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Sunset sound studios are located on Sunset Boulevard, and have been in business since 1958. The studio was originally bought for the production of Disney movie soundtracks. Over the years, the studio began to host all types of musicians and become a historical place in the industry for cutting hit songs and albums.

Sunset Sound sign view from parking lot.

Sunset Sound sign view from parking lot.

The soundboard that was engineered for studio one.

The soundboard that was engineered for studio one.

View of studio one.

View of studio one.

 Sunset Sound studios, originally known as Sunset Sound Recorders, began its journey in 1958 and was opened by Salvador "Tutti" Camarata who was the director of recording for Walt Disney. In a conversation between Walt and Camarata, who asked the entrepreneurial giant why doesn't he just buy a music studio for his movies himself, Walt replied, “Why would I want to own my own studio, I would rather be a client.” Tutti would later presume that Walt was encouraging him to become an entrepreneur.

Camarata found an old building that was previously an automotive shop. The sound engineer noticed the walls, ceiling, and floors were all slanted to one end of the brick structure.  This is particularly ideal when looking for a place to record acoustics beside parallel structures aren't always the best for acoustics. Once Tutti had set up the recording engine, he began producing Disney classics one after another. These classics include 101 Dalmatians, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomstick and more through mono recording. Through 16 years, Disney would be associated with the studios and in 1962, Tutti became so busy that he had to buy a neighboring restaurant and then turn his studio into three sections.

Over 200 gold albums would be recorded at the studio throughout the years. The Sunset Studio would even become the last place that the Beatles would play together, for Ringo Star's solo album in 1972. The Doors recorded their first and second studio albums here and Janis Joplin recorded her last album "Pearl" at Sunset Studios. Throughout the years to come, the studios would continue to upgrade and renovate in order to keep up with the times. This was thanks to the help of George Augspurger, who is known in the world of audio as an expert in studio design. Augspurger would later help the company JBL by installing their studio monitors into the Sunset Sound studios that would help with recording many big names in the industry.


Bieger, Hannes. Sunset Sound. Sound on Sound. . Accessed October 25, 2018. https://www.soundonsound.com/music-business/sunset-sound-los-angeles. 

Corpus, Alejandro. Our History. Sunset Sound. . Accessed October 29, 2018. http://www.sunsetsound.com/ourhistory/.

McRitchie, Don. Sunset Sound Recorders. Audio heritage. . Accessed October 26, 2018. http://www.audioheritage.org/html/perspectives/lht-2003/sunset.htm.