Project Description
Overview
For over 130 years, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has reigned as one of the world’s greatest classical music ensembles. In a move to upgrade their recording, broadcast and streaming capabilities, CSO commissioned leading recording engineer/producers Tim Martyn and Shawn Murphy to form a design team to revamp the control room which has long served as the CSO’s technical hub.
Program
Cognizant of the compressed time frame and technical constraints of the project, Martyn and Murphy turned to WSDG as architectural and acoustical collaborators. An initial site visit to CSO’s 320 SF control room immediately inspired a key design decision. The most effective path to reconfiguring this 16’ wide x 20’ long room was to change its orientation from center line (rear wall) access to right rear corner. Shifting the position of the entrance enabled a dramatic improvement of the ‘sweet spot.’ It also introduced a comfortable client work area, and developed additional space to accommodate CSO’s thriving CD duplication service.
Design
Created to accommodate live recording, broadcast, streaming post-production and duplication services, the new CSO control room and recording system features Merging Technologies’ Pyramix DAWs and Horus Mic preamps and converters; a Yamaha DM2000 console; B&W and Classé Monitors and power amplifiers. In addition to creating a custom suspended ceiling cloud and wall treatments, WSDG supervised custom millwork for the mixing desk and related cabinetry. Reorienting the entrance door to the rear, right hand side of the room dramatically increased the functionality of the space. The new ceiling and wall treatments created a handsome, highly professional working environment with finely tuned acoustics that fully support the classical music mixing
Testimonial
Marc Geelhoed | Chicago Symphony Orchestra Room
Chief
“We could not be more pleased with the vastly improved appearance and functionality of our redesigned control room,…Tim Martyn and Shawn Murphy coordinated a remarkable team effort. Our new WSDG room is a success on every level. Our listeners and fans will clearly benefit as much as our technical staff from this new facility.”