Associated Independent Recording

Associated Independent Recording (AIR) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producer Sir George Martin and his business partner John Burgess, after their departure from Parlophone. The first album produced by George Martin by his new company was the Beatles' "Rubber Soul", recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
The leading independent recording studio complex was founded in 1969. Since then AIR has operated its own professional audio recording facilities, AIR Studios. 
Oxford Street – London (1970–1991).
AIR's first facility opened on 6 October 1970. It was located on the fourth floor of 214 Oxford Street, containing four studios and (later) a MIDI programming room. The facility included two large studios (one 58×32 feet, the other 30×28 feet) and two small ones. The studios contained two Bösendorfer pianos, many soundproof booths, and a 56-channel mixing console, custom-designed by Neve Electronics to AIR's specification. Many artists recorded there, including the Pretenders for their 1984 album "Learning to Crawl".
AIR Montserrat (1979–1989).
The company built another recording studio on the Caribbean island of Montserrat which opened in July 1979. The first album cut in the newly opened studios was "Real to Reel" by the Climax Blues Band in 1979.
Jimmy Buffett recorded "Volcano" at the Montserrat studio in May 1979, naming the album and its title song for the then dormant Soufrière Hills volcano on the island. Elton John recorded three albums at the Montserrat studio in the 1980s. Dire Straits recorded their highly successful "Brothers in Arms" album between 1984 and 1985. Other well-known studio clients included: the Police ("Ghost in the Machine" and "Synchronicity"), Ultravox, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (Pre-recorded "Junk Culture"), Paul McCartney, Marvin Gaye, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Gerry Rafferty, Rush, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Midge Ure, Little River Band, Duran Duran, Sheena Easton and Luther Vandross.
Equipment-wise, as of 1979 the studio consisted of a 46-channel Neve console, a pair of MCI 24-track recorders, three Ampex ATR-102 stereo machines and an MCI synchronizer (for any 46-track work), with JBL and Tannoy monitors.
In 1986, the studio equipment list read, in part:
In 1989, shortly after the Rolling Stones had recorded their "Steel Wheels" album, Hurricane Hugo devastated the island; the Montserrat facility was severely damaged, and was forced to close.
According to George Martin,
The studio buildings are still standing but their roofs are failing, leading to extensive damage to the floors of the accommodation area and inner part of the studio complex, making them unsafe to walk on. The facility is now a modern ruin and is closed to the public.
The buildings are located at .
AIR Lyndhurst Hall, Hampstead (1991–present).
In 1991, with the lease on the Oxford Street premises coming to an end, AIR Studios took over Lyndhurst Road Congregational Church, a Grade II listed building designed in 1880 by Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse and located in the Hampstead suburb of north London. The space was revamped as a recording facility and opened for business in December 1992. AIR Lyndhurst is now a key London facility for classical and popular recordings, as well as film scores, television post-production, and dialogue, sound effects and music for video games. Spitfire Audio have recorded many of their digital audio samples here too. Employees include Olga Fitzroy.