Studio 1501 Elevates Houston’s Next Wave of Hip Hop with Augspurger Duo12V and Sub212
‘Rolls Royce Room’ brings high-end recording experience to thriving scene of female rap talent
HOUSTON, TX, May 6, 2026 — Houston has carved out a unique sonic identity in the world of hip-hop since the mid 1990s, when pioneers like DJ Screw and the Geto Boys introduced the sounds of the city to the mainstream. Since 2016, Carl Crawford’s 1501 Certified Entertainment has been one of the chief talent boosters in Houston, championing rising female rappers such as Megan Thee Stallion, Erica Banks, and Diamond the Body. As part of a sustained effort to build the next generation of Houston’s hip-hop lineage and offer them a high-end recording experience, Crawford and his studio partner Jarrod ‘Lacemode’ Lacy have recently opened Studio 1501 – a high-end recording complex that has recently been completed with the installation of a set of Augspurger Duo12V monitors and Sub212s.
Go big or go home
Befitting his time as an all-star athlete in professional sports, Crawford’s aspirations for 1501 Certified Entertainment have always been competitive. Studio 1501 was built with these aspirations in mind, to provide a high-end, professional recording environment that would give 1501 artists a place to develop and create equal to anywhere else in the world. “The 1501 brand has always been about going big,” Lacy explains. “We want these artists to feel like they can have a command of what they do and elevate the expectations of what they can accomplish in the world.”
“There simply has not been a space of this caliber in the city attached to a label like ours,” Crawford adds. “It was important that Houston have a hometown spot that can compete on that level and also offer artists a real creative home in their own backyards.”
“We’re trying to find and elevate the new big artists, and to do that, you need a facility that inspires them to create and perform at the highest level.”
Crawford spared no expense on Studio 1501, spending two years designing and building the space. Informally dubbed ‘The Rolls Royce Room’ because of its Italian leather seats and high-end accouterments, the control room was designed with a singular purpose – to blow artists away. “Carl has built a place of magnitude with this that is really designed to make an impression, both sonically and vibe-wise,” Lacy states. “We want people to know that whether they are local or visiting talent that they are getting the best of the best. To that end, it was incredibly important to curate every detail of the space to that purpose and the sound most of all.”
“When Carl came to me to build this place and asked what the best speakers to outfit the room with, there was no question that they had to be Augspurger.”
Feeling and hearing the difference
Studio 1501’s Control Room sports a pair of Augspurger Duo12Vs and Sub212s. The customized set of speakers was specifically chosen by Crawford and Lacy for their feel as much as their sound. “In hip-hop music, specifically the style 1501 specializes in, it’s incredibly important that you feel the music in the mix like you would in a club,” Lacy explains. “With the Augspurgers there is no guess work with that. They can handle that broad range of frequencies at any volume level, and when you do turn it up, that 808 hits you exactly where it should.”
“Carl markets his music in clubs, so we know he can confidently walk in there and say ‘Play this!’ and it’s going to have that same impact.”
A key aspect of that response was a tailored tuning of the room by Augspurger Founder and President Dave Malekpour, who includes as part of his extended range of services with his studio design team, Malekpour Design Partners. The result ensures a bespoke experience, perfectly suited to Lacy and Crawford’s ideal for 1501’s future. “We have some of the best gear that you can get in here and we want a sound system that translates all of that on an epic scale,” says Lacy. “Dave and the MDP Team were very involved in the final placement and angles of the speakers to ensure everything was perfect and the sweet spots were very dialed in.”
“You don’t get that personalized approach with other companies, and it was an aspect that makes the studio that much more special for our artists.”
“It changes the whole aura of the room for a performer – you can tell it gives them a good feeling being in here and making music,” Crawford states. “You can hear and feel the difference in a way that elevates the whole experience.”
“We now have a home base where these artists can stay in the city and do their best work at a truly luxury level,” he concludes. “Augspurger has really put the Midas Touch on this room, and we can’t wait to show the world what it’s capable of.”
For more information about 1501 Certified Entertainment, please visit: https://www.1501ent.com/
About Augspurger®
Launched in 2012, Augspurger® monitors use the latest technological advances in acoustic design and software to provide recording facilities with the most sonically accurate speakers possible. With astounding craftsmanship and high-quality components, coupled with incredible power and precision, Augspurger® monitors have shaped the signature sound of iconic recording facilities worldwide, counting Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Alicia Keys among its fans.
For more information, please visit: http://www.augspurger.com/
Steve Bailey
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