BY GEORGE PETERSEN
With all the serious pro production facilities built into people’s houses, basements, garages, etc, (see Big Screen Mixing in the Small Room, in the October 2011 issue of HDVideoPro/CineSoundPro) we tend to think of the small studio as a recent phenomenon. However, the concept, goes way, way back.

THE WORLD’S SMALLEST RECORDING STUDIO?
Check out this 1946 photo of the (now long-gone) Hollywood Recording Studio in downtown Los Angeles, owned by engineer Mr. J. T. Martin. The 9×9-foot structure is divided into two rooms—a 6×9 combination office/control room, and an elongated 3×9-foot recording area.

I have some doubts that Mr. Martin ever did any big band sessions or huge scoring dates there, but if an ensemble showed up that was too large for the room, he’d simply set them up outside and run a microphone cable out the window.

Speaking of gear, he had a modest collection—one ribbon mic and two crystal models, a couple 78 rpm disk recorders and two other turntables for playing back pre-recorded tracks for clients to sing to—the early form of multitracking.
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