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Ardent Studios
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{{Short description|Recording studio}} {{Multiple issues |{{Promotional|article|date=July 2011}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2019}}}} {{Infobox company | logo = Ardent-color-logo.png | trading_name = <!-- d/b/a/, doing business as - if different from legal name above --> | native_name = <!-- Company's name in home country language --> | native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-2 code, e.g. "fr" for French. If there is more than one native name, in different languages, enter those names using {{tl|lang}}, instead. --> | romanized = | former type = | type = [[Public company|Public]] | industry = Music Recording | genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies --> | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = <!-- Memphis, Tennessee, United States, ({{1959}}) --> | founder = John Fry, John King, and Fred Smith | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | location_city = [[Memphis, Tennessee]], United States | location_country = | locations = <!-- Number of locations, stores, offices, etc. --> | area_served = | key_people = | products = | production = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = <!-- Only used with financial services companies --> | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = [[Ardent Records]]/Ardent Music | subsid = | homepage = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | footnotes = | intl = | bodystyle = }} '''Ardent Studios''' is an American recording studio located in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], [[United States]]. The studio was founded in the late [[1950s]] by John King, Fred Smith, and John Fry. Over time, it has become a commercially successful recording studio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Story - Ardent Studios |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-story/}}</ref> == History == {{multiple image |direction = vertical |width = 120 | image1 = Scully 280 4-track tape recorder, Ardent Studios.jpg | caption1 = '60s recorder: <br/>Scully 280 4tr | image2 = Studer 827 analog 2inch 24-track (also 16-track headstack available).jpeg | caption2 = Later recorder: <br/>Studer 827 24tr }} Ardent Studios was founded by [[John Fry (record producer)|John Fry]], John King, and Fred Smith, in 1959. Initially, it was a studio in John Fry's family garage, where he recorded his first 45s for the [[Ardent Records]] label. Equipment in the studio included an Altec tube [[mixing console]], [[Ampex]] 2-track tape recorder, a [[Pultec EQP-1|Pultec equalizer]], and [[Georg Neumann|Neumann]] microphones. In 1966, the studio moved to a commercial location shared with a bookshop. [[Tom Dowd]] was consulting with Auditronics on an early multitrack console for nearby [[Stax Records]], and Fry ordered the same input modules for his second mixing board. When the studio upgraded to a [[Scully Recording Instruments|Scully]] 4-track tape recorder, Ardent became the first 4-track studio in Memphis.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rubel|first=Mark|title=Motown & Memphis - Terry Manning: From Stax to recording Bjork in the Ocean|url=https://tapeop.com/interviews/58/terry-manning/|magazine=Tape Op|publisher=Tape Op|date=April 2007|access-date=12 September 2022}}</ref> It was also the first studio in the area to use [[Elektromesstechnik|EMT]] plate reverbs. Looking towards the future, on October 25, 1968, Fry Acquired the 2000 Madison parcel of land and broke ground on the future home of Ardent Studios, marking the beginning of a new chapter in its evolution.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Story |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-story/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> On Thanksgiving weekend, 1971, Ardent Studios fully moved to its current location on Madison Avenue, consisting of two studios, A and B.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Story |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-story/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1980, Ardent expanded once more, Adding studio C.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Story |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-story/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022-24, Ardent underwent a large-scale renovation in all of its control rooms and common areas, keeping the live rooms original and intact.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Story |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-story/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> Ardent currently has four studios and one vinyl mastering suite.