"Studio One is our flagship," offers Chris Buchanon, the facility's director of operations. Used primarily for orchestral and scoring sessions, the control room boasts a 64-channel/72-frame Neve VRP console with Flying Faders automation.

Studio Two also features an AMS Neve VRP with Flying Faders, in a control room that looks directly downs into a spacious tracking area. Home for many of The Beatles' sessions tracked and mixed at Abbey Road, Studio Two's control room was remodeled and enlarged a couple of years ago.

Studio Three boasts a large, flexible tracking room linked to a control room that houses a 72-channel SSL SL-4000 G-Series console that was installed some five years ago. The Penthouse specializes in stereo and surround-sound remixing, and boasts a recently installed 48-fader/60-path AMS Neve Capricorn digital console with full 5.1-channel surround-sound monitoring.

Finally, a total of 18 post-production rooms are available, including three vinyl mastering suites, a DVD Authoring Suite, an Enhanced-CD and Web Authoring Room, plus various classical-music editing rooms and remastering suites. The facility's 13 Sonic Solution workstations are networked to ensure fast and efficient data sharing.

Room rates for Abbey Road's prime-time studios, in line with the majority of London facilities, are around £1,200 per day (approximately $2,000), including an analog multitrack and second engineer. Regarding the facility's operational philosophy, Buchanon is quick to acknowledge that Abbey Road's reputation may have worked against it. "Yes," he agrees, "Clients often have the wrong perception about us; that we are an 'Establishment Studio of the Sixties.' That is a total misconception. We are fully up-to-date with technology, and attempt to create a friendly, open environment in which we can support the creativity of our artists and producers. "In terms of the future, we are venturing into the multimedia arena. With the official European launch of DVD players this summer, we are seeing an increase in demand for 5.1-channel mixing, and have made a move into post production." (from Abbey Road website)

Click on image above to go to the Abbey Road website.

Andy plays his Fano at Chipping Norton, England.

Produced by Haydn Bendall and Nick Davis, & engineered by Barry Hammond and Alan Douglas. Mixed by Nick Davis with Simon Dawson engineering the mix, which was done at:

Rockfield Studios

AV1 was mixed at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, South Wales, in September 1998.

Click on the image above to visit the Rockfield Studios website.

AV1 was first released on February 22, 1999 in the U.K. and made it to number 42 on the U.K. chart. It actually fared a bit better in the U.K. than in the U.S.A. where it peaked at number 106 on the Billboard album chart. Canada and Japan found the album more palatable and it reached numbers of 39 and 14 on their respective charts.

Dave plays his Fano at Chipping Norton, England.

The band was then comprised of:

Colin Moulding - vocals and bass.
Andy Partridge - vocals and guitars.

Additional Musicians:

Dave Gregory - piano, keyboards, guitar and backing vocals.
Prairie Prince - drums, handclaps, thigh slaps, percussion.
Guy Barker - trumpet and flugelhorn solo on "The Last Balloon".
Steve Sidwell - solo trumpet on "Easter Theatre".
Orchestral arrangments for "Greenman" and "I Can't Own Her" by Mike Batt.
All arrangements played by The London Sessions Orchestra under their leader Gavin Wright.
Extra keyboards played by Nick Davis and Haydn Bendall.

Abbey Road Studios.

The album featured these classic XTC tracks:

1. River of Orchids
2. I'd Like That
3. Easter Theatre
4. Knights in Shining Karma
5. Frivolous Tonight
6. Greenman
7. Your Dictionary
8. Fruit Nut
9. I Can't Own Her
10. Harvest Festival
11. The Last Balloon