10 Must-See Studios Before You Die

The garden surrounding Conway Recording

I was talking to a friend about the studio business in Los Angeles the other day when the conversation drifted to a very famous studio that was slowly being phased out (guess which one below). That got me thinking about some of the great studios that I've worked in over my career as well as some others that are on my bucket list. I decided to make a list of the 10 studios that I believe everyone connected with recording should visit at least once.

Actually there were many more than 10, but these are what I consider the top 10 that come to mind.

1. Abbey Road (London) - The center of the recording universe for decades, the studio that everyone most wants to visit, and what many feel has always represented the epitome of recording excellence.

2. Capitol Records (Los Angeles) - All you have to do is walk down the hallway and see the huge pictures of Frank and Dean and the realization of the studio's history hits you. Great sounding rooms, not to mention the famous echo chambers. Major construction in the area might seriously affect the studio in the near future.

3. Sunset Sound (Los Angeles) - One of the first independent studios anywhere, it's been the home to hit makers since the early 60s. I went to the 25th anniversary party a number of years ago and they played the hits that were made there in the background for four hours and never repeated one.

4. East West (Los Angeles) - Once part of Bill Putnam's United Western (also one of the first indie studios), the studios have remained basically the same since Bill designed them.

5. Oceanway (Los Angeles) - The other part of United Western and until recently, owned by Allan Sides, the studio is now owned by Gower film studios and its future is in doubt. See it while you can.

6. Electric Lady (New York) - Jimi Hendrix's personal studio. His vibe is still there. Enough said.

7. The Record Plant (Los Angeles) - It's not at the original location anymore, but it's still a legend just for the who's-who list of clients.

8. Henson (Los Angeles) - The former A&M Studios located on the old Charlie Chaplin film lot, Henson is one of the few large facilities left. Once again, the home of legends.

9. Conway (Los Angeles) - Mostly under the radar, Conway has been the home to music celebs for decades. You can't beat the beauty of the tropically themed grounds around the studio, which makes it one of a kind.

10. Avatar (New York) - Formerly the Power Station, Avatar has been the home to East Coast hit makers for decades, as well as the place where many of today's most influential engineers got their start.

That was an easy 10, and we didn't even get to Nashville, Memphis and the rest of London, as well as some of the famous studios that are now museums like Motown, Sun and RCA Studio B. Plus it was very LA-centric. Forgive me, my studio friends, if I left your favorite off the list. If you guys like this one, I'll post a second one soon.

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The Iconic Ocean Way Studios Sold

The Famous Oceanway Studio B

One of the most iconic studios of Hollywood, Ocean Way Recording, has been sold to the holding company that owns the Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson Studios, large independent film studios located next door to the famed studio. What that means for the long-term future of the studio is unknown, although the studio will remain in operation at least in the short term.

Ocean Way has a long history in the music world. Starting as one of the first independent recording studios in 1957, the studio was called United (then later United Western) and was originally owned by audio pioneer Bill Putnam (inventor of the UREI line of audio gear) with the backing of superstars of the day Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

United/Ocean Way has always been noted for the major artists that recorded there, starting with Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Ray Charles in the beginning, to some of the biggest rock stars like The Rolling Stones, Green Day, Dr. Dre, U2 and The Red Hot Chili Peppers that came later.

Until the acquisition, the studio had been owned by Allen Sides, who built the Ocean Way brand far beyond the Hollywood studio, which included Record One Studios, Ocean Way St. Barth's, Ocean Way Nashville, Ocean Way Audio and Ocean Way Drums. None of those additional entities are included in the sale however.

Ocean Way has been one of the best recording facilities in the world for more than 50 years. It's acoustics (thanks to the brilliance of Bill Putnam) are top-notch as are it's equipment and staff. Let's hope that the new owners aren't looking at the purchase from a real estate standpoint (which is particularly valuable on Sunset Blvd in the middle of Hollywood) and keep this temple of sound in operation.

That said, Hudson Pacific Properties (the new owners), has 12 sound stages on the Sunset Gower lot and another 11 on Sunset Bronson, along with production companies for ABC, NBC, HBO, Showtime and even the local KTLA station. I wouldn't be surprised if Ocean Way was quietly turned into another stage or production offices sometime in the future. Here's hoping that won't happen.

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More Sinatra In The Studio 1967

The last Frank Sinatra post was so popular that I thought I'd post another, this time from 1967. Here Frank is recording the classic show tune "Some Enchanted Evening" as only he can do. I'm not sure where this was recorded at, but hopefully someone out there can help us out. I suspect it was United Western again.

What I find interesting is how much reverb is on Frank's vocal and how long the decay time is. There's not much top end on it so it melts into the track and you only notice it in relatively empty spaces. Also, notice how in between takes the control room leaves the talkback on, so the studio mics are dimmed.

It's always fun to listen in on a session by any major artist, but these early recordings are so classic that they're indeed something special.

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An Inside Look At A 1965 Frank Sinatra Session

This video has made the rounds with my Facebook friends today (I'm not sure exactly where it started, but thank you to whomever is responsible) and when you give it a watch you'll know why. It's a 1965 Frank Sinatra live record date, complete with a full orchestra, of his hit "It Was A Very Good Year."

There's a lot to like in this video. Check out:

• the small size of the audio console considering how large the orchestra. The recording was done at the famed United Western studio (now called EastWest), so the console was undoubtedly one custom-designed by the legendary Bill Putnam (that might be him at the console but can't tell for sure). The console is pictured on the left.

• there was not a headphone in sight.

• the good humor that Frank is in. None of his legendary surliness here.

• the fact that he's playing to a small audience of friends. When was the last time you saw that during a session?

• Walter Cronkite doing the voice-over. That's two legends on the same tape.

• the fact that this is a live record. No overdubs here. It's over when Frank is satisfied, which happens relatively quickly as the man was known for few takes.

• how many people are dressed formally with jackets and ties.

Recording sure has change in the last 46 years. I'm not sure it's gotten any better though.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating the music business.