Project Description
Overview
A fixture of American philanthropic, disaster relief, spiritual and charitable outreach since 1880, the Salvation Army has been saving souls, serving the unfortunate and performing uplifting music for over 150 years. The original rehearsal studio and video CR had served the SA’s Eastern Territory Headquarters well, but it had outlived its initial purpose. A comprehensive update was vital to ready it for next-generation service, and WSDG was called in to redesign the complex.
Program
The 2200 sq. ft. 9’ high complex had been used primarily as a rehearsal studio for SA brass bands, and as a video production studio for short interviews and documentaries. A 180 sq. ft. Control Room was positioned between the 1500 sq. ft. rehearsal room and a 550 sq. ft. Studio B. A total rethinking of the existing space was required to accommodate a state of the art recording studio
Design
WSDG Project Manager, Matthew Ballos played a key roll throughout the studio’s planning and reconstruction. His initial site visit produced a strong design program, which maintained the original configuration but totally repurposed the rooms. The new audio CR is outfitted with Pro Tools HDX, 64 Tracks of audio inputs, Adam A7X & Auratone Speakers, and an impressive collection of plug-ins and outboard gear. Because SA Chief Engineer/Project Manager, Phil Bulla works ‘outside the box’, no console was required. 1500 sq. ft. Live Studio A features a custom-designed ceiling cloud comprised of twenty-eight precisely calibrated and discretely angled ‘floating’ acoustic panels each providing unique absorption and scattering properties. The 550 sq. ft. Studio B is outfitted with sliding recycled wood “barn” doors as an elegant variable acoustic solution for smaller string, horn and vocal sessions. Contractor Kevin Carroll’s Studios By Sonic constructed flawless acoustic isolation throughout the complex. The ceiling treatments and variable acoustic wall installations provide the SA with an ideal recording environment.