In conjunction with Record Store Day, a once in a lifetime event took place on April 21-22 in Culver City. The History of Recorded Sound offered a rare opportunity for musicians to have their live, recorded song put on a direct-to-disc, high fidelity record.
The free event featured live music and a tour of the facility of vintage record players, jukeboxes, preamplifiers, as well as analog tape machines.
Apollo Masters Audiodiscs and Nipro Records sponsored the event. An educational lesson of this rich history of the equipment was also included in the tour.
Record Store Day is an annual cultural event in which fans gather to celebrate independently-owned record stores around the world. According to recordstoreday.com, “Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day.”
Located in the Arts District of Culver City, the History of Recorded Sound is a studio founded by engineer Len Horowitz, who purchased the record division of Western Electric which was later named Westrex.
Its mission is to restore and preserve audio technologies. Horowitz stated that it is “one of the only facilities remaining which services disc recording equipment and offers direct-to-disc recordings.”
Culver City has seen dramatic increases in rental and home prices recently that has affected the History of Recorded Sound. The studio can no longer afford the higher rent and will need to move to a less expensive location soon, Horowitz said.
He added that due to the complicated nature of recording studios, the cost of relocating would be approximately $50,000.
It is uncertain how the studio will acquire the necessary funds to finance the relocation and/or be able to pay the rental increase. Horowitz said he is looking for sponsorship and hopes interested parties will see the valuable contribution the studio provides.
Those interested in sponsoring the studio, or for general information about the History of Recorded Sound, contact Len Horowitz at 310-204-4911.