5150 Studios
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2015) |
| Studios 5150 | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Recording studio |
| Location | 3371 Coldwater Canyon Studio City, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Owner | Wolfgang Van Halen |
5150 Studios is
The Studio is now used by Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen who used it on both Mammoth WVH albums and plans to continue using it in the future.[4]
History of studio 5150
Beginnings (1983–1989)
In 1983, Eddie Van Halen built his home studio near his home with then wife
Designed by Landee,
The construction on Van Halen's property was passed off to city inspectors as a racquetball court,[2] disregarding the soundproof walls with cinder blocks filled with concrete. A challenge arose in the form of a powerful AM radio antenna from a sports station broadcasting 50,000 watts of power a few miles away. To prevent Van Halen picking up boxing fights and football games through his wireless guitars, engineers wrapped a layer of grounded chicken-wire fencing around the studio, turning it into a Faraday cage.
Remodeling and beyond (1989–present)
Between February 1989 (after the OU812 Tour ended) and March 1990 (before starting work on For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge), Van Halen remodeled the studio, doubling its size, replacing the main mixing board, and at the end of the recording floor, adding an isolated drum room for his brother Alex. When he was finished, it also featured a small arcade for video games and pinball machines.
The studio met with controversy as the Hollywood Association of Recording Professionals cracked down on home studios in the Los Angeles area, claiming owners were renting them out and hurting traditional recording studios. Van Halen's studio proved otherwise, as Van Halen insisted it was for himself to make music. Because of his testimony, he was given the proper zoning variance to legally make music at his house.
In 1999, Van Halen remodeled the studio once again, by adding a 72-input analog mixing desk and a Mellotron.
References
- ^ "Eddie Van Halen Reinvents the Guitar". CNN, 4 Feb 2009
- ^ a b c Renoff, Greg (February 2024). "Donn Landee: Keeping an Open Mind, Part Two". Tape Op. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 5150(a).
- ^ "Wolf van Halen Video Interview: '5150 is Where I'll be Recording for the Rest of My Life'". June 10, 2021.
Further reading
Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life In Music. Toronto: ECW Press. pp. 332–4.
External links
| Studio albums | |
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| Compilation albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |
| Videography | |
| Tours | |
| Related | |
