In Mix’s annual look at studio design, we present some of the most exciting new or refurbished recording studios that have opened during the past year. Included are innovative new workspaces for composers, musicians, engineers and producers all around the globe, presented in random order. Don’t pass up Part One, Part Two and Part Three!
The Mastering Palace North | White Plains, N.Y.
Pilchner Schoustal International
Designed by Pilchner Schoustal International for Dolby Atmos and outfitted with a custom Northward Systems mastering console Type S, the Mastering Palace’s room dimensions were specifically laid out to both accommodate the Kali Audio immersive monitor positions and achieve good standing-wave characteristics for the ATC main stereo speakers. Pro Audio Design’s Dave Malekpour provided gear integration. The room’s outer shell minimizes modal resonances while the inner shell provides specular absorption and LF damping for all the mid-field speaker positions.
Construction was by Chris Harmaty. Overall, the design meets the requirement for uniform energy decay characteristics and excellent specular reflection suppression to provide the smooth and neutral listening conditions critical to a mastering environment. The unique rear wall features a quadratic residence sequenced record shelf—repurposed from a previous build—with full-depth, wide-band absorbers positioned above, below and behind to provide mid/high band diffusion.
Bnyx Studio | Los Angeles, Calif.
Sunset Audio Solutions & Carl Yanchar
Rich Avrach of Sunset Audio Solutions, working with Carl Yanchar, completed a two-room studio for hip-hop producer and songwriter Bnyx (Benny X) at the end of 2024, providing overall studio design with an emphasis on acoustics. Sunset Audio custom-designed and built nearly all acoustic treatments, including the invisible STC door and clouds, to go with ACS Tube Traps in the corners and custom-printed panels on the rear wall. Acoustic treatment also includes perforated wall panels with insulation behind and a large bass trap at the front of the room; Sunset designed and built the keyboard wall. Main monitoring in the control room is a pair of speakers from German manufacturer Geithain. The second space doubles as a producer room and live room.
Zach Foty Music | Minneapolis, Minn.
HdAcoustics, Jeff Hedback
Opened in June 2024, this 750-square-foot new build was a collaboration between the client, independent music producer Zach Foty, Jeff Hedback of HdAcoustics, and CityDesk Studios, which handled the building and exterior designs, with lead builder Josh Freitas. Form follows function, with the design focused on Foty’s main requirement for visually connected control and live rooms, which, combined with his wish for lots of natural light, dictated the careful positioning and angling of the access doors, control room sidewall windows and the live room window to work with Hedback’s acoustical systems.
The acoustical slat wall pattern, a Hedback signature feature, is a dominant visual theme and is the facing of a variety of porous broadband and low-frequency tuned devices sized and shaped for function throughout the audio spectrum. These systems are finished with natural wood tones and light fabric.
BrightFrame Studios | New Orleans, La.
Ceephis with RSPE Audio Solutions
BrightFrame Studios opened a new, multi-room, networked facility in New Orleans in November 2024 (the company also operates a Los Angeles studio) that features a 9.1.4 Atmos room powered by PMC speakers and Avid technology, including an S6 console. RSPE Audio Solutions provided studio design, working with facility owner Erick Bardales, as well as integration. The complex also hosts comprehensive broadcast capabilities, with three TV filming sets for news, talk shows and other needs, complete with an LED wall and networked audio, video and lighting, and up to four podcast filming sets. The studio’s facilities are connected to a broadcast room housing Avid, Allen & Heath and Blackmagic Design technologies.
