BEIJING, CHINA: A significent investment in world-class design and top-flight technology, the studio was created by WSDG – Walters-Storyk Design Group, leading acousticians, studio and systems designers. Studio owner and Golden Melody Award-winning recording engineer, Li You joined forces with Wu Yongheng, (AKA Bei Bei, China’s top drummer and, record producer), and with leading pro audio exec. Lizzy Zhou, to address China’s rapidly expanding desire for pop and rock music.
In announcing the completion of 55TEC Recording Studios Li You said, “With China now acknowledged as the world’s second largest economy, we have seen a huge increase in the market for popular music. Over the past ten years a number of major artists have developed tremendously loyal followings here. China’s appreciation of recorded music is enjoying phenomenal growth. As our discretionary income increases, and as talented new artists create music that appeals to large numbers of fans, this time in our history appears ideal to establish a recording studio and record label to meet this demand.”
To insure their ability to create the highest quality recordings, Lizzy Zhou reached out to WSDG. “Founding partner, architect/acoustician John Storyk has a global reputation for outstanding studio design,” Zhou remarked. “WSDG studios are exemplary, from Jimi Hendrix’s historic Electric Lady in 1970 to NY’s Jungle City and Paul Epworth’s amazing The Church Studios in London, both of which are highlights of WSDG’s eleven TEC Award-winners list, made them our only choice.
“WSDG Partner/Project Manager Joshua Morris did an excellent job of coordinating this international project,” Zhou adds. “His experience and professionalism helped make a complex process extremely efficient and gratifying. WSDG Partner/Director of Design Renato Cipriano traveled from Brazil to perform the final room tuning, and the speakers in our Control Rooms sound absolutely incredible. We could not be happier with our beautiful new recording studio,” Zhou said.
Ensconced in the basement of an exquisite residential building in one of Beijing’s most exclusive quarters, the 5000 sq. ft. 55TEC complex is an incomparable showcase structured to meet the most sophisticated recording requirements. WSDG partner Sergio Molho reports that the 430 sq. Studio A Control Room has been precisely tuned to provide a superlative listening environment. Fabricated with extensive perforated wood and slotted metal wall and ceiling paneling, and highlighted by a handsome custom rear wall diffuser, the studio defines the term ‘world-class.’ A striking glass-framed image of a vintage Teletronix Compressor/Limiter tuning knob is positioned on the wall to the left of the console to balance the 7’ w x 6’ h soundproof window into the “exceptional musical” 500 sq. ft. Live Room. The 55TEC management team’s technical expertise enabled them to outfit their studio with superb equipment, including an API 1608 console, Quested Q412D, QSB118 and Barefoot MM35 speakers, Burl B80 Mothership, Pro Tools HDX, and a host of impressive outboard gear housed in a custom-built producers desk.
Mastering/Post Studio B’s 230 sq. ft. CR and 150 sq. ft. ISO room meet the same exacting acoustical standards. Studio B features an Apogee Symphony 64, Grace Design M905, Meyer Sound HD-1 and B&W Nautilus 801 Speakers and Jeff Rowland Amplifier.
“We were honored to have been selected to design this important new studio, and to have had the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to China’s thriving pro audio industry,” Sergio Molho said. “Li You, Bei Bei and Lizzy Zhou, have impressed us with both their enthusiasm and their realistic business plan. They have built a world-class studio, and they are developing an incredible group of artists. They share a deep affection for music, and they are fully committed to creating a meaningful place in China’s (and the world’s) musical community. We will watch their success with great interest and pride in having helped them create their wonderful new studio,” Molho concludes.
Photo Captions
1. 55TEC live room
2. 55TEC Control Room B
3. 55TEC Control Room A rear to front
4. 55TEC Live Room
5. 55TEC Control Room A front to rear
Photos by Mills Xu
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WSDG, a media facility design and consulting firm has collaborated on over 3500 audio /video facilities worldwide. Credits include Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios (1969); NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center and, Le Poisson Rouge; broadcast facilities for The Food Network, ESPN, and WNET; major education complexes for NYU, The Art Institutes and Berklee College of Music, Valencia and Boston (2015 TEC winner); and media rooms for such corporate clients as Hoffman La Roche and Sony. Studio projects include NYC’s Jungle City for award winning engineer, Ann Mincieli, Green Day, Jay-Z, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, and Paul Epworth’s The Church Studios (London). And, film composers Carter Burwell (US), A.R. Rahman (India). WSDG principals John Storyk, Beth Walters, Sergio Molho, Silvia Molho, Renato Cipriano, and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications. WSDG has collaborated with such noted architects as Frank Gehry, Norman Foster and Phillipe Stark. An eleven-time winner of the NAMM TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design, WSDG maintains offices in New York, Miami, Buenos Aires (Argentina), Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Basel (Switzerland), and representatives in Barcelona, Moscow, Guangzhou (China), Florence (Italy), Mexico City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
