Russ Long
Based on a long list of factors—with cost being at the top of the list, but also including building code restrictions, spouse-imposed limitations (“We’re not building freaking Ocean Way in our backyard!”) and a few other factors, I’ve settled on my studio build project with a control room measuring 13 feet, 7 inches wide by 16 feet, 7 inches deep. So, it’s not as big as Ocean Way, but I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life sleeping on the couch. It will work just fine.
Those of you familiar with my product reviews and studio-based writings may know that I’m a long time fan of Auralex and its products. Besides being ultra-innovative and clever, Auralex is clearly committed to providing exceptional products that work remarkably well. It’s no surprise that so many of today’s top studio designers incorporate elements from the company’s product line in their designs.
In addition to that product line, Auralex offers Free Personalized Room Analysis which provides a full control room design for a specific area, utilizing Auralex products to create an accurate monitoring space in a room of virtually any size. Auralex does a fantastic job combining its four decades of acoustical experience with computer room analysis and other scientific tools. I’m excited to be moving forward with the plan their team created for me.
Notably, Auralex’s U-Boat Floor Floaters will float my floor, which is a top priority and, for most everyone, often the first step in effectively and affordably creating a top-notch control room. Built from a specially-formulated rubber compound with a unique shape optimized for structural integrity and acoustical filtering, the U-Boat Floor Floaters are Auralex’s proprietary channels used to support, isolate and decouple a floor from the surrounding structure. Auralex has assured me that my floated room will sound better because of improved transmission loss and increased low frequency definition.
But these U-Boats are just the beginning. I’ll be incorporating most of the design elements discussed in Eric Smith’s free Acoustics 101 booklet (readable by clicking here, a free download). Eric told me that legendary producer/engineer Michael Wagener called Acoustics 101 “his bible” when building his own WireWorld studio.
Russ Long is a Senior Contributor to Pro Sound News and a longstanding contributor of studio product reviews to Pro Audio Review.
