Dec 1, 2004 12:00 PM, Compiled by Sarah Benzuly

Doug Sax, owner of The Mastering Lab in L.A., has opened a new two-room studio facility featuring a customized Acoustic Technology Company ATC SCM150A 5.1-channel monitor system. Located in Ojai, Calif., 75 miles northwest of L.A., the facility offers a unique design concept: There's no console between the listener and the speakers — including the rears. “If you have anything between you and the speaker, it's going to cause acoustic problems,” Sax explained. “You have to listen longer in surround. Psychologically, it really helps you concentrate as you're not looking at knobs and meters and all the stuff that might take you out of just listening.”

The monitoring system, comprising five ATC SCM150A loudspeakers and an ATC 15-inch subwoofer, is installed in a unique front wall. “The front three speakers are soffit-mounted,” Sax said, “but the soffit is not the full height of the room. We came up with this half-wall. Only a handful of clients have been up so far — I'm easing into it — and their response has been extremely positive.”

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