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Unique kept pace with technology developments by adding [[Pro Tools]] [[digital audio workstation]] (DAW) rigs to their studios, totalling five DAWs by 1998.<ref name=":0"/> The vintage Neve console was removed from Studio D in 2002 to make more room for the Pro Tools rig connected to 24-channel interfaces made by Digidesign and Focusrite. In 2003, Unique introduced a suite of [[Plug-in (computing)|plugins]] for Pro Tools, called Unique Recording Software (URS). The plugins offered emulation of classic analog equalizers.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bA8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA72 |page=72 |title=Digital Audio Workstations Continue to Proliferate |author=Christopher Walsh |date=December 27, 2003 |magazine=Billboard |volume=115 |number=52 |issn=0006-2510 }}</ref> However, this was not enough to keep the business afloat, and Unique was shuttered in June 2004. Major clients were no longer renting time on a Pro Tools rig, they were instead buying one for the artist's home studio.<ref name=":0"/>
Unique kept pace with technology developments by adding [[Pro Tools]] [[digital audio workstation]] (DAW) rigs to their studios, totalling five DAWs by 1998.<ref name=":0"/> The vintage Neve console was removed from Studio D in 2002 to make more room for the Pro Tools rig connected to 24-channel interfaces made by Digidesign and Focusrite. In 2003, Unique introduced a suite of [[Plug-in (computing)|plugins]] for Pro Tools, called Unique Recording Software (URS). The plugins offered emulation of classic analog equalizers.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bA8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA72 |page=72 |title=Digital Audio Workstations Continue to Proliferate |author=Christopher Walsh |date=December 27, 2003 |magazine=Billboard |volume=115 |number=52 |issn=0006-2510 }}</ref> However, this was not enough to keep the business afloat, and Unique was shuttered in June 2004. Major clients were no longer renting time on a Pro Tools rig, they were instead buying one for the artist's home studio.<ref name=":0"/>

==Notable recording and mixing projects==
{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin: 1em"
|-
! Artist !! Album<!-- with reference to Unique --> !! Year released !! ''Billboard'' 200
|-
| [[New Edition]] || ''[[Candy Girl (album)|Candy Girl]]''<ref name=Mix2000/> || 1983 || 90
|-
| [[Steve Winwood]] || ''[[Back in the High Life]]''<ref name=Mix2000/> || 1986 || 3
|-
| [[La Toya Jackson]] || ''[[Imagination (La Toya Jackson album)|Imagination]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/imagination-mw0001064729</ref> || 1986 ||
|-
| [[Sheena Easton]] || ''[[No Sound But a Heart]]''<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=7CMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT41</ref> || 1987 ||
|-
| [[Tommy Page]] || ''[[Tommy Page (album)|Tommy Page]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-page-mw0000196056</ref> || 1988 || 166
|-
| [[Nine Inch Nails]] || ''[[Pretty Hate Machine]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/pretty-hate-machine-mw0000207551</ref> || 1989 || 75
|-
| [[Al B. Sure!]] || ''[[Private Times...and the Whole 9!]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/private-times-and-the-whole-9%21-mw0000308407</ref> || 1990 || 20
|-
| [[Common (rapper)|Common]] || ''[[Can I Borrow a Dollar?]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/can-i-borrow-a-dollar-mw0000085356</ref> || 1992 ||
|-
| [[SWV]] || ''[[It's About Time (SWV album)|It's About Time]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-about-time-mw0000616209</ref> || 1992 || 8
|-
| [[LL Cool J]] || ''[[14 Shots to the Dome]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/14-shots-to-the-dome-mw0000097273</ref> || 1993 || 5
|-
| [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]] || ''[[Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/strictly-4-my-niggaz-mw0000093637</ref> || 1993 || 24
|-
| [[Run-DMC]] || ''[[Down with the King (album)|Down with the King]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-with-the-king-mw0000096424</ref> || 1993 || 7
|-
| [[K7 (musician)|K7]] || ''[[Swing Batta Swing]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/swing-batta-swing-mw0000621839</ref> || 1993 || 96
|-
| [[Aaron Hall (musician)|Aaron Hall]] || ''[[The Truth (Aaron Hall album)|The Truth]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-truth-mw0000104669</ref> || 1993 || 47
|-
| [[Queen Latifah]] || ''[[Black Reign (album)|Black Reign]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/black-reign-mw0000107284</ref> || 1993 || 60
|-
| [[CeCe Peniston]] || ''[[Thought 'Ya Knew]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/thought-ya-knew-mw0000620986</ref> || 1994 || 96
|-
| [[Mobb Deep]] || ''[[The Infamous]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-infamous-mw0000124237</ref> || 1995 || 18
|-
| [[Madeleine Peyroux]] || ''[[Dreamland (Madeleine Peyroux album)|Dreamland]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/dreamland-mw0000078823</ref> || 1996 ||
|-
| [[Pink (singer)|Pink]] || ''[[Can't Take Me Home]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/cant-take-me-home-mw0000055859</ref> || 2000 || 26
|-
| [[Alicia Keys]] || ''[[Songs in A Minor]]''<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-in-a-minor-mw0000588149</ref> || 2001 ||
|}


