About the Capitol Records Studios

On February 22, 1956, almost 9 weeks before the Tower’s grand opening, the Capitol Studios were used for the first time when Frank Sinatra led a 56-piece orchestra on a series of instrumental compositions written by Nelson Riddle that would become the album "Tone Poems of Color".

One of the most innovative features of the new building was its studios – the three studios which occupy the Tower’s base were the first ever built for high-fidelity recordings. Each studio was designed to “float” on a layer of asphalt-impregnated cork, providing insulation from external vibration. Zig-Zag wall panels and movable reflecting surfaces – birchwood on one side (for hard sound) and Fiberglass on the other (for a soft sound) – were installed to provide complete and variable acoustic control.

The studios were made further unique by the construction of special shock-mounted reverberation chambers–commonly called echo chambers – which were buried 25 feet below the parking lot behind the Tower. In these chambers sound technicians can, with complete naturalness, create any degree or quality of "room tone" desired in recording. The chambers still exist and are constantly in demand for their striking aural qualities.

Dimensions of the three studios were as follows: Studio A ­­– 57,000 cubic feet (62 feet long by 46 feet wide by 20 feet high), Studio B – 47,000 cubic feet (62 feet long by 38 feet wide by 20 feet high), and Studio C – 6,200 cubic feet (26 feet long by 15 feet wide by 16 feet high).

Over the years the Capitol Studios have hosted recording projects for such Capitol superstars as Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, Judy Garland, Miles Davis, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps, Grand Funk Railroad, The Raspberries, Hammer, Prince, Crowded House, as well as such distinguished outside artists as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Dwight Yoakam, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Julio Iglesias, Wilson Phillips, Barbra Streisand, Oingo Boingo, and Whitney Houston.

With over 45 years of experience, today’s Capitol Studios have evolved into the studios of the future. Respecting the technology and creativity of the past and cultivating an adventurous spirit into the future, Capitol Studios have retained their status as leaders in digital and global sound technology.