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Story |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-story/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> Studio A: houses a 72 Channel Neve 88RS.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Studio A |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-studios/studio-a/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> Studio B: SSL 9080 J series<ref>{{Cite web |title=Studio B |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-studios/studio-b/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> Studio C:72 Channel Custom Wunder Console with 1073 type modules.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Studio C |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-studios/studio-c/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> Studio D: Neve 8424<ref>{{Cite web |title=Studio D |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-studios/studio-d/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> Mastering Neumann VMS70 lathe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mastering |url=https://ardentstudios.com/the-studios/mastering/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> All rooms have Pro Tools HD and Studer A800 and 827 Multitracks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome |url=https://ardentstudios.com/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Ardent Studios |language=en-US}}</ref> The studio is managed by [[Jody Stephens]], the drummer for [[Big Star (band)|Big Star]], an early Ardent group whose first two albums appeared on the Ardent Records label in the early 1970s. All three Big Star albums were in [[Rolling Stone]]'s [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]. The song “In The Street” from their first album became the theme for “[[That 70s Show]].” [[File:Stevie Ray Vaughan soundcheck in the studio in 1989.webm|thumb|Stevie Ray Vaughan soundcheck in Ardent Studios in 1989.]] In the 2000s, younger artists such as [[The White Stripes]], [[3 Doors Down]], [[Cat Power]], [[North Mississippi Allstars]], [[The Raconteurs]], [[Low Cut Connie]], and [[Guy Sebastian]] recorded at Ardent. The soundtracks for [[Hustle and Flow]] and [[Black Snake Moan (film)|Black Snake Moan]] were also produced at Ardent. As of February 2024, there are four studios available, each corresponding to the first four letters of alphabet and differing in and musical gear, mixing and recording capacities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News - Ardent Studios |url=https://ardentstudios.com/news/}}</ref> == Notable mentions == Ardent Studio recorded [[Sam & Dave]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Leon Russell]], and [[the Staples Singers]], and in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s recorded [[James Taylor]] along with [[ZZ Top]], [[The Tragically Hip]], [[George Thorogood]], [[The Allman Brothers]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[R.E.M.]], [[Joe Walsh]], and [[Jimmie Vaughan|Jimmie]] and [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]]. Ardent became home to young [[Record producer|producers]] and [[Recording engineer|engineers]] such as [[Jim Dickinson]], [[Terry Manning]], Joe Hardy, [[John Hampton (music producer)|John Hampton]], Paul Ebersold, and later Skidd Mills, Jeff Powell, [[Brad Blackwood]], Pete Mathews, Jason Latshaw, and Don Bell. The studio also helped record soundtracks for ''[[Hustle and Flow]]'' and ''[[Black Snake Moan (film)|Black Snake Moan]]''. == Gallery == <gallery heights="90px"> File:Neve VR60 48x48 Console with Flying Faders II Automation, Studio A, Ardent Studios.jpg| Studio A console: <br/>Neve VR60 48x48 File:SSL Duality SE 48 Channel Console, Studio C, Ardent Studios.jpg| Studio C console: <br/>SSL Duality SE 48ch File:Ardent Studios, Studio C tracking room.jpg| Studio C tracking room File:Multitrack recorders & ProTools, Studio A, Ardent Studios.jpg| Today's recorders: <br/>Pro Tools HD3 Accel, etc. </gallery> == Notable artists == {{div col|colwidth=200px}} * [[38 Special (band)|.38 Special]] * [[3 Doors Down]] * [[8Ball & MJG]] * [[Aaron Tippin]] * [[Against Me!]] * [[Al Green]] * [[Alain Bashung]] * [[Albert Collins]] * [[Alex Chilton]] * [[ALL (band)|ALL]] * [[Alvin Youngblood Hart]] * [[Anita Ward]] * [[Anthony Gomes]] * [[Archers of Loaf]] * [[Audio Adrenaline]] * [[Bar-Kays]] * [[B.B. King]] * [[Big Star (band)|Big Star]] * [[Big Tent Revival]] * [[Black Oak Arkansas]] * [[Black Rob]] * [[Bobby Rush]] * [[Bob Dylan]] * [[Booker T & the MG's]] * [[Cat Power]] * [[Cheap Trick]] * [[Coco Montoya]] * [[Cracker (band)|Cracker]] * [[Dave Matthews]] * [[DC Talk]] * [[DeGarmo and Key]] * [[Dreams So Real]] * [[Evanescence]] * [[Fuel (band)|Fuel]] * [[George Ducas (singer)|George