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Recording studios in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Recording studios in Manhattan]]
[[Category:1978 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Companies based in New York City]]

Revision as of 01:05, 7 July 2020

Unique Recording Studios
Company typeRecording Studio
IndustryAudio
Founded1978
Defunct2004[1]
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Key people
  • Bobby Nathan
  • Joanne Georgio-Nathan
ProductsURS plugins
Websitehttp://www.uniquerecording.com

Unique Recording Studios was a five room recording studio operating in New York City from 1978 until 2004. Founders and co-owners Bobby Nathan and Joanne Georgio-Nathan installed the first Otari 24-track tape deck in New York. While Unique has hosted recordings by many famous artists, the studio was known for its extensive collection of synthesizers, which attracted Steve Winwood who jammed for many hours in the process of creating his multi-Grammy winning album Back in the High Life (1986) at Unique.[2][3]

History

Unique started as a one-room rehearsal studio with a Tascam 8-track recorder in 1978, catering to new wave and hip hop artists. Early customers included Polyrock and Bill Laswell. The facility quickly expanded to 16 and then 24 tracks with the first Otari MTR-90 tape recorder, all in the first year of operation. During the same period, the main mixing console in the studio was changed three times, ending up with an MCI JH-600 series mixer with automation.[2] Tommy Boy Records began asking for lengthy bookings to accommodate their artists, especially Planet Patrol. Planet Patrol's Arthur Baker also started to produce other artists, and his bookings eventually required a second room. Into this larger space Baker brought New Edition who recorded Candy Girl at Unique during 1982, with Baker and Maurice Starr co-producing.[2] Candy Girl reached number 90 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 33 weeks.[4]

The studio complex was located in Manhattan just off of Times Square in the top three floors of the Cecil B. DeMille Building,[5] adjacent to music-store row. The business was owned and operated by husband and wife team Joanne and Bobby Nathan.[1] The Nathans described themselves as "the pioneers in drum machines, samplers and digital recording on personal computers.[1]

Unique Recording Studios is credited for opening the first MIDI recording room in 1983 called "Midi City" which was later named Studio C, located upstairs from Studio A.[1]

The studio was well-known for its large collection of synthesizers and drum machines. Unique was one of the first studios to own a Polymoog synth, as well as the Minimoog, the ARP 2600, the Oberheim OB-X and 8-voice, and a Prophet 5. When Steve Winwood showed up in 1985 to get further inspiration for his project Back in the High Life, he booked all-nighters at Unique and played every synth, jamming with any other studio clients who were willing to join.[2] Back in the High Life was recorded largely at Unique by Tom Lord-Alge with assistance from his brother Chris; Tom remembers taking an impromptu drum break played between songs by drummer John Robinson, and moving it to the beginning of "Higher Love", which satisfied producer Russ Titelman as the album opener.[3] Titelman recalls that Winwood had been recording the album for a year at other studios but had reached a point where he needed more inspiration. Titelman brought the project to Unique for the variety of MIDI-connected synthesizers and for the familiar mixer – an SSL 4000E identical to the one at Winwood's home studio. Titelman obtained a huge drum sound by recording Robinson's drum kit in the center of Unique's main studio, surrounded by eight extra ambient microphones.[6] The song "Higher Love" won a Grammy Award for the best single record of 1987, and the album won a Grammy for the best engineered album. Chris recalled that the Lord-Alge brothers' status at Unique was raised after the success of the album: "Even though I'd had hits [before Unique], Bobby and Joanne Nathan insisted that I start out as an assistant, and they worked me really hard. But once Back in the High Life hit, it made it a lot easier for Tommy and me to do no wrong at Unique."[3]

