- in Podcast by Bobby Owsinski
Episode 624 – Rebuilding Les Paul’s Original Recording Studio
What can Les Paul’s original recording studio reveal about the way modern music production really began?
On this week’s episode, I talk with with Tom Camuso, Director of Engineering at The Les Paul Recording Studio, and Michael Braunstein, 3rd Generation Les Paul Manager.
We discuss restoring Les Paul’s groundbreaking recording gear, rebuilding his historic studio in Los Angeles, and showing a new generation how much of today’s studio technology started with Les himself.
Tom and Michael walk through Les Paul’s original 1956 Fairchild-based console, his early multitrack ideas, his sound on sound experiments, and the studio’s educational mission.
They also share why the Les Paul Foundation exists, how it supports music education, and why Les Paul’s legacy goes far beyond the guitar that carries his name.
In This Episode . . .
- Why Les Paul’s recording studio was brought from New Jersey to Los Angeles
- Why Les Paul’s 1956 console was so far ahead of its time
- How machine control, direct outs, patching, and monitoring were built into the original console decades before adoption on commercial desks
- How the studio is being used for both education and commercial recording
- What it took to restore Les Paul’s original console and tape machines
- Why Les Paul’s sound on sound process changed recording forever
- How students react when they see the physical gear behind modern plugins and DAWs
- What the Les Paul Foundation does to preserve his legacy and support music education
And much more.
You can hear it at bobbyoinnercircle.com, or via Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Mixcloud, Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, or RadioPublic.
Also, a video version of this podcast is now available on YouTube as well.
Chapters
00:00:00 – Coming up…
00:01:21 – Why bring Les Paul’s studio to Los Angeles?
00:04:31 – What did it take to restore Les Paul’s original gear?
00:06:32 – How was Les Paul already thinking beyond the studio technology of his time?
00:08:59 – Do newer consoles really sound better?
00:10:37 – Why Les Paul’s console may have defined the modern recording workflow
00:13:31 – A closer look at the 1956 console
00:16:37 – What does the Les Paul Foundation actually do?
00:23:10 – What monitors did Les Paul use?
00:24:47 – The biggest surprise inside Les Paul’s recording process
00:28:20 – Why students recognize their DAW inside Les Paul’s hardware
00:31:05 – What should people know about the studio?
00:33:22 – What should people know about Les Paul himself?
