SOS visit the World-Famous Capitol Studios in Los Angeles

The world-famous Capitol Studios has hosted artists from the Beach Boys to Frank Sinatra to Arcade Fire. With recording studios A, B and C, mastering rooms, production suites and even Dolby Atmos, Capitol Studios is fully equipped and was refurbished in 2012 when Universal Music took over.

Sound On Sound visited the iconic Hollywood building to find out more from Paula Salvatore, Vice President/Studio Manager, and staff recording engineer Steve Genewick.

00:00 - Start
00:29 - Capitol Studios Beginnings
01:54 - Studio A - Orchestral & Big Band
04:30 - Studio B - Capitol's Rock Room
06:53 - Blending Studio A & Studio B Spaces
08:43 - Classic Instruments, Outboard & Microphones
12:05 - Echo Chambers Designed By Les Paul
13:27 - Routing Audio Around The Building
14:33 - Recent Renovations
16:48 - Speaker Upgrades
19:00 - Film & TV Audio Work
19:41 - Studio C - Dolby Atmos Suite & Mixing Music For Atmos
25:20 - Mastering Suites
27:02 - Maintenance Department
28:30 - Favourite Memories Of Capitol Studios

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[Guitaural.]

Can you imagine the confidence (or insanity) to look at the big room Sinatra recorded his 50s tracks in, and then say...."I'll make it better, let's change it all around..." Thanks for the tour!

[billhare]

I owned the console and tape machine that was in Studio B throughout the 70s - custom-built by the Capitol engineering staff over an Electrodyne frame with Quad-Eight parts, as well as in-house designed preamp & EQ section. Total Frankenstein monster and maintenance headache, but we loved it anyway. The tape machine was a 1970 3M M56, serial # 17. We moved it from Hollywood in 1984 and kept it running until 1989. The late Jay Ranellucci, who had been there since about the time the studios opened, gave me a wonderful tour of the rooms. I later found, when we dismantled the old system which was beyond any more repair, that I had a lot of extra paperwork among the thousands of pages of technical data, going back to 1950s architectural drawings, internal memos, etc. Paula was wonderful to work with in re-connecting that history with the building, and I was very sorry to hear that she has recently been let go by Capitol.

[marctrainor]

Back in the 70's our country rock group, Stagecoach, recorded an album at Studio West in San Diego. We had the album pressed to vinyl, so being ambitious young men, we jumped in our car and drove up to this Capital record building in L.A. and somehow thought we'd just "march into the building and get to talk to an A&R man about our new record". Well we marched into the building, alright, with our new record album, which even had a couple of songs written by Jack Tempchin, who wrote Peaceful easy feeling for the Eagles, but the first guy we ran into was the security guard. He stopped us and ask us where we were going. Of course we told him we wanted to talk to someone about our new album, but he told us basically: It ain't gonna happen. He said go over to this spot and talk to that person, so we did. Well that person told us there's no way we're gonna talk to an A&R man or any one else for that matter, but you can leave your album here if you want to, along with a whole bunch of other albums that other groups and artists have brought in, and we'll call you if we're interested. we did that but we never heard back from them. Well that was our first reality check with the music business, and we almost gave up, but I said to the band. Hey, let's go over to A&M records. I did a session over there with a friend of mine some time back, (which I had done), so we went there. We couldn't even get in the parking lot at first, but I talked to the guy on the speaker phone and told him we'd like to talk to a guy named Ed Soltzer, (I believe it was). Well Ed Soltzier was the guy who ran our session when I was there, and just happened to be Karen Carpenter's producer at the time, so they let us drop the album off, but we never got to talk to Ed, but at least they let us leave our album there. Well, shortly after that, the band let me go for another pedal steel player, but the leader later called me up and said that A&M did call him back and I think they, Stagecoach, maybe went back to A&M and did a re-cut on one of the songs on the album, but apparently it never went anywhere. All I can say, 50 years later is: Man what a ride the music business is, and like the man said, There's no business like show business. Marc Trainor.

[Dante-qfyd]

I would hang outside that studio dreaming about recording there until it was time for me to go to work at the Wendy's on Sunset and Labrea.

[PeterGrenader]

[raised hand] That old equipment you mentioned that doesn't work well anymore that doesn't stick around - do you ever throw it in your dumpster with the follow up question where does Capital keep it's dumpsters?

[prestigerider]

Studio A, one of the best rooms in music ! From the phenomenal Acoustics to Nat King Coles Steinway. Thank you for keeping this place so well preserved for the generations of musicians yet to come and experience .

[mitchelltanenbaum]

Hello from a former studio employee, maintenance tech, and Grammy nominated sometime mixer who, along with Jerry Jensen, John Harkin, Ted Novak, and others, designed and built that Neve 8068 SN 001, which also had the first NECAM system in the U.S. We spent many hours demolishing the old, and building the new Studio B, which has a circular staircase up to the lounge above. Plus, you can prolly still find my fingerprints on those Neumann lathes, which we modified for more reliability (sometimes they would start up at the wrong speed). Any way, this is a great story about the studios. That view down the hallway is so memorable, and I wish you had opened up the double-doored echo chamber patch cabinet. Or was that the mic locker? It's been too long since I was there. Maybe I will have to visit again if possible. -- Mitchell Tanenbaum.
PS Al Schmitt used to call me Mitchkin.

[dinosaursr]

Love these SOS studio tours. Great insights provided by the staff.

[mono_to_STEREO]

Thanks Paula, Steve, and Sound On Sound magazine for the enjoyable and informative visit! 👍👍

[MrNiklasehrlin]

"We have this door between rooms. We can open it. We can open it halfway... We can even have it closed. Absolutely unique! Nowhere else in the world"

[theartist]

One thing not mentioned in this, in the 70's the Capitol Records parking lot (once a month) was the greatest place to buy bootlegs!🤣
Tons and tons of vinyl.

[KevinStCroix]

This building is so much a part of the California vibe. Glad the studios still exist.

[m.o.n.d.e.g.r.e.e.n]

never seen a major studio like this that has such a healthy and artistic approach still inside it all. so refreshing omg yes

[daikuone]

Got to visit Capitol a few months back, was the thrill of a lifetime, and meeting Al Schmitt was a pleasure.

[petersvan]

Great interviews with this iconic studio, thank you!

[richardsisk]

What a great insight into this iconic studio. I have walked and driven by hundreds of times. Now I have a much better idea of what’s inside! Thank you.

[chrisgarrigues]

I love how much these people know and care about what they're doing!!!

[kentgoodall]

Bob Marley aka The wailers held a rehearsal session at this beautiful venue on the 24 October 1973 bad bootlegs had been on u tube and in circulation with traders until recently saw an official release oh finally to see the footage in better condition
DVD, CD and 2XLPS love the jacket as it's got the capital building in it
Thought I would highlight this as no one else has pointed it out
Love to know which studio they used studio A or Studio B
Any info be great love to know

[melfree]

It would have been really nice to see more of the studios.

[voiceofjeff]

What great history was made in those walls! Amazing equipment for sure, but equally amazing people to bring it to life! Thanks for the tour!