Southern Rock Fans, fun studio news
 

Capricorn Studios, Macon, GA, the complex where many of the Capricorn acts recorded, has been purchased out of foreclosure, stabilized, and is now being brought back to life by Mercer University. They will preserve the historic studio and control room, will add another, larger wings, and will add rehearsal halls and a museum to the facility.


https://www.jambase.com/wp-content/u...er-980x516.jpg

After seeing it lie derelict for so many years it is nice to see someone not only preserve but restore and reopen this historical complex. Opening date is set for December of 2019.



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Bob

That's great to hear. I can picture Paul Hornsby laying down one of his memorable piano tracks right now.

A lot of my favorite albums have been recorded there.

Great news. I'd love to see Tape Op do a feature on this.

That would be fun, wouldn't it?

Bob

Nice to see one coming back. Seems like they have big plans sure hope it works out.

Fantastic!!!! I love a lot of the music that came out of there :)

Classic!:)

Is Mercer opening it like a working museum where the general public can visit certain areas?

Maybe Captain Beyond will do a reunion album! :)

The complex will include a museum. The intention is to open the studio as a working studio. Of course, that would mean privacy would be needed when an artist or band was in the studio. I wouldn't be surprised if they reserved a few dates per year to have open house days.


Bob

Does anyone know what console was in the original studio?

I have found an answer: API console apparently.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-m...72-1976-a.html

Or UA mic pres at the beginning according to Johnny Sandlin in this Tape Op article:

And Capricorn Sound?

In the beginning we had a console built out of Universal Audio mic pres and line amps. Jim Hawkins put all of that together and built the patch bay. It was big and had the big rotary knobs, but it sure did sound good. We had very limited outboard with maybe four compressors — just a little EQ, with bass and treble controls on the mic input. The monitors were [Altec] 604Es. Those speakers really worked. You wouldn't think so because they were limited, especially in the bottom end, but if you got things right on them it would translate to any kind of system. I think we used the same speakers later when we had the MCI 16-track machine and MCI JH-416 console. I cut Gregg's Laid Back and The Allman's Eat a Peach on that. Eventually that was all upgraded to 24-track. The final incarnation of the studio had an API console and Studer machines and they all worked. We had a big space for the players and a great piano that had come out of Carnegie Hall.


https://tapeop.com/interviews/82/johnny-sandlin/

https://media.13wmaz.com/assets/WMAZ...a_1140x641.jpg

It's interesting to see the old Dolby A-frames over the Studer 2-track.

The control room looked like a Westlake design with a thrust ceiling.

http://wmaz-download.edgesuite.net/v...eb1b_Thumb.jpg

Bob

Very cool.