fine, valve-powered instrument.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-29.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Complex organ start up procedure!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-26.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-28.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;d never seen a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Leslie_speaker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leslie\u00a0speaker<\/a> in action before. Invented by\u00a0Donald Leslie in the 1940s, their unique, speaker-spinning sound found favour in the 60s and 70s with artists such as the Beach Boys,\u00a0The Beatles,\u00a0Eric Clapton\u00a0and\u00a0Pink Floyd.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-25.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Look at the smile on his face! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/images\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-27.jpg\" alt=\"A look around BBC's Maida Vale Studio MV3, Delaware Road, London, September 2016\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>More info: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.soundonsound.com\/music-business\/bbc-maida-vale-studios\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SoundOnSound feature<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yesterday I was fortunate\u00a0enough to spend time at\u00a0the BBC&#8217;s famous studio complex at Maida Vale, recording live tracks with my old\/new band The Monochrome Set for Marc Riley&#8217;s BBC6 Music &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[194,43,17,193],"tags":[94,10,1137,1494,112,1195,1492,1493,1491,1401],"class_list":["post-17358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-london-features","category-music","category-photos","category-places","tag-bbc","tag-london","tag-maida-vale","tag-marc-riley","tag-monochrome-set","tag-photos","tag-recording-studio","tag-studio","tag-studios","tag-the-monochrome-set"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/bbc-maida-vale-studio-mv3-01-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pQI7P-4vY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17358"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18348,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17358\/revisions\/18348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}