I know this much is true: Eighties studios will be missed

A member of Spandau Ballet today attacked the "clinical" modern recording process after several London's studios closed down.

Steve Norman, saxophonist and guitarist with the Eighties group, who are performing a comeback tour this autumn after their acrimonious 1990 split, spoke of his sadness at the demise of studios including the Olympic in Barnes, where the Beatles recorded All You Need Is Love.

Wessex Studios in Highbury, where The Clash recorded London Calling, and Eden in Chiswick, where Sinead O'Connor recorded Nothing Compares 2 U, have also gone.

Software advances, the falling cost of technology and a squeeze on costs by record companies have all contributed to their loss. It is now possible to have a complete recording studio with virtual instruments in your laptop and create tracks at a fraction of the cost.

Many stars such as Dizzee Rascal and The Streets' Mike Skinner are starting out by recording music in their bedroom or makeshift studios.

Norman said working at the Olympic, which shut in February, had been a place to bond. "We had such a fantastic time," he said. "The studio makes bands productive and creative. It had a magical effect on us. Our squabbles are well known, but the studio was a place where we could come together."

Norman said studios of the Eighties era had a special ambience, an excitement created around guessing who was in the next room, finding out about Prince's incredible work ethic, and bumping into stars. He said a "friendly rivalry" developed between groups - Spandau Ballet would leave notes for rivals Duran Duran if they knew they would be using the same room. Norman believes the loss of studios will make the process "very clinical", adding: "When you go to a studio you are going into work. It demands respect. You don't get that with a backroom or in people's bedrooms."

Guitarist Geoff Whitehorn, who joined Procol Harum in 1991 and who has played with The Who and Bad Company, said the move away from studios was inevitable: "Some of the stuff you can buy these days, such as home recording technology, has opened music up for everybody."

Neol Davies, guitarist from ska band The Selecter, called the closure of big-name studios tragic. "The skills that people have will disappear," he said. "Studios still produce the best music. People used to make music together and listen to music together. Now they can listen to it on their own and make it on their own."

Joe Wilson, director of studies in popular music at the University of Gloucester, said to survive studios must diversify into other areas, such as video production, or become more like management companies.