In early 1986 before Back in the High Life was released, Unique reported to Billboard that they had renovated their main studio with a larger control room so that more outboard processing gear and MIDI synthesizer modules could be placed next to the SSL 4000E 48-channel mixer with Total Recall automation. Recording units included two linked Otari MTR-90 Mk II decks each with 24 tracks, and one Studer A-80 half-inch 2-track for stereo mastering. Video decks were installed to feed a video projector so that audio-for-television projects could be accommodated. The studio also owned a 32-channel Neve 8068 mixer that had been in Electric Lady Studios.[7]

Unique kept pace with technology developments by adding Pro Tools digital audio workstation (DAW) rigs to their studios, totalling five DAWs by 1998.[1] The vintage Neve console was removed from Studio D in 2002 to make more room for the Pro Tools rig connected to 24-channel interfaces made by Digidesign and Focusrite. In 2003, Unique introduced a suite of plugins for Pro Tools, called Unique Recording Software (URS). The plugins offered emulation of classic analog equalizers.[8] However, this was not enough to keep the business afloat, and Unique was shuttered in June 2004. Major clients were no longer renting time on a Pro Tools rig, they were instead buying one for the artist's home studio.[1]

Notable recording and mixing projects

Artist Album Year released Billboard 200
New Edition Candy Girl[2] 1983 90
Steve Winwood Back in the High Life[2] 1986 3
La Toya Jackson Imagination[9] 1986
Sheena Easton No Sound But a Heart[10] 1987
Tommy Page Tommy Page[11] 1988 166
Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine[12] 1989 75
Al B. Sure! Private Times...and the Whole 9![13] 1990 20
Common Can I Borrow a Dollar?[14] 1992
SWV It's About Time[15] 1992 8
LL Cool J 14 Shots to the Dome[16] 1993 5
2Pac Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...[17] 1993 24
Run-DMC Down with the King[18] 1993 7
K7 Swing Batta Swing[19] 1993 96
Aaron Hall The Truth[20] 1993 47
Queen Latifah Black Reign[21] 1993 60
CeCe Peniston Thought 'Ya Knew[22] 1994 96
Mobb Deep The Infamous[23] 1995 18
Madeleine Peyroux Dreamland[24] 1996
Pink Can't Take Me Home[25] 2000 26
Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor[26] 2001

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Christopher Walsh. "Latest Studio Casualty Blames Label Priorities". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 24. p. 58. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Unique Recording Studio". Mixonline.com. August 1, 2000. Archived from the original on March 24, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Paul Verna (November 5, 2005). "Chris and Tom Lord-Alge". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 45. p. 38. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. ^ https://www.billboard.com/music/new-edition/chart-history/TLP/song/312715
  5. ^ "Unique Recording Studios New York City Home Page". Uniquerecording.com. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  6. ^ Paula Parisi (July 26, 1986). "Titelman Wears Many Hats at Warner Bros". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 30. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. ^ Steve Dupler (January 18, 1986). "Unique Unveils Improved 'Studio A'". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 3. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. ^ Christopher Walsh (December 27, 2003). "Digital Audio Workstations Continue to Proliferate". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. p. 72. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/imagination-mw0001064729
  10. ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=7CMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT41
  11. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-page-mw0000196056
  12. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/pretty-hate-machine-mw0000207551
  13. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/private-times-and-the-whole-9%21-mw0000308407
  14. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/can-i-borrow-a-dollar-mw0000085356
  15. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-about-time-mw0000616209
  16. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/14-shots-to-the-dome-mw0000097273
  17. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/strictly-4-my-niggaz-mw0000093637
  18. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-with-the-king-mw0000096424
  19. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/swing-batta-swing-mw0000621839
  20. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-truth-mw0000104669
  21. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/black-reign-mw0000107284
  22. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/thought-ya-knew-mw0000620986
  23. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-infamous-mw0000124237
  24. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/dreamland-mw0000078823
  25. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/cant-take-me-home-mw0000055859
  26. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-in-a-minor-mw0000588149

External links

40°45′33″N 73°59′03″W / 40.7592°N 73.9843°W / 40.7592; -73.9843

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