5150 STUDIOS
Overview
5150 Studios has operated at 3371 Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Studio City, Los Angeles, since 1983. Eddie Van Halen built it beside his home with engineer Donn Landee, creating a private room where the band could record without outside studio schedules. To satisfy the city’s permit requirements, the windowless building was submitted as a racquetball court - a use it briefly fulfilled before its final inspection. The original 20-by-40-foot structure held a compact control room and live area, with reinforced concrete-block walls, heavy insulation, and grounded chicken wire in the walls, floor, and ceiling to block interference from a nearby 50,000-watt AM transmitter. Landee adapted a Universal Audio console and 3M 16-track machine for the first setup, alongside LA-2A and 1176 compressors, tape echo, and other older equipment. Between February 1989 and March 1990, 5150 was doubled in size, gaining a separate drum room for Alex Van Halen and a small arcade. It remains a private working studio under Wolfgang Van Halen’s care.
Featured Albums
