BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA UNVEILS WSDG-REDESIGNED CONTROL ROOM
Nick Squire, Chief Audio Engineer, BSO / Andres Simon (seated), Principal Conductor, BSO / John Storyk, Principal and Founder of WSDG / Chris Ruigomez, Director of Operations, BSO / Shawn Murphy, Grammy Award Winning Audio Engineer
A cultural icon for 134 years, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is world-renowned for the excellence and diversity of its performances. After more than 45 years of service in the broadcast and recording of thousands of concerts, the Symphony Hall’s Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft Control Room has earned a major upgrade.
In 2014, BSO Director of Concert Operations Christopher W. Ruigomez, recording engineer Nick Squire, and Grammy Award-winning Senior Engineer/Technical Director for BSO’s Tanglewood Festival Tim Martyn convened to discuss the control room overhaul.
“The BSO’s 400 square-foot control room had been in constant service since 1970,” said WSDG Project Manager Matthew Ballos. “During our initial site visit, our team performed extensive measurements and acoustic tests and began to devise a program that both enhances the CR’s functionality and future-proofs it to meet the rapidly shifting 21st century technology requirements.”
Boston Symphony Orchestra Control Room, designed by WSDG. Photo: Cheryl Fleming
A ground-up acoustic treatment solution was developed, which included splayed perforated wood panels, slotted wood panels, wood diffusion planks and low-frequency absorption units. A new custom ceiling cloud was installed. The WSDG team also designed four new producer workstations and two up-facing equipment racks that can be rolled out of the way when not in use.
The WSDG and BSO team were in agreement that the existing Yamaha DM2000 console still offered years of service. Thanks to a generous contribution by Bowers and Wilkins, the CR now features a 5.2 surround system, consisting of 802S mains and 805D surrounds.
“The space was stripped to the bare walls, and the entire room experience was refreshed and modernized while fully respecting the BSO and Deutsche Grammophon legacy. This room is now equipped to provide many more years of service,” Ballos says.
