citations for verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . june 2014 learn how and when to remove this template message unique recording studios former type recording studio industry audio founded 1979 defunct new york city new york united states 2004 headquarters new york city new york united states key people bobby nathan joanne nathan founders website http www.uniquerecording.com unique recording studios was a technologically innovative five room recording studio operating in new york city from 1978 until 2004 . the business got off the ground as a rehearsal studio with a tascam 8 track recorder in 1978 but soon expanded to 16 and then 24 tracks with the first otari mtr 90 . 1 some of the biggest names in the music world recorded at unique . the still operating unique recording studio website lists the following among their former clients madonna . mariah carey tina turner anita baker steve winwood joe cocker billy ocean maniquin michael bolton michael mcdonald james ingram donna summer jeff beck eric clapton danny gatton stevie ray vaughan chaka khan david sanborn billy idol the rolling stones aerosmith aztec camera marilyn manson nine inch nails pet shop boys cheap trick james brown george clinton bee gees arthur baker stevie nicks miles davis mccoy tyner herbie hancock quincy jones al b. sure new edition new kids on the block jimmy cliff queen latifah run d.m.c. the notorious b.i.g. 2pac nas kanye west and alicia keys . contents 1 location 2 midi revolution 3 hip hop history 4 engineers 5 closure 6 references 7 external links location edit the studio complex was located just off of times square in the top three floors of the cecil b. demille building 2 adjacent to music store row . the business was owned and operated by husband and wife team joanne and bobby nathan . many grammy winning albums were recorded at unique over the years . midi revolution edit unique was famous for having the latest keyboards drum machines and samplers and was on the cutting edge of the midi revolution during hip hop s infancy . the studio was practically a laboratory for the latest technology with many musical instrument manufacturers sending their first units of the latest gear to unique . unique recording studios is credited for opening the first midi recording room in 1983 called midi city 3 and was later named studio c. hip hop history edit rap and hip hop was born at unique recording studios with tom silverman s tommy boy records featuring arthur baker and john robie planet patrol soul sonic force freeze and afrika bambaataa . run dmc ll cool j kurtis blow kool moe d public enemy the fat boys odb wu tang klan eazy e melle mel marley marl grand master flash sugar hill gang and later queen latifah heavy d nas 2pac notorious b.i.g biggie smalls puff daddy naughty by nature mobb deep krs one mop dmx jay z raekwon moby pink and kanye west engineers edit engineers who started their careers at unique recording studios include chris lord alge joe cocker cheap trick ric ocasek stevie nicks carly simon tina turner chaka kahn nona hendrix james brown tom lord alge steve winwood malcom mclaren david johansen omd tka jeff beck little steven wendy & lisa john waite earth wind & fire supertramp the system tony drootin eric lynch jeff lord alge richard barone bob rosa prince mariah carey james ingram paula abdul toni braxton taylor dayne c c music factory celine dion debbie gibson michael mcdonald lisa lisa george benson stephanie mills freddie jackson janet jackson starpoint michael bolton nsync backstreet boys jay z jon secada gloria estefan michael finlayson unique s first engineer started his career as moogy klingman s personal engineer . unique sessions included johnny copeland stevie ray vaughan danny gatton stewart copeland ian mcdonald bill bruford aerosmith jamaaladeen tacuma bobby watson roy hargrove joshua redman alex bugnon charles fambrough ladysmith black mambazo lisa lisa & cult jam w full force jocelyn brown freddie jackson oran juice jones divine peter robbins diana ross sister sledge bob james david sanborn david johansen skyy billy ocean afrika bambaataa divine melba moore ofra haza frank heller edgar winter new edition candy girl force md s jonzun crew jimmy cliff new kids on the block afrika bambaataa james brown unity apollonia bell biv devoe ll cool j steve peck b52 s pointer sisters george michael jennifer rush . new order pet shop boys duran duran sweet sensation will downing depeche mode debbie harry david hecht hanan rubinstein roey shamir al b sure tka devo run dmc heavy d melba moore full force information society ashford simpson josh chervokas madonna kool moe dee mobb deep 2 pac just ice nas kennan keating nine inch nails don johnson sarah dash al green color me badd larry coryell george karras madonna najee heavy d kool moe dee keith sweat donna summer joe public me shell joelle g aka cat def con four teenage mutant ninja turtles soundtrack backstreet boys barbra streisand don johnson maid to order atomic dog remix miss unique tony toni tone d anthony johnson dmx mop raekwon nice smooth sybil miles davis doo bop angela piva jude cole run dmc color me badd gerado heavy d queen latifah zhane groove theory first female engineer to have engineered a 1 record naughty by nature s opp matt hathaway krs one christina aguilera destiny s child alicia keys pink wu tang clan mary j. blige michael wolf reaves mary j. blige jessica simpson brandy wu tang clan marilyn manson big daddy kane boyz ii men john holmes outkast usher indigo girls elton john closure edit the explosion of high quality home and project studio recording systems such as digidesign s pro tools along with declining album sales and skyrocketing manhattan commercial leases helped contribute to the demise of a number of major new york studios including unique recording studios . references edit unique recording studio . mixonline.com . 2000 08 01 . retrieved 2014 06 30 . unique recording studios new york city home page . uniquerecording.com . retrieved 2014 06 30 . billboard google books . books.google.com . 2004 06 12 . retrieved 2014 06 30 . external links edit official website coordinates 40 45 33 n 73 59 03 w 40.7592 n 73.9843 w 40.7592 ; 73.9843 retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title unique recording studios & oldid 743301389 categories recording studios in the united stateshidden categories articles needing additional references from june 2014all articles needing additional referencescoordinates not on wikidata navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured contentcurrent eventsrandom articledonate to wikipediawikipedia store interaction helpabout wikipediacommunity portalrecent changescontact page tools what links hererelated 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