Recording Studio Design

The design, build and installation of studios is at the core of our business. Between our audio consultants we have many years of experience working in and subsequently designing & building studios of all shapes, sizes and budgets. Whilst many of our projects start from scratch we also regularly work on the conversion and upgrade of existing spaces for use as recording studios or other production environments.

We have designed, built and installed studios for recording, post-production, composition, production, mastering, podcasts, audiobooks, Dolby Atmos mixing, video game audio and education. The scale of our projects range from state-of-the-art multi-room commercial facilities to independent garden music rooms and our clientele includes the likes of Robbie Williams, Sony Music, Lorne Balfe, Royal College Of Music and Soundtree Music. Whilst much of our work remains throughout the UK, where we are based, we have worked on numerous projects across the world.

Our team are experienced in working across a wide variety of design briefs from the industry standard to the highly innovative. We communicate our ideas at each stage with elegant documentation, 3D models, renders, 2D plans, system schematics and presentation packs.

We are unique in our ability to work across all aspects of studio and system design, specification, installation, commissioning and maintenance. Our services regularly include:

• Pre-design consultations, noise surveys and feasibility studies;

• Spacial design and layout;

• Architectural design;

• Planning permission, listed building consent and building regulations;

• Sound insulation (or “soundproofing”) specification;

• Internal acoustic treatment design and specification;

• Ventilation and air conditioning consultation;

• Building service noise control;

• Lighting design;

• Studio ergonomics;

• Interior design, including technical furniture and joinery;

• Audio and video systems design and specification;

• Equipment specification, supply and installation;

• Dolby Atmos system design and configuration - Yellow Technology is 1 of only 3 Dolby Atmos Certified Service Partners in the UK;

• Network and data storage system design and integration;

• System installation, configuration and testing;

• System maintenance, support and futureproofing.

Key Decisions for Studio Designers

The design of a space is essential, not just to the acoustic performance of the room itself, but to the effective workflow of those that are using the facility. The rooms we work with are creative spaces, so form has an important place alongside function. We consider many areas:-

• What are the sound insulation (sometimes referred to as sound isolation) requirements? Do you need to keep sound in or out? What sound are you producing? What noises surround you? How important is total silence? Sometimes it is assumed that every studio needs to be perfectly isolated from its surroundings, whereas actually this is rare. Very high levels of sound insulation are also expensive, so a pragmatic approach is often required.

• Do you require dedicated live room or vocal booth? Or do the acoustics and workflow of the control room need to be flexible enough for all the recording and mixing to happening the same space?

• What will the room sound like? This is critical, of course, but by no means the same for everyone. For many mastering engineers, sonic accuracy at the listening position is everything; for composers or producers there may be a desire for more life or character in the space. So many factors affect the sound of a room - shape, size, furniture choices, equipment positioning, listening position, acoustic treatment, loudspeakers, stands, DSP etc. As such, great studio acoustics should always be designed in harmony with interiors, ergonomics and workflow.

• How do you work? What equipment do you need to be able to access and when? How do you spend most of your time? We need to understand the ergonomics of your workflow so that we can ensure everything is just where you want it and that nothing is impeding your workflow. This is often a combination of effective wiring systems and intelligent furniture and joinery design.

• What hardware and software do you use now, and how might that change in the future? We always try to build in some redundancy and expandability. Studios never stay the same for long. If a new, revolutionary piece of equipment comes along, you don’t want your studio to tell you you can’t take advantage of it.

• Will the control room be based around a mixing console or will the studio be centred around in-the-box DAW workflows?

• What is your budget? It is a popular misconception that we only work with big names and big budgets. We don’t. We work with established names and big corporations, but we also work with industry newcomers on very tight budgets. Either way, budget is important. We need to know what these parameters are in order that we can help to advise the most effective solution, allocating the budget in the most sensible way. And it’s rarely a one-off project. We frequently break down projects into smaller pieces in order to prioritise the most important elements.

• Do you have existing studio furniture you’d like us to incorporate into the design or you starting from scratch?

• How do you want it to look? Is natural light important? Perhaps variable mood lighting is your priority? Do you want it to look like a traditional studio or is a cosy living room vibe more conducive to creativity? As a creative space, you have to like being in it. We have built hundreds of studios, not all of which fit with our own aesthetic preferences! It’s about you, and we never forget that.