Early recording studios, as those designed by Thomas Edison in the 1890s, were very simple. Most studios were comprised of portable acoustic equipment using direct-to-disc cutting processes.
During the 1920s, electrical recording studios were established. This introduced microphones, amplifiers, mixing consoles and loudspeakers. RCA Victor and Columbia recording studios were the first prominent companies to introduce these concepts.
Recording studios throughout the 1940s and 1950s were built in large concert halls to account for the big bands of the era. The concepts, specifically geared toward the motion picture industry, focused on grouping musicians together rather than separating them.
In the 1960s, a number of churches were converted into recording studios due to their acoustics. George Martin and the Decca Record Company developed high fidelity concepts in order to achieve better recording quality and results.
The modern design of the recording studio was established in Los Angeles with Gold Star Studios int the late 1960s. David S. Gold developed a trapezoidal echo chamber that featured a main mixing desk and a number of pieces of equipment.