In an era where recording studio after recording studio is closing down, Electric Lady is doing well and historic engineer Eddie Kramer explains why. Jump through for a link to the New York Times article and an excerpt from the piece.

Something else about Electric Lady has turned out to be unusual: It has lasted. As a group of engineers and producers noted in a 40th-anniversary celebration on Tuesday, most other big-name studios in New York — the Hit Factory, the Record Plant, Sony Music Studios — have shut down in recent years, victims of the recording industry woes or simply of real estate pressure, but Electric Lady has defied the odds by staying alive, and staying top-tier.

Eddie Kramer, Hendrix’s favored engineer and a force in the studio’s creation, has a simple explanation for its longevity.

“In a word: vibe,” he said, sitting in a small lounge by the control booth for one of Electric Lady’s three recording rooms. “We wanted to create an environment where Jimi could feel really happy, and feel that he could create anything.”

“It was this womblike, beautiful place,” he added, “where he could feel totally relaxed and create the music he wanted.”

Source:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/arts/music/26hendrix.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss