Cool Spaces: Record music like Beyonce

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- What do Destiny's Child, Freddy Fender, and Lightnin' Hopkins all have in common? All three of these artists recorded some of their best hits at SugarHill Recording Studios! A Houston icon throughout the ages, SugarHill Recording Studios has produced some of the greatest artists in music history.

Based in southeast Houston, SugarHill Recording Studios is the oldest recording studio within the United States. The only other oldest studio in the world is Abbey Road -- the studio frequented by The Beatles.

Believing in old-fashioned, but successful techniques, the studio uses old microphones and analog consoles to get their famous sound. Although analog consoles may be expensive to maintain, SugarHill Recording Studios praises them on their ability to produce a warmer, bigger, fuller sound as compared to the more digital and mechanical sound captured with computer recordings.

The building itself promotes a general sense of warmth and success. Walking into SugarHill, the lobby reveals its history through memorabilia from past stars and some of the oldest recording machinery ever used. The two studios, Studio A and Studio B, also have intricate tie-ins from the past. Studio A was created out of the original owner's home while Studio B contains a large gold star, a remnant of the studio's past name, Gold Star Studios. In addition, reverb chambers have been built in throughout the studio. As a result, sound can be piped into these chambers and be re-recorded to create amazing, sonorous echoes.

With its past literally built into its future, SugarHill Recording Studios creates a great environment for any music artist. With an infectious vibe echoing its halls, SugarHill Recording Studios is sure to release great musical hits for decades to come.