Creating the perfect recording environment at Superfreak Studios

In regards to the acoustics, ‘The Big Room’ proved to be an issue due to the large rectangular space. Eliminating escaped audio was of utmost importance, as many of the instruments used in the studio create natural overtones that block out subtle sounds created by other instruments. To ensure balance of sound, most of the ceiling was left untreated. A lower percentage of Quietspace Panel was used to cover the south wall, and the carpet was insulated with a thick underlay. After the installation had been completed, the rooms were acoustically tested and results indicated there were some extremely low frequencies resonating within the room – in particular 56hz. To resolve this issue, a bass trap was added to the south-west corner using 100mm thick Quietspace Panel, and an additional bass trap block was placed above the door. This cut down the 56hz resonance by 50%, which balanced the audio frequencies in the room.

 

Quietspace^® Panel overlaid with Vertiface^® decorative fabric was employed to control the acoustics. As Superfreak wanted to create a look that was totally unique, panel components for this project were hand cut using a lightening fabric cuter – a unique cutter that uses heat created by the rapid speed of the blade, melting the fabric to allow the blade to glide through and create precise cuts.  Quietspace Panel in 25mm and 50mm thicknesses were cut with extreme care to ensure a straight and square cut, allowing for seamless joinery and overlapping. “We needed to ensure that each individual panel was perfectly level and evenly spaced before placing the next panel over the top otherwise the whole pattern would be thrown out mid wall.” – Shannon de Bie. The details for creating this look were extremely intricate and the end result was contemporary and visually exciting.

The results of this project greatly exceeded all expectations. By using the custom cut Quietspace Panel, negative shadow in the spacing has created a dynamic effect and brought depth to the sound of the studio. Each studio room now holds a perfect combination of absorption and reflection, enabling the musicians to hear both instruments and vocals significantly better and clearer than before. By layering the 100mm and 50mm thick Quietspace Panel on top of each other in selected corners, Superfreak were able to control ultra-low frequencies with targeted absorption. This has allowed for bands and recording artists to push their performance without distortion being caused by excessive reverberation. As an acoustic engineer noticed when entering The Big Room, you can hear and feel that you have entered an incredibly well acoustically balanced room.