Project Description

Overview

When Grammy Award-winning producer Robert Margouelff and his partner Brant Biles acquired the former home of actor Bela (Dracula) Lugosi as the site of their new Mi Casa Studios, a feature film DVD mastering facility, their primary priorities were pristine sound environments in each of the three studios and that the facility remain totally unobtrusive and remain a good and valued neighbor in its residential setting.

Program

Mi Casa features three individual studios and two high-end 5.1 home theaters. The “Living Room” and “Dining room” are dedicated to mixing audio for such high profile movies as “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”, “The Two Towers”, “Goldmember”, “Dirty Dancing”, “Se7en”, and “Elf”. “The Study” is a dedicated pre/post-production suite. Mi Casa was nominated for two Outstanding Creative Achievements by the Technical Excellence and Creativity Awards in the category of Studio Design Project in 2003.

Acoustics

WSDG achieved optimum isolation for each of the three rooms with the introduction of precisely positioned sloping monoliths, modex attenuators, and ceiling clouds.  To insure against sound leakage to or from the studios, the French windows were isolated with three separate layers of glass.  With a focus on preserving and complimenting the original details of this classic 1928 Spanish Revival home, WSDG created acoustic isolation and internal room solutions which take advantage of the intimate scale of the original rooms and respect the ergomonic requirements of this audio production environment.

Technology

Studio A: The Living Room

  • Genelec 1032a Main Surrounds
  • Genelec 1031 () for Center Surround (Mono)
  • JBL 4645 18″ Sub w. custom x-over
  • JBL Amp 1200 watts
  • Console: Sony DMX-R100
  • Workstation: Saide 24/96 3 card 24 track system
  • TC Electronic 6000 w/all plug ins
  • Junger Orion 6.1 Compressor/limiter
  • 64×64 Z Systems switcher
  • Z systems Sample rate Converter
  • RTW Multichannel mastering meter
  • Tape Machines 2 Da-98 Hr’s
  • Video Monitor: Pioneer Elite
  • Video Hard Drive: Doremi V1/Sony A510 Digibeta

Studio B: The Dining Room

  • JBL LSR28 w/ LSR Speakers: 12p sub
  • Console: Sony DMX-R100
  • Workstation:Saide 24/96 3 card 24 track system
  • Declick Etc
  • TC Electronic 6000 w/ all plug ins
  • TC Finalizer X2
  • 64×64 Z Systems Switcher
  • D&K Multichannel Mastering Meter
  • Tape Machines 2 Da-98 Hrs
  • Encoders: Digital Audio Encoder Dp 569 X2
  • Dolby Surround Encoder Dp 563
  • DTS Cae-4 encoder
  • E175-01 DVD Time Code Controller
  • Decoders: Dolby Digital Audio Decoder Dp562
  • DTS Cad-4 Studio Decoder
  • Video Monitor: Vidikron B2200
  • Video Hard Drive: Doremi V/Sony A510 Deig Beta

Studio C: The Study

  • QC Pre & Post
  • Speakers: Meyer Hm1 w/sub 6.1
  • Console: Sadie Fader Pack w/ Jog Wheel
  • Workstation Sadie Artemis 3 card 24 track system
  • Tape Machines: 2 Da-98 Hrs
  • Outboard: 64×64 Z Systems Switcher
  • Lexicon MC 12 Digital Controller
  • Video Monitor: Princeton HD Wide Screen
  • Video Hard Drive: Doremi V1/Sony A510 Digibeta

Links

Read article in Audio Media Magazine, December 2010 (PDF).