Studio at the Palms
Location: The Palms’ Fantasy Tower
Street cred: Michael Jackson, Guns N’ Roses, Beyoncé, Morrissey
Know this: The abilities of the Studio at the Palms are not limited to the confines of the studio walls. The casino is hardwired to record not just inside the studio, but also from certain luxury suites, the nightlife venues and inside the Pearl. So an artist can record a standard album or a live concert album there. Or, as Jamie Foxx did with 2008’s Intuition, record a track in the studio and immediately test it with audiences at Moon.
Odds On
Location: 14 Sunset Way in Henderson
Street cred: Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Air Supply, Moksha
Know this: No doubt, the equipment is important and impressive here—but so are the accoutrements. A Guns N’ Roses pinball machine, a lounge area dimly lit by a monkey lamp and more Sony Bravia big screens than we cared to count—Odds On places a premium on comfort. The studio also boasts an impressive collection of old-school microphones and recording equipment, which are frequently requested and used by the studio’s revolving door of artists.
Battle Born
Location: West of the Strip (exact location is secret)
Street cred: Owned (and used) by The Killers
Know this: The Killers bought the studio—previously Studio Vegas—in 2008 and rechristened it Battle Born after their home state. Though the studio has hosted other notable artists, it’s primarily used as the private studio for the boys in the band. Three of the four (Brandon, Ronnie and Mark) have been working on solo or side projects, which has kept their full-time engineer busy recently. If you ever get invited to the studio, don’t forget to stroke the textured wallpaper—ooh, so velvety.
Digital Insight
Location: 2810 S. Maryland Parkway (across from Sam Ash Music)
Street cred: Kanye West, Missy Elliot, Kenny Chesney, Christina Aguilera
Know this: Many Vegas studios open and close in under a year—not Digital Insight. It’s the city’s longest-running studio, open more than 17 years. Owner Rob Devlin ties its success to organic roots—it began in a warehouse as a performance space for Devlin’s band and expanded naturally from there. Since then, it’s recorded everything from Grammy-winning country and rap to a 42-piece band that insisted on capturing all of its instruments in one take.
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