Allen Sides

The Ocean Way 1990

Allen Sides, Ocean Way Recording Studios, LA 1990

(L-R) Ry Cooder and Allen Sides, Ocean Way, LA 1996

Larry Klein, Joni Mitchell, Allen Sides, Ocean Way, LA 1999

When you renamed United Studios as Ocean Way did you keep the rooms the same?

Oh yes—exactly the same. Bill Putnam built those rooms. All we did was build new control rooms. The studios were spectacular, and are really huge, with high ceilings and beautifully smooth decay. You walk in the room and you listen to a large orchestra playing live and the balance is perfect. You could put up a single pair of microphones, pull up two faders, and you’d almost have a mix.

You also have quite a collection of microphones…

Yes, in the last ten years, I’ve probably bought well over a thousand tube mics from Europe. About eight years ago a lot of the broadcast companies in Europe decided to update with transistor microphones and they bought the best available at the time. A tremendous amount of wonderful tube mics hit the market and I bought everything I could get my hands on.