second floor that was perfect for building a full scale pro recording studio. The tall modern structure had a 1400 sq-ft. A good portion of “Passion and Warfare” was recorded here and all the guitars for the David Lee Roth “Skyscraper” record as well.Īfter the David Lee Roth tours, Steve & his wife Pia moved into a new home in the Hollywood Hills. Outboard gear included various compressors and delay units. A 3M-79 24-track, 2-inch tape recorder and a Soundcraft 35 input console were the main parts of the studio. Once a deal was struck with Capitol Records, the studio was upgraded to more contemporary equipment. Music recorded and released using this equipment includes Steve’s first solo record “Flex-Able”, “Flex-Able Leftovers”, and bits and pieces of things that were released in various following records. There’s a vault full of tapes from that period. Carvin donated a console and an X-100B guitar amplifier and Frank Zappa, God bless him, loaned tons of gear to make the recordings a reality.Įverything and everybody would be recorded if they got too close. Purchasing a Fostex 1/4-inch 8-track machine gave the studio the multi-track credibility it needed. 8 months and $3000 later, “Stucco Blue Studios” was born. Studying the book, he rebuilt the tool shed into a 2 room recording haven. Steve purchased a book called “The Audio Cyclopedia”, a bible for anything that has to do with audio and studios. The previous owner, (Ol’ man Ray Kawal, a cool guy whose ghost still lingers in limbo about the place) had built this tool shed out in the back, and it was two separate rooms about 24′ by 17′ each, perfect for a studio. The house was perfectly situated on a quiet cul-de-sac on a corner lot. Saving up all the money he earned working for Frank Zappa ($14,000), Steve put a down payment on a house on 2264 Fellows Avenue in Sylmar, California. Many hours of nonsense were recorded here. The tiny bedroom held that 4-track, a TEAC 2-track used for bouncing tracks, a TEAC 4-track console, a Music Man amp, a cheap condenser microphone, a cheap fake plate reverb and an assortment of various stomp boxes. His first sound-on-sound machine, a TEAC 1/4-inch 4-track recorder, was set up in an apartment at 1435 North Fairfax Street in Hollywood, and “Sy Vy Studios” was born. From the first day he discovered sound-on-sound recording, Steve was fascinated with the idea of owning a studio.