Audio post-production company audioEngine recently unveiled StudioD, its new 5.1 mixing and recording studio.
The facility’s fourth room, home to mixer/co-owner Rex Recker(pictured), was designed by Jim Maher of Soundhouse Design, who createda “mixer-in-the-round” environment. The setup features aspecially designed console placing the mixer in the center of the spacewith seats on all sides. Mixing, recording and editing is centered on aDigidesign Pro Tools|HD3 system.
Studio D’s construction marks one of the first times Dolby hasworked hand-in-hand with a commercial audio company to create a100-percent Dolby-approved 5.1 studio. Placement of the vocal booth inthe front of the room made correct implementation of the Dolby SurroundSystem a major issue for the design team. When the booth is invoice-over mode, the 5×7-foot glass is in view. When the surroundsession begins, the center speaker is raised into position on amotorized platform that includes a false wall with all of theacoustical absorption to equal the right and left speakerenvironment.
To deal with light management for screening projects in the naturallight-filled space, designers installed mechanized screens that closeand open at the touch of a button. Acoustical reflections in thecontrol room and vocal booth were handled by covering the windows with7-foot-tall clear Plexiglas diffusers. Studio D also features a 9-footcherry wood “wave wall” to diffuse sound.
Hardware and software includes products from Lexicon, TCElectronics, AMS Neve, Dolby, Waves, Wave Mechanics, Focusrite, BombFactory, McDSP and Digidesign. Audio is monitored through a 5.1 mainsystem comprising JBL cinema speakers powered by Crown and Hafleramplifiers. The main system is managed by a DBX Drive Rack system, andalternate monitoring is by way of KRK V4s for near-field stereo and thebuilt-in speakers of Sony’s KV-32HS510 for consumer televisionreference. Picture is integrated via Digidesign’s AVXL option,allowing for NTSC or PAL video at resolutions scaleable from 20:1 touncompressed 1:1 rations. Picture is projected onto a Stewart Greyhawkmicro-perforated screen by a JVC DLA-SX21 DILA projector.
View some of audioEngine’s latest work at www.audioengine.net.
