Book Description
Recording Studio Design is essential reading for anyone involved in building, renovating and maintaining recording studios. Good acoustics in a recording studio is crucial to the success of a project, and the financial implications of failure means getting things right first time is essential. In straightforward language Newell covers the key basic principles of acoustics, electro-acoustics and psychoacoustics and their application to studio design. Fully updated to reflect current technology and practice additional sections include digital signal processing, design for soundtrack mixing and foley rooms, providing a complete reference offering real solutions to help improve the success rate of any studio.
*Provides great detail on the practical recording application in various acoustic environments
*Complex issues are explained and real solutions provided
*Benifit from Newell's years of experience, designing over 200 studios including Manor and Town House Studios
Table of Contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- About the author
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Preface to Second Edition
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: General requirements and common errors
- 1.1. The general requirements
- 1.2. Sound isolation and background noise levels
- 1.2.1 From the inside out
- 1.2.2 From the outside in
- 1.2.3 Realistic goals
- 1.2.4 Isolation versus artistry
- 1.3. Confidence in the system
- 1.4. The complete system
- 1.5. Very common mistakes
- 1.5.1 The need for space
- 1.5.2 Height
- 1.5.3 Floor loading
- 1.6. Summary
- Chapter 2: Sound, decibels and hearing
- 2.1. Perception of sound
- 2.2. Sound itself
- 2.3. The decibel; sound power, sound pressure and sound intensity
- 2.3.1 The dBA and dBC scales
- 2.4. Human hearing
- 2.4.1 Chacun A Son Oreille
- 2.5. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 3: Sound isolation
- 3.1. Vibrational behaviour
- 3.1.1 Relevance to isolation
- 3.2. Basic isolation concepts
- 3.2.1 Damping and the mass law
- 3.2.2 Floating structures
- 3.2.3 Floating system choices
- 3.3. Practical floors
- 3.3.1 Floors on weak sub-floors
- 3.4. Ceiling isolation
- 3.4.1 A trip through the ceiling
- 3.5. Summing the results
- 3.5.1 Internal reflexions
- 3.6. Wall isolation
- 3.7. Lighter weight isolation systems
- 3.8. Reciprocity and impact noises
- 3.9. The distance option
- 3.10. Discussion and analysis
- 3.10.1 Fibrous and cellular springs – thicknesses and densities
- 3.10.2 The general situation with masses and springs
- 3.10.3 Measured characteristics of various suspension materials
- 3.10.4 Calculation of resonance frequency
- 3.11. Summary
- Reference
- Bibliography
- Chapter 4: Room acoustics and means of control
- 4.1. Internal expansion
- 4.2. Modes
- 4.3. Flutter echoes and transient phenomena
- 4.4. Reverberation
- 4.4.1 Measuring reverberation time
- 4.5. Absorption
- 4.5.1 Speed of sound in gases
- 4.5.2 Other properties of fibrous materials
- 4.5.3 Absorption coefficients
- 4.5.4 Porous absorption
- 4.5.5 Resonant absorbers
- 4.5.6 Membrane absorbers
- 4.6. Q and damping
- 4.7. Diffusion
- 4.8. Diffraction
- 4.9. Refraction
- 4.10. Review
- 4.11. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 5: Designing neutral rooms
- 5.1. Background
- 5.2. Large neutral rooms
- 5.3. Practical realisation of a neutral room
- 5.3.1 Floors
- 5.3.2 Shapes, sizes and modes
- 5.3.3 From isolation shell towards neutrality
- 5.3.4 Lower frequency control
- 5.3.5 Relative merits of neutrality and idiosyncrasy
- 5.4. What is parallel?
- 5.5. Reflexions, reverberation and diffusion
- 5.6. Floor and ceiling considerations
- 5.7. Wall treatments
- 5.8. Small and neutral
- 5.8.1 Practical constructions
- 5.8.2 The journey of the sound waves
- 5.8.3 The pressure zone
- 5.8.4 Wall losses
- 5.8.5 Transfer of sound between high and low densities
- 5.8.6 Combined effects of losses
- 5.8.7 A micro-problem
- 5.9. Trims
- 5.10. The degree of neutrality – an overview
- 5.11. Dialogue recording rooms
- 5.12. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 6: Rooms with characteristic acoustics
- 6.1. Definitions
- 6.2. A brief history of idiosyncrasy
- 6.2.1 From a room to a classic
- 6.2.2 Limited, or priceless?
- 6.3. Drawbacks of the containment shells
- 6.4. Design considerations
- 6.4.1 Room character differences
- 6.5. Driving and collecting the rooms
- 6.6. Evolution of stone rooms
- 6.6.1 Construction options
- 6.7. Live versus electronic reverberation
- 6.8. The 20% rule
- 6.9. Reverberant rooms and bright rooms – reflexion and diffusion
- 6.9.1 Bright rooms
- 6.10. Low frequency considerations in live rooms
- 6.11. General comments on live rooms
- 6.12. Orchestral rooms
- 6.12.1 Choice of venues, and musicians’ needs
- 6.13. RT considerations
- 6.14. Fixed studio environments
- 6.15. Psychoacoustic considerations and spacial awareness
- 6.16. Dead rooms
- 6.17. Foley rooms
- 6.18. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 7: Variable acoustics
- 7.1. The geometry of change
- 7.2. Small room considerations
- 7.3. Summary
- Chapter 8: Room combinations and operational considerations
- 8.1. Options and influences
- 8.1.1 Demands from control rooms
- 