Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist (opens in new tab)
  • Guitar Techniques (opens in new tab)
  • Total Guitar (opens in new tab)
  • Bass Player (opens in new tab)
More
  • Lennon on Eleanor Rigby
  • Jimmy Page demos classic Led Zep gear
  • Classic rock riffs for beginners
  • Omnichord @ 70
  • SampleRadar: 163 tape loops samples

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News

Studio Tour: Nashville's 16 Ton Studios in video and pictures

By Joe Bosso
published 17 August 2012

Vintage gear meets cutting-edge technology in a down-home, comfy environment

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Video Tour: Nashville's 16 Ton Studios in video and pictures
This must be the place...
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Video Tour: Nashville's 16 Ton Studios in video and pictures

MusicRadar was in Nashville recently, and while there, we decided to drop by one of Music City's top-flight recording facilities, 16 Ton Studios.

In the last few months, Sheryl Crow recorded tracks for her upcoming record at 16 Ton, and over the years, the studio has played host to Sandi Thom; Black Crowes members Chris and Rich Robinson, along with Steve Gorman; Buddy Guy; Eddie Kramer; Reeves Gabrels; Robert Randolph And The Family Band; among many others.

Built by famed studio designer Michael Cronin, 16 Ton opened its doors in 2004 and is owned and managed by producer and writer Danny White. Over the course of a Saturday afternoon, White gave us a leisurely look around - we positively drooled over the one-of-a-kind,custom-built, tube-based Dymaxian 48 console. You can see it all in the video above and the gallery of photos.

A key feature at 16 Ton is the new, revolutionary CLASP (Closed Loop Analog Signal Processor) system, and during our stay, Chris Estes, CEO of Endless Analog and inventor CLASP, dropped by. In the video below, Estes explains how artists and producers can integrate analog tape into their digital production workflow (and save mega bucks in the process).

Sit back, check out the clips and feast your eyes on some truly marvellous gear. Despite the building's rather ominous facade (are there ravens lurking about?) it's all quite cozy inside, and the people are very nice indeed.

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
Parlour Room
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Parlour Room

Walk into 16 Ton and you're in the Parlour Room, which is actually the rear tracking space. You can't go wrong when you're being being watched over by Elvis.

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
Control Room - console
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Control Room - console

Now, that's a beauty. The crown jewel at 16 Ton, a Dymaxian 48 console. Monitor-wise, those are ATC 150 SL PRO bigs and KRK V6 smalls.

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
Control Room - gear central
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Control Room - gear central

Tech goodies galore: Columbia's Scully 280 recorder, a Beatle-y sidecar with Abbey Road Painton faders, UREIs, Altec, Neve - you name it.

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
Control Room - Scully 280
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Control Room - Scully 280

Nothing like a Scully two-track tape machine. Classics were made on babies like this.

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
Control Room - sidecar
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Control Room - sidecar

From Abbey Road. The "Fab" faders are at rest since they've been moved to the tube mic preamps into the console and loaded up with parametrics.

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
Tape Room
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Tape Room

Which houses the Ampeg MM-1000 from Nashville's famed Columbia Studios. According to White, "If this thing were a jukebox, you'd hear George Jones, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and a whole lot more. When Eddie Kramer was here a couple of months ago, he took a look at it and said he recorded the first Johnny Winter record on it."

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
Tape Room - the Ampeg MM-1000
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Tape Room - the Ampeg MM-1000

Says White, "This machine represents 15 tons of 16 Ton!"

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
Piano Room
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Piano Room

Vintage Steinway and various keys. Let's poke around some...

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
Piano Room - 1881 Steinway grand
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Piano Room - 1881 Steinway grand

Eighty-eight keys of bliss. Yes, it sounds as good as it looks.

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
Piano Room - CBS Rhodes electric piano
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Piano Room - CBS Rhodes electric piano

You probably know them as "Fender Rhodes" electric pianos, but for a time Fender wasn't use in the name, and as the company was owned by CBS, this is 1978 CBS Rhodes.

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
Piano Room - Hammond B3
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Piano Room - Hammond B3

From 1959. Accept no substitutes. But what would a B3 be without...

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
Piano Room - Leslie cabinet
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Piano Room - Leslie cabinet

...a Leslie speaker cabinet! Right beside, the Leslie is a Wurlitzer piano from the mid-'60s.

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
Piano Room
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Piano Room

"That's a letter from John Steinway stating that the piano kicks ass!" says White. "Well, he didn't really say 'kicks ass' - Steinways don't speak that way. But I know that's what he meant."

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
Main Tracking Room
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Main Tracking Room

White stands in the main tracking room next to a Neumann M 49 mic.

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
Main Tracking Room
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Main Tracking Room

Looking into the CR from the main room...

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
Tracking Room - ceiling
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Tracking Room - ceiling

"Diffusers and traps," says White. "Sounds dangerous but very harmless... unless, of course, you're a bad frequency. Then you're in real trouble!"

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
Main Tracking Room - Columbia Studios talkback monitor
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Main Tracking Room - Columbia Studios talkback monitor

"We've got cool, long-silent relics from temples of sound scattered everywhere at 16 Ton," says White. "If you put your ear up this talkback monitor from Columbia Studios Nashville, you can hear Bob Dylan asking for one more pass at Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands."

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
Control Room - Chris Estes with a CLASP unit
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Control Room - Chris Estes with a CLASP unit

CLASP inventor Chris Estes with one of the secret weapons at 16 Ton. You guessed it - CLASP!

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
Control Room - Chris Estes and Danny White
(Image credit: Joe Bosso)

Control Room - Chris Estes and Danny White

Or what we like to call, "just a couple of studio nerds talkin'."

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso
Social Links Navigation

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

  1. Shot in 2019 for The Met’s Play It Loud exhibition, Page gets some DADGAD Kashmir action going on his Danelectro, gets the Led out with the ‘Burst he got from Joe Walsh, and more
    1
    Watch Jimmy Page demo some of the most iconic guitars and amps in Led Zeppelin history
  2. 2
    John Lennon on completing Eleanor Rigby's lyrics for Paul McCartney: "It's his first verse, and the rest of the verses are basically mine"
  3. 3
    Martin Miller: “Guitar players need to talk about intonation a lot more. We don’t tune our ears towards it because it is never a topic that is brought up in tuition”
  4. 4
    Best Epiphone guitars 2023: our budget spanning picks of the greatest Epiphone guitars available right now
  5. 5
    “I do not hate the EDM community,” confirms M83, but says he wishes DJs would ask permission before using his music
  1. Paul McCartney and John Lennon in 1966
    1
    John Lennon on completing Eleanor Rigby's lyrics for Paul McCartney: "It's his first verse, and the rest of the verses are basically mine"
  2. 2
    Watch Jimmy Page demo some of the most iconic guitars and amps in Led Zeppelin history
  3. 3
    How to optimize your PC for music production
  4. 4
    "How do you tune a B string? You can't." What Blur’s Graham Coxon learned – and didn't learn – from folk legend Bert Jansch
  5. 5
    Sheryl Crow joins John Mayer onstage for a duet on "one of his favourite songs of all time" in Nashville

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.