Audio 401

Topic Handout

Studio Design
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Table of Contents
Studio Design ___________________________________________1
Control Room Design History ____________________________1
The Live End Dead End Concept ________________________1
L.E.D.E. Characteristics _____________________________2
Universal Concepts in Control Room Design _____________3
Universal Concepts in Live Room Design _________________4

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 Studio Design
Control Room Design History

Pre Late 1960’s

• Small control rooms (colouration).
• Mono Recordings.
• Philosophy of ‘best critical judgement’ led to extended use of absorbing
materials and a resulting non-reverberant environment (RT60 of less than
0.2 seconds).
• Oppressing mixing environment.

1970’s
• Important studies in acoustics (Tom Hidley / Don Davis).
• Stereo recordings.
• Control room expanded partially to accommodate a larger mixing
console / new equipment.
• Attention paid to coloration (non-parallel surfaces / L-R symmetry).
• Different shapes / Materials (e.g. stone walls).
• Flush mounted monitors.

1980’s
• LEDE dominates the industry.

1990’s
• Scattering / Control rooms more reflective.
• Surround.

The Live End Dead End Concept

• Concept presented by Don Davis on 1977 - Article in the Synergetic Audio

Concepts Newsletter.
• Study of early reflections (reflections arriving within 20ms of the direct
sound may affect transparency at critical listening position – live x control
room initial time delay gap).
• Level of early reflections dictate absorption (-20dB for 20ms early
reflections may be acceptable).
• Chips Davis (not related to Don Davis) - Studio in Las Vegas (first L.E.D.E.
room).

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 L.E.D.E. Characteristics
Sound originates at a non-reflective front of the room and is directed to the
rear were reflections are scattered (diffused) and complement the direct
sound with appropriate pre-delay (reverberation time may be increased)
L.E.D.E. Criteria:
• (Low frequency non-symmetrical) outer shell, free of pronounced
resonances at low frequencies
• Symmetrical inner shell (L-R)
• Effectively anechoic path between the monitor loudspeakers and the
mixer's ears (that extends for at least 2 to 5 ms beyond the studio's initial
time delay gap)
• Highly diffused sound field during the initial onset of the so-called Haas
Effect
• Monitor loudspeakers and mixing console do not interfere with anechoic
path
• No early-early-sound is present. This is sound that arrives at the mixer's ears
ahead of the direct sound travelling through the air. EES occurs when
monitor loudspeakers are not shock-mounted and therefore radiate
through the structure and re-radiate through the air, usually from the
ceiling near the listener
• The hard surfaced rear wall s are so spaced temporarily as to provide inter-
woven comb-filter patterns that become a high density early sound field
without measurable anomalies

Reflection Free Zone (RFZ)

• A listening area with no early reflections (equivalent to anechoic path)
• Used to prevent colourations avoiding interaction between reflections and
direct sound (comb filtering).
• Provides definition and good stereo imaging

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Tom Hiddley Room
• Front wall: Hard reflective surface with flush-mount speakers
• Side walls, rear walls, ceiling and floor: Very absorbent at all frequencies

ESS (Early Sound Scattering)

(Similar to Hiddley and Rettinger rooms of the 70s)
• A room in which the reflections are so random that they have do not add
any ‘character’ to the sound. Instead of a ‘dead end’, the area around
the flush-mounted monitors is covered with diffusers to create a diffuse
sound field in the listening position.
• The body of the room is absorbent [LF absorption provided by membrane
absorbers].

Universal Concepts in Control Room Design

Parallel Surfaces
Generally avoided to prevent standing waves and flutter echoes (when a sound
reflects between two parallel walls and a fast, repetitive echo is heard)

Room Size and Symmetry

• Smaller rooms have more pronounced room modes
• Larger rooms = greater modal density
• L-R symmetry maintains even stereo image (acoustic treatment, shape
and equipment within the room)

Room Shape
• Polygonal shapes are preferred (spaces may start out as rectangular and
be modified)
• Outer shell (i.e. structural) of the studio must be heavy, solid and with high
STC rating.
• Inner shell provides ideal acoustic space
• Corners may be removed via the use panels or poly absorbers/diffusers.
• Flush mounted monitors modify the front corner

Speakers
Monitors should not be placed very near to sidewalls, as the very early reflections
produced may cause comb filtering.

Flush mounted speakers:

 Avoid the generation of early reflection from the front walls (no very early
reflections)
 Provide increased LF response
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Note: vibration isolation can be achieved using either rubber or dense foam).

Studio monitors are also found:

 Placed on floor stands or shelves (stand/shelf should be isolated from the
floor/walls using rubber etc.)
 Hung from the ceiling (hanging material should provide vibration isolation)

Console
Consoles can be a source of early reflections and cause comb filtering.
Possible solutions:
• Angle of the console may be increased.
• Monitors may be placed as low as possible.

Universal Concepts in Live Room Design

Live room design allows for a significant degree of experimentation:

Classical Music
• Conventionally balanced groups.
• Performance space constitutes an important part of the performance.
• Size and shape of the studio must allow musicians to hear each other
clearly in order to maintain level balance.
• Orchestral musicians require a minimum of 2-3 metres squared of floor
space each.
• Walls should not be too close.
• High ceilings are best (9 – 10 m) providing reflections after a suitable delay.
• General range – 10000 m3 for symphonic studios and 1000 m3 for small
chamber studios.
• Optimum reverberation time may be dictated by the music style.
• Diffusion more important than absorption.
• Two schools of thoughts on shape of reverberation time/frequency
characteristics: flat curve / Rise at low frequencies (warmth / concert hall)

Pop Music
• Natural acoustics of rooms not as significant but still dictated by style.
• Multi-tracking (simultaneous) may require a less reverberant environment
(absence of conventional balance).
• Close microphone techniques and separation (screens) used to isolate
instruments.
• Overdubbing allows for different environments to be explored.

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