Montreal, Canada (January 19, 2024)—Toronto’s Massey Hall, the oldest concert hall in Canada, recently completed extensive renovations that included the construction of a new Dolby Atmos studio.
“Over the years, the wear and tear had become evident, prompting a monumental renovation project in 2013,” explains Doug McKendrick, vice president of production and technology of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. “This endeavor encompassed a comprehensive restoration of the hall itself and the construction of a new seven-story tower attached to the south side of Massey Hall, named the Allied Music Centre.” The new building houses a venue, a bar, a theatre and, on the seventh floor, the Deane Cameron Recording Studio, named in honor of the corporation’s late president and CEO.
The immersive monitoring setup presented the integration team with a challenge when mounting the heavy ATC speakers, which each weigh 66 lb., on the ceiling. Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer Eddie Kramer, who acts as an advisor for Massey Hall, recommended IsoAcoustics V120 ceiling mounts.
“I thought, how are we going to hang these heavy ATC SMC25A speakers from the ceiling?” Kramer reminisces. “We checked everywhere and couldn’t find anything that would give us the swivel and angles we would need for Dolby Atmos. I called Dave Morrison at IsoAcoustics and in a short time, we had a plan. With their can-do attitude and old-fashioned ingenuity, we had our solution. Secure, flexible and sounding amazing.”
IsoAcoustics Immersive Mounts Land at Coast Mastering
“We deliberately began our work without any IsoAcoustics Iso-Pucks installed to genuinely experience the room’s characteristics,” McKendrick says. “Then, we began isolating various elements. I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a difference it made; it notably cleared up some low-mid frequencies and generally improved the overall audio quality.”
McKendrick continues, “In my experience, when it came to fine-tuning the room, the Iso-Pucks played a crucial role in addressing certain issues even before we resorted to using measurement microphones and equalization. Being able to resolve problems without relying on EQ adjustments is a significant advantage and well worth the effort.”
The Deane Cameron Recording Studio can capture audio from Massey Hall and all venues in the Allied Music Centre via fiber optic connections. Additionally, the studio provides a live recording room and multiple isolation booths, giving upcoming artists a chance to record their visions with top-quality equipment.
