Pal Recording Studio

Pal Recording Studio (1957-1964) was an independent recording studio that operated in Cucamonga, California, and owned by engineer/innovator Paul Buff. Although the studio is widely known for its legendary surf recordings like Wipeout and Pipeline, it was also the training ground for a young Frank Zappa, who in 1964 bought the studio and re-named it Studio Z.

Paul Buff engineered legendary surf songs like the original recording of Pipeline by The Chantays and Wipe Out by The Surfaris using his unique 5-track recording machine. Buff went on to invent the Kepex, a combination of the 2 pieces of outboard studio gear known as separately as compressor and limiter. Paul Buff's Alison Research studio products became common on pop recordings (Alan Parsons would use a Kepexed drum sound to create the 'heartbeat' heard on Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon'.)

A young Frank Zappa learned basic recording techniques at Pal. He recorded his first rock n' roll song, "Breaktime", by The Masters, which consisted of himself, Paul Buff, and Ronnie Williams.

Other notable musicians/bands that recorded at Pal Recording Studio:

-The Tornadoes

-Dino Dupree and the Pharaohs

-Conrad and the Hurricane Strings

Notable songs:

Wipe Out- The Surfaris

Pipeline- The Chantays (Demo)

"Tijuana Surf"- The Hollywood Persuaders

"Grunion Run"- The Hollywood Persuaders

Discography

Notes

References

*"Cosmik Debris: The Collective History and Improvisations of Frank Zappa", by Greg Russo, Crossfire Pubns; 2nd Rev edition (January 9 2003), ISBN 0-9648157-0-2
* cite book
title = Zappa: A Biography
first = Barry
last = Miles
publisher = Grove Press
location = New York
year = 2004
id = ISBN 0-8021-1783-X
* cite book
title = The Real Frank Zappa Book
first = Frank
last = Zappa
coauthors = Occhiogrosso, Peter
year = 1989
publisher = Poseidon Press
id = ISBN 0-671-70572-5
*"Mother! the Frank Zappa Story", by Michael Gray

Further reading