Two Industry Veterans Create a New Way to Record
Founded in 1980 by recording engineer Ellis Sorkin, Studio Referral Service was born from his recognition that artists, producers, and engineers needed an easier way to find the right studio for their project, budget, and equipment needs. What began as a Los Angeles-based network has grown into an international resource representing hundreds of professional facilities worldwide. Sorkin’s background as a recording engineer at A&M studios gives him an insider’s understanding of the equipment, acoustics, and creative environments required for each project.
Founded by Wassim Zreik in 2002, Capital Audio Rental is the world’s leading pro audio resource, serving the biggest names in the music industry. Its extensive collection includes vintage and modern microphones, preamps, compressors, synthesizers, keyboards, and other essential recording equipment. Recognizing artists’ growing desire to create outside traditional studios, Zreik launched Nomad Mobile Recording Studio, bringing a full professional recording experience to estates, hotels, and virtually anywhere inspiration strikes. In 2025, he expanded that vision with The Recording Estates.
Turning Destinations into Studios
The partnership grew naturally from years of working together on various projects and a shared recognition that artists increasingly want privacy, convenience, and inspiring surroundings without sacrificing professional equipment or technical expertise. Sorkin and Zreik can transform any desired location into a fully functioning professional recording environment. The service can handle the entire process, from determining the client’s needs and selecting the appropriate equipment to delivery, installation, and technical support. The possibilities extend well beyond Southern California. They can also bring a professional recording environment to destinations ranging from European villas to mountain retreats.
The Mission
“Our goal is to expand the possibilities of where professional recording can happen,” says Sorkin. “For generations, artists have traveled to great recording studios. Today, we can bring the same caliber of professional recording equipment and technical expertise to the artists, allowing them to create in places that inspire their best work.” Zreik adds that artists increasingly want to live and work under one roof, bringing their producers, assistants and other team members together while eliminating the daily commute between a studio and hotel.
A Flexible Creative Environment
The service is designed for projects ranging from albums and songwriting camps to film scores, private creative retreats and recording while on tour. One current client, working from a large Malibu estate, has five separate rooms configured for different producers, creating multiple professional workspaces within a single property. Beyond convenience and privacy, the model can provide an economic advantage over renting multiple traditional studios at daily rates. Sorkin and Zreik see the service as a complement rather than a replacement for commercial studios, particularly as technology has made sophisticated home and mobile recording increasingly viable. “We’re talking about big estates where people can set up and create these things,” Zreik says, while Sorkin describes their shared mission simply: “Anything you can envision.”
More info at:
studioreferral.com
capitalaudiorental.com
