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HistoryAvatar Studios opened its doors as Avatar
Studios in July of 1996. Located in Midtown West of New York City,
the company operates a 33,000 square foot facility dedicated to
providing the highest possible professional quality audio recording
services. The building where Avatar Studios is currently
housed was a former Consolidated Edison plant located in what was
then the deserted stretch of 53rd Street between Ninth and 10th
Avenues, squarely in Hell's Kitchen. After Con Ed left, the building was then turned into the sound stage for the popular television game show, Let's Make a Deal with Monty Hall, operated by LewRon Television. You can still read the faint company name on the frame above the front door of the building.The recording studios that came afterwards were designed and built in 1977 as Power Station by Tony Bongiovi, a respected producer and an acoustical genius. Engineers such as Bob Clearmountain help set the high level of recording standards, which are still adhered to today. There are four main studios, which were
custom designed with acoustics and usability in mind. Studio A,
Avatar's flagship room, can fit a 70-piece orchestra and is renown
for its fantastic drum sound.. As Power Station, the studio won
five TEC Awards from 1985 to 1990 in the Recording Studio category
and a Les Paul Award for Special Lifetime Achievement in 1991.
As Avatar, the studio has won five more TEC Awards for Diana
Krall's The Look of Love in 2002, Sheryl Crow's C'mon
C'mon in 2003, Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat in 2006 and
John Mayer's Continuum in 2007. Also, in 2007, Avatar hosted
Herbie Hancock's recording sessions for his album, River: The
Joni Letters, that went on to win the Album of the Year Grammy
in 2008. Many artists, producers, and engineers have passed
through the doors of this studio. This facility served as Madonna's
home when she recorded "Like a Virgin" and played host
to luminaries including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, David
Bowie and Roxy Music. More recently, artists such as Paul McCartney,
Paul Simon, John Mayer, Trey Anastasio, Muse, Peter Cincotti, Donald
Fagen, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, My Morning Jacket and Dream
Theater recorded their projects at Avatar. Acoustically, this is undeniably one of the great
recording facilities in the world. As proof, Sony and Yamaha both
took sound samples for their reverb products as one of the samples
from the best acoustic spaces in the world. With the addition of
mastering services at our site, we can now support a project
from pre-production to production ready masters all under one roof.
Avatar is constantly reaching out to a wide range of artists and
musical endeavors from unsigned bands, up-and-coming producers &
engineers to Broadway cast albums and film scores. |
