RECORDING November 2024 - 46

Inside the
Studio
with Mark Hornsby
Herman Miller
Embody Chair at
Crossway Studio
Photo courtesy of
Russ Berger
Design Group
Creating
W
vibe
a
hen considering this issue's studio upgrade theme, one suggestion was to
write about the studio, not the gear-the furniture, the coffee machine, the
décor-all the things that make a studio a " hang. "
At first, I wasn't sure; studios are all about the gear, and as a studio designer, at the
very least (or most, I might argue), the acoustics. But the more I pondered it, the more I
thought this was a worthwhile discussion.
It's About the Vibe
When designing a studio, acoustics is only half the equation, and gear might be even
less-wait, what? As producers and engineers, we are gear freaks. However, you may be
surprised that your typical songwriter, performing artist and most musicians, vocalists and
composers don't care about the mics, speakers, bass traps or the latest plugin you bought.
They care about the vibe and the end result. Many artists are more concerned with the coffee,
the lounge, the lighting and possibly even more importantly, the bathrooms.
Where Do I Park?
There was a survey years ago in a New York City trade where local musicians ranked
New York's recording studios from top to bottom. While I don't remember which studio
came out on top, I do remember why it did. All the orchestral musicians who worked there
on the bigger film and TV projects loved that the studio had:
A: Big, Clean Bathrooms
B: Good Parking
I know, I know, we all the love the gear, but customers remember the vibe. With that said,
here's some considerations for creating your own temple of tone that feels as good as it sounds.
46 RECORDING November 2024
Colors
Let's talk about colors. The world
of prefabricated acoustic panels has
come a long way. For years, the only
option we had was gray foam. Not
only does gray foam not perform well,
it's doesn't age well. Nothing is more
uninspiring than a studio covered from
head to toe in this stuff, often on equally
uninspiring " dirty " white walls.
That said, I'm not against unassuming
neutral colors; just consider integrating
complementing colors and mixing them
up. Mix gray with beige, an off-white
base and some natural wood furniture;
now you have a warm and timeless look.
Another thing you want to avoid is
the use of bright colors like red, yellow
or blue. These are great accent
colors, but it can become obnoxious
when you start covering entire walls
with these " bold " choices. I can't tell
you how many times we've been hired
to undo a color palette that someone
used while chasing a fad.
Audio equipment and musical instruments
come in a wide variety of colors,
so focus on creating an organic backdrop
for all your expensive toys. Your
studio should feel like an extension of
the house, not like you're walking into
your kid's bedroom or, worse, your old
college dorm room.
Another misguided trend is covering
up or removing windows. Natural light

RECORDING November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of RECORDING November 2024