RSR227 – Bill Cheney – Spectra 1964 Sound of Record Plant, Stax Studio, Ardent, and Easy Eye Sound

Bill talked about the history of Spectra Sonics and Spectra 1964, designing the C610 complimiter and STX100 mic pres, how to understand transients and peak limiting, and stories of Record Plant NY, Roy Cicalla, Tom Dowd, Stax Studios and much more!

My guest today is Bill Cheney owner of Spectra 1964 originally Spectra Sonics makers of the famous 101 mic pres and sound of Stax Records in Memphis. Spectra Sonics made consoles for studios like Ardent in Memphis, The Record Plant in NYC, and Easy Eye Sound (Dan Auerbach’s studio here in Nashville) among others. You have heard Spectra Sonics records by Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, Emerson Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, John Lennon, and more than we can count.

I first learned about Spectra Sonics years ago working at my friend Brian Cater’s studio Paradox Productions here in Nashville using his 610 Comp Limiter and never forgot how cool it sounded and looked in his control room. And when I spotted Spectra 1964 at the NAMM conference and saw the amazing work that Bill Cheney is doing with Spectra 1964 by recreating the C610 and V610 CompLimiters, and introducing the STX100 and STX500 mic preamps and eq I knew that I would need to learn more.

So I am excited to invite Bill Cheney to the podcast today to learn what we can about the amazing history of Spectra 1964, the studios that have made so many iconic records, the design philosophy behind old and new Spectra Sonics, and what ways we can improve our sound in our studios and better understand things like peak limiting and signal chain.

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Watch More On Youtube:

Website links:

https://www.spectra1964.com/stx-500

https://www.spectra1964.com/post/the-stx-100-history-and-specs

https://www.audiotechnology.com/features/inside-spectra-1964