In 1973, renowned sound engineer René Ameline left Studios Davout. His plan was to create a recording studio with matt acoustics, an avant-garde choice for the time.
He moved to 56 rue du Capitaine Ferber, in the heart of Paris's Campagne district, in the 20th arrondissement, where an iron factory had just burned down. He began designing two recording cabins, the now-famous Studios A and B.
The two rooms are very similar in construction: wooden slatted walls laid on burlap and solid oak floating parquet. This choice of materials was one of the determining factors in the success of René Ameline's project, which today offers highly sought-after acoustics.
As soon as the studio opened, many national artists, such as Christophe, Salvatore Adamo and Bernard Lavilliers, took up residence there. They were later joined by Marc Cerrone in the disco era, and Jean-Michel Jarre and Space Art in the electronic music era.
The '80s and '90s saw such iconic artists as Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Claude Nougaro, Alain Souchon, Juliette Greco, Charles Aznavour, Henri Salvador, Francis Cabrel and many others rubbing shoulders.
The Francis Dreyfus Jazz era saw the arrival of numerous jazz artists signed to the label, including Michel Petrucciani, Richard Galliano, Sarah Lazarus, Eddy Louiss, Sylvain Luc, Bireli Lagrène, Steve Grossman, Rocky Gresset, Aldo Romano, Anne Ducros, Chet Baker, Rosario Giuliani, Benny Golson and Géraldine Laurent.
Manu Chao, Noir Désir, Alain Bashung , Philippe Katerine, Vanessa Paradis and Oxmo Puccino, as well as Clara Luciani, Gauvain Sers, Carla Bruni, Martin Solveig and many others will have enriched the line-up.
Ferber Studios also became a landmark for many international artists and bands, including Cat Stevens, Frank Zappa, Nina Simone, Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, Luz Casal, Bryan Ferry, Lenny Kravitz and many others.
1995 marks the arrival at Ferber of producer and mixer Renaud Letang in Studio B. He invited many artists from new horizons, such as Feist, Chilly Gonzales, Connan Mockasin, Lianne La Havas, Saul Williams, Nick Mulvey, ...
Renaud Letang was entrusted with the keys to Studios Ferber on the death of René Ameline in April 2014.
In the years that followed, he and architect Pablo Gallego undertook a vast reconstruction of the spaces within the studios, enabling the creation of 11 cabins dedicated to production, mixing and recording, open for rental.
Studios Ferber is also a favorite venue for recording film music. Gabriel Yared, Alexandre Desplat, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, Jun Miyake, Bruno Coulais, Emir Kusturica, Eric Neveux and Matthieu Gonet have all taken advantage of Studio A and its exceptional layout for large orchestral ensembles.
In addition to their acoustics, Studios Ferber's ambience and aesthetics have won them over. As a result, they have been the location for numerous short and feature films, TV shows and photo shoots.
Among them: Peur Sur La Ville, Elisa, Gainsbourg Vie Héroïque, Les Enfants du Rock, Le Ben & Berthie Show, Alcaline, Fast Life, Barbara, Dalida...
These activities are still offered today, and have expanded to include hosting private concerts, showcases, album releases and corporate seminars.
