Recording capabilities at Wilson's Los Angeles residence were made possible by his band and engineer
Stephen Desper in the midst of recording
Smiley Smile in mid-1967. For the first few months of operation, the makeshift studio was installed with a Gates Dualux radio broadcasting console as the quick recording of
Smiley Smile didn't allow enough time to acquire a conventional mixing board. By the recording of
Friends in early 1968, the studio continued to use the Dualux console yet the rest of the chauffeur's quarters had been converted to feature a more permanent set-up. In October 1969, the console was upgraded to a 16-track recorder with quadraphonic capability. From 1967, until its dismantling in late 1972 by
Marilyn Wilson, the studio recorded a mix of artists with personal ties to the Beach Boys, including
American Spring,
The Flames,
Stephen Kalinich and
Charles Manson. == Dismantling ==