Chuck Surack founded Sweetwater in 1979 in the cramped cabin of a Volkswagen Microbus. Originally a recording company, the mobile studio toured the country with Chuck at the wheel, recording artists and providing other audio services. 

In the early ’80s, Chuck added the Kurzwiel K250 to his growing collection, creating his own sound library that was quickly adopted by chart-topping musicians. Before long, these musicians began approaching Chuck to consult them on their K250 purchases with factory options and Sweetwater-specific upgrades. This evolved into wider instrument and gear sales with a focus on personal interaction and customer support. And over time, the Sweetwater we know today was born. 

As Sweetwater grew, we never lost sight of our roots. From the studio’s beginnings in that humble VW bus, we’ve continued to evolve and grow along with the industry. Today, our studios offer many of the same legendary pieces that would have been in a top studio in 1979 — Neumann microphones, Fairchild compressors, and a large-format console designed by Rupert Neve, to name a few — alongside cutting-edge technology like Dolby Atmos.