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"Desert Sound opened on a shoe string budget in 1973. The Tascam Corporation had just come out with the model 10 mixer and 1/2" four track. The studio was located in Phoenix, Arizona just south of Indian School Road and 31st Avenue in an industrial park. The 2000 sq. ft. space was only $250 a month, and I had barely enough money to do the build out. It was very much a budget project, complete with egg crates on the walls to deaden the sound.

The first few years were tough. I was working nights in a band called Trace and engineering sessions from 1:00am till dawn. By 1975 things were taking off. With help from the late Deane Jensen, I was able to turn the model 10 mixer into a very sweet sounding board (with Jensen transformers of course). I had enough money to expand the board to 24 channels, rework the accoustics and buy a 2" Scully 16 track recorder, then the work really started coming in.

From 1975 to 1985 I recorded hundreds of local bands and some national names. By the mid 80's I was married and had a daughter. The lease was costing over $1500 a month and rate had gone from $75.00/hr in 1975 to $30 an hour in 1985. In 1973 there were only 3or 4 studios in Phoenix but by 1985 there were dozens. In addition, Japan was cranking out cheaper and cheaper recording equipment and bands were setting up their own studios. Seeing the writing on the wall, in late 1985 I closed the studio and took my toys home.

It was a wonderful ride and I wouldn't change a thing." - Sandy Lamont

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