Since the introduction of magnetic tape vastly improved the fidelity of recorded music, the growth of the music industry has been directly related to advancements in the recording studio. It’s no coincidence that the multitrack analog recording studio and the “album” era came of age together. Pop music underwent rapid stylistic changes in songwriting, arrangements, and instrumentation, with an increase in variety and complexity, but let’s not put the cart before the horse. The sudden outburst in creativity wasn’t the result of a sudden artistic awakening.  None of it would have been possible without advancements in recording technology. 

In the early days of the album era and multi-track recording, the most advanced and capable recording facilities were owned by the bigger record labels. Very few independent, privately owned studios had the sophistication to compete. As a result, when the record industry experienced significant growth in the late 60s and early 70s, access to state-of-the-art, professional-quality studio time became a highly sought-after premium. 

As a professional musician, recording engineer, producer, and studio manager/co-owner, Ed Germano understood this opportunity quite clearly. The Hit Factory story begins in 1975 when Ed Germano bought a fully equipped, multitrack recording studio located on NYC’s famous 48th Street music row. Nothing about the studio needed to be changed, upgraded, or renovated to remain in successful operation; however, Germano had something far more ambitious planned. Ed's concept was to create a destination for artists seeking the best, not just an “overflow” outlet for backlogged record labels. Germano shuttered the studio for complete renovations. No expense was spared, and the process of rebuilding the studio took over a year to complete. “The Hit Factory” studio concept was to create a destination for artists seeking the best of the best, not just an “overflow” outlet for backlogged record labels. 

Germano shuttered the studio for complete renovations. No expense was spared, and the process of rebuilding the studio took over a year to complete. Renovations included the installation of Neve and MCI consoles, as well as racks of custom-made outboard gear by Eventide, Fairchild, and Pultec, along with a mic locker to die for. Germano also equipped his new studio with Studer multitrack tape machines, capable of providing 24- to 48-track analog recording, at a time when EMI's famous Abby Road studios could provide only 16-track recording. Despite being loaded with cutting-edge technology, “The Hit Factory” was designed on the concept that great-sounding recordings begin with a great-sounding source. Each live room had been gutted to bare walls and acoustically re-engineered. When the first two remodeled live rooms were completed (studios A2 and A6), they emerged with a completely new sonic signature of Germano’s design. In March of 1975, the last remaining task was to replace the outside marquee with the new “The Hit Factory” logo and put the studio to the test. 

1976: ‘Station to Station’ by David Bowie, recorded during his funky and indulgent ‘Thin White Duke Era’. This album is essential Bowie, and essential listening. Guitar players will especially love the spotlessly presented, fantastic guitar work done by Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick. Bowie returned to the Hit Factory (like so many other artists) to record the 1993 epic, Black Tie, White Noise, featuring a reunion with producer/guitarist Nile Rogers and a guest appearance by the Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars era phenom, the legendary Mick Ronson.

1977: Foreigner’s explosive debut features three massive hits: ‘Feels Like the First Time’, ‘Cold as Ice’, and ‘Long, Long Way from Home’, propelling the album to multiplatinum status. This is not the last time Foreigner will enjoy extreme success at the Hit Factory. The band returned in 1983 to record “Agent Provocateur.”

1977: Meatloaf/Jim Steinman’s “Bat Outta Hell” is a classic among classics, that’s full of surprises, including instrumentalists from the NY & Philadelphia Philharmonic, and a guest spot from legendary N.Y Yankee Shortstop, Phil ‘Scooter’ Rizzuto, rooting for the kid, and giving the play-by-play. For this theatrical-themed diamond status album to meet its potential, every lyric needed to be crystal clear, and every dynamic swell needed to be evident and naturally shaped- All things that Factory 48th Studio A6 was tailor-made for.

1978: The Talking Heads laid down the funky art rock classic, “Fear of Music,” with Brian Eno producing—One of the band's early stops on the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1979: The Rolling Stones stopped in to record “Emotional Rescue.” The two-million seller features a pared-down version of the band, captured playing in classic ‘loosely-tight’ Stones form.

1980: John Lennon’s “Double Fantasy.”  After 5 years of silence from John Lennon, many began to think he’d retired from making music. The ex-Beatle could have chosen any recording studio he wanted, but he carefully selected ‘The Hit Factory’ for the sessions that became ‘Double Fantasy.’ The Triple Platinum album went on to win the Album of the Year award, and arguably has the best production value of any Lennon effort. 

Since opening its doors, the Hit Factory has expanded across seven locations, featuring dozens of live rooms. Each area has led the way in capturing the sounds of the times, from Rock and Roll, Disco, Pop, R&B, Rap, Alternative, and even award-winning soundtracks. Locations include the Hit Factory 48th Street, 1975–1981, Hit Factory Broadway, 1981–2002, Hit Factory Times Square, 1987–1992, Hit Factory London,1989–1993, Hit Factory Miami, 1998–2012, the Hit Factory 54 (headquarters), 1992–2005. The current state-of-the-art Hit Factory studio is located on Broadway in downtown Manhattan, under the leadership of Troy Germano, son of Ed Germano. Troy has been steeped in Hit Factory culture and know-how since joining the company in 1981. He’s played a leading role in designing each state-of-the-art control and live room, including the groundbreaking spaces at The Hit Factory’s flagship and headquarters on 54th Street. 

Design elements and the successes of Hit Factory 54’s infamous Studio 1 

"This was our scoring room, which was one of the 10 largest recording spaces ever built anywhere in the world. Initially, it was focused on orchestral scoring for film & television, hosting the likes of Ennio Morricone, Elmer Bernstein, and Stephen Schwartz, amongst many others. After the room opened in early 1993, with Billy Joel recording his album "River Of Dreams," we began working on numerous film scores and Broadway cast albums. By 1994, I had decided that this studio needed to move away from primarily producing orchestral recordings. The floodgates opened with Mariah Carey spending almost 3 years working on her albums, "Merry Christmas" and "Fantasy", 

Michael Jackson occupied up to 6 of our studios for 11.5 months, creating his "HIStory" album. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were recording basic tracks for the new songs on his first "Greatest Hits" album, one of which became a key track for the Tom Cruise film "Jerry Maguire." Celine Dion used the room to record her vocals on "My Heart Will Go On" for "Titanic." 

Wyclef Jean inhabited Studio 1 for two years in the late 1990s, producing a diverse range of artists, including Mick Jagger on his solo album, "Goddess In The Doorway." U2 spent significant time there working on their album "Pop," as did Coldplay on their album "X & Y." This studio was not only capable of regularly holding sessions with up to 140 musicians but also served as an incredible recording room for basic tracks, guitars, drums, and lead or group vocals. This studio featured a huge live room with a 32-foot ceiling and 4 four isolation booths that were larger than most studios in NYC.