After numerous requests we are adding this new Level of Service.

Because studios and control rooms are so specific in both their uses and requirements, we are recommending this level for new construction and areas of a home or appropriate building that can be modified, sometimes extensively, to achieve the high standards necessary.

Studio design is a specialized discipline that covers many aspects of both architecture and acoustics. As a rule, we divide the acoustics into two distinct areas:

Boundary Acoustics

In its simplest terms, this relates to how much sound gets into or out of a room. In any studio environment, this is one of the most critical areas of attention. For instance, busy street noise from outside has no business inside a recording studio and, therefore, must be taken out of the design equation. Sometimes simply relocating the studio to another area of a building can eliminate the problem altogether or, at the very least, minimize the work and money that would have to be expended to solve the problem. Also, sound control between the various rooms within the studio is critical and needs careful thought and planning. While less critical to outside noises, the sound from playback control room should not ‘bleed’ into the studio or isolation booths.

In many cases, sound can be transmitted through the structure of a building that the studio is built in. This might include sound from the floor above the studio - including footfalls, opening and closing of closets and other doors or conversation et cetera - or sound from the studio getting to the floor above (or below) and to other adjacent areas - including anything from drums to loud guitar amplifiers and vocals et cetera. In most instances, with careful planning and design, problems of this nature can be correctly addressed and measures taken to eliminate or control these problems altogether or, at least to an acceptable degree. Sometimes it is necessary to ‘float’ the floor of a studio to eliminate vibrations both into and out of the room. Because, as a general rule, it is easier stopping sound going up, than it is stopping it going down. That particular problem might be solved by relocating the studio to a different area of the building, such as the ground floor or basement that have concrete slab’s, rather than conventional crawl spaces. This is because of the aforementioned is a problem of mechanical vibration: The direct and sympathetic movement of shared floors and walls. It is much easier to saw-cut a concrete slab than ‘float’ a floor over it. To stop unwanted sound from coming down from above, it might be necessary to suspend a ceiling on spring or fiberglass isolators from the ceiling joists above. Decision of this nature can save both headaches and money.

Environmental Acoustics

Sound is predictable in a given space Environmental acoustics deal with how sound reacts within a given space. Studios are wonderful places to be in - as they should be. They are places for one of the highest orders of creativity, music. Designing studios that sound good can be a complex exercise. It is true to say that much of what it takes to build a recording studio is never seen. Besides the buildup of construction materials used for sound control in the walls and ceilings (See Boundary Acoustics) there are the elements of the design that give a room its ‘sound’. Many times these things are hidden out of sight, in the walls and/or ceilings or behind fabric scrims in corners et cetera. These might include necessary acoustic devices such as low frequency traps and Helmholtz resonators in various critical locations, diffusion arrays along a wall. These reflective wall arrays might have drapes across them in order to quickly and effectively alter the room sound. Hanging acoustic ‘clouds’ might be used to create a more diffuse area at the recording console position. They might be installed in the ceiling area of the studio to make one area more live than another. Incorporating all these attributes into a pleasing design can be both a daunting and satisfying task.

With the advent of digital recording , via such computer based recording programs as ProTools® or Digital Performer®, the whole recording business has changed dramatically. What used to take a huge truck to deliver can now be fitted into the trunk of a compact car and literally set up on the kitchen table. In considering a home studio, the key word is versatility. That is, the studio should be capable of being a great drum room and, also, a fabulous room in which to record vocals, acoustics and/or electric guitars, in fact, anything you might consider recording. More important is the ability to record more than one instrument at a time. All these goals are entirely possible. The only question might be how well it does it? Each studio is different and we consider all aspects of each design - including acoustics, aesthetics, versatility, audio runs, HVAC and Electrical, not to forget budget, in order to come to the final concept.