Ducas]] * [[George Thorogood]] * [[Gin Blossoms]] * [[Golden Smog]] * [[Guy Sebastian]] * [[Isaac Hayes]] * [[James Taylor]] * [[Jimmie Vaughan]] * [[Joe Walsh]] * [[John Hiatt]] * [[Julien Baker]] * [[Juvenile (rapper)|Juvenile]] * [[Led Zeppelin]] * [[Leon Russell]] * [[Little Texas (band)|Little Texas]] * [[Lucero (band)|Lucero]] * [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] * [[Mach Five]] * [[Maria Taylor (musician)|Maria Taylor]] * [[Marty Brown (singer)|Marty Brown]] * [[Marty Stuart]] * [[M.I.A. (artist)|M.I.A.]] * [[Mika Nakashima]] * [[Mikey Jukebox]] * [[Mojo Nixon]] * [[Montgomery Gentry]] * [[Mudhoney (band)|Mudhoney]] * [[North Mississippi Allstars]] * [[Prehab]] * [[Primal Scream]] * [[Prix]] * [[Puscifer]] * [[R.E.M.]] * [[Reverend Horton Heat]] * [[Robert Cray]] * [[Satellite Soul]] * [[Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies]] * [[Seven Mary Three]] * [[Shawn Camp (musician)|Shawn Camp]] * [[Sister Hazel]] * [[Skillet (band)|Skillet]] * [[Smalltown Poets]] * [[Soundgarden]] * [[Spacehog]] * [[Steve Earle]] * [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] * [[Tanya Tucker]] * [[The Afghan Whigs]] * [[The Allman Brothers]] * [[The Angels (American group)|The Angels]] * [[The Box Tops]] * [[The Cramps]] * [[The Fabulous Thunderbirds]] * [[The Georgia Satellites]] * [[The Hooters]] * [[The Posies]] * [[The Raconteurs]] * [[The Radiators (US)|The Radiators]] * [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]] * [[The Scruffs]] * [[The Smashing Pumpkins]] * [[The Tragically Hip]] * [[The White Stripes]] * [[Tim McCarver]] * [[Todd Agnew]] * [[Todd Snider]] * [[Tom Cochrane]] * [[Tommy Hoehn]] * [[Toots Hibbert]] * [[Travis Tritt]] * [[Three 6 Mafia|Triple 6 Mafia]] * [[Waylon Jennings]] * [[Yo Gotti]] * [[Zucchero]] * [[ZZ Top]] {{div col end}} == Notable albums == {{div col|colwidth=400px}} * [[Al Green]] – ''[[Soul Survivor (Al Green album)|Soul Survivor]]'' * [[Alain Bashung]] – ''[[Osez Joséphine]]'' * [[Alex Chilton]] – ''[[Like Flies on Sherbert]]'' * [[Alvin Youngblood Hart]] – ''Motivational Speaker'' * [[B.B. King]] – ''[[Blues Summit]]'' * [[Big Star]] – ''[[Keep an Eye on the Sky]]'', ''[[Number 1 Record|#1 Record]]'', ''[[Radio City (album)|Radio City]]'', ''[[Third/Sister Lovers]]'' * [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]] – ''[[Soul Limbo]]'' * [[George Thorogood and the Destroyers]] – ''[[The Dirty Dozen (album)|The Dirty Dozen]]'', ''[[Bad to the Bone (George Thorogood & The Destroyers album)|Bad to the Bone]]'', ''[[Born to Be Bad (album)|Born to be Bad]]'' * [[Guy Sebastian]] – ''[[The Memphis Album]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gsinfo-soulfan.blogspot.com|title=Guy Sebastian's music|website=Gsinfo-soulfan.blogspot.com|access-date=13 February 2019}}</ref> * [[Huey Lewis and the News]] – ''[[Soulsville (Huey Lewis and the News album)|Soulsville]]'' * [[James Taylor]] – ''[[Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon]]'' * [[Jim Dickinson]] – ''Free Beer Tomorrow'', ''Dixie Fried'' * [[Joe Walsh]] – ''[[Got Any Gum?]]'' * [[Diesel (musician)|Johnny Diesel and the Injectors]] – ''[[Johnny Diesel and the Injectors]]'' * [[Led Zeppelin]] – ''[[Led Zeppelin III]]'' (Mixing Only) * [[North Mississippi Allstars]] – ''Electric Blue Watermelon'', ''51 Phantom'', ''Polaris'', ''Shake Hands With Shorty'' * [[R.E.M.]] – ''[[Green (R.E.M. album)|Green]]'' * [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] – ''[[Live at Carnegie Hall (Stevie Ray Vaughan album)|Live at Carnegie Hall]]'', ''[[The Sky Is Crying (album)|The Sky is Crying]]'' * [[The Afghan Whigs]] – ''[[Gentlemen (album)|Gentlemen]]'' * [[The Allman Brothers]] – ''[[Shades of Two Worlds]]'' * [[The Angels (Australian band)|The Angels]] – ''[[Beyond Salvation]]'' * [[The Box Tops]] – ''[[Cry Like a Baby (album)|Cry Like a Baby]]'' * [[The Raconteurs]] – ''[[Broken Boy Soldiers]]'' (Mixing Only) * [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]] – ''[[Pleased to Meet Me]]'' * [[The Scruffs]] – ''[[Wanna Meet the Scruffs?]]'' * [[The Staple Singers]] – ''The Staple Swingers'' * [[The White Stripes]] – ''[[Get Behind Me Satan]]'' (Mixing Only) * [[ZZ Top]] – ''[[Antenna (ZZ Top album)|Antenna]]'', ''[[Afterburner (ZZ Top album)|Afterburner]]'', ''[[Eliminator (album)|Eliminator]]'', ''[[El Loco]]'', ''[[Degüello]]'', ''[[The Best of ZZ Top]]'', ''[[Tejas (album)|Tejas]]'', ''[[Fandango!]]'', ''[[Tres Hombres]]'', ''[[Rio Grande Mud]]'' {{div col end}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.ardentstudios.com/ Official website] {{Authority control}} {{Coord|35|8|15|N|89|59|40|W|type:landmark_region:US_dim:50|display=title}} [[Category:Recording studios in Tennessee]]
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