Our Story History of the studio

Formerly known as Mama Jo’s, Dave’s Room was originally built in 1970, a time when recording studios were invested with beautifully balanced acoustics and serious aesthetics. Endowed with massive oak beams and copious velvet wall coverings, Mama Jo’s was one of the most beautiful. Famed acoustician Vince Van Hoff was specifically hired to design the control room and it soon acquired a reputation for being a “tweaker” room; a place where artists, producers, and engineers who were really particular about sound quality wanted to work.

With a roster of artists and producers and that reads like a “Who’s Who” of rock, jazz, pop, and rhythm & blues talent, Mama Jo’s was one of the top studios in Los Angeles for over two decades. When the original owners moved on, it was abandoned for a number of years until November of 2006, when David Bianco rediscovered this lovely room. Through the ruined flooring and dust and debris, he saw a perfectly-sized live room with three isolation booths and a superb control room, just waiting to be rescued. Dave and friends put together a crew and immediately started the renovation.

While adding some modern touches in amenities and recording gear, Dave determined to preserve the original studio’s aesthetic features and acoustics, to get the best of the old and the new. He strove to create for his clients a warm and casual environment that comes from working at home, but combined with the skin and bones of a recording structure designed specifically for that purpose.

Since the studio’s reopening in January of 2007, Dave’s efforts have been rewarded with the projects of recording artists such as Bob Dylan, Rufus Wainright, Bettye LaVette Mark Lanegan, Tift Merritt, Big Head Todd, TSOL and Blues Traveler. It has also been a pleasure to participate in soundtrack recording and mixing on a variety of films, including both “Hangover” films, ”Win Win”, “The Runaways”, “Bruno”, “Jonah Hex” and “Janie Jones”.

The feedback has been very positive; clients often express surprise at the warm, analogue quality of the sound that is captured digitally from this room. Bands that prefer the energy and process of recording live are pleased at how easily this is accomplished at Dave’s Room, in the luxury of great sightlines and full isolation. And artists and producers often comment that it is a good thing to be able to complete the whole process of making an album – recording, overdubbing, and mixing, all under one roof, at a reasonable price, and to feel at home while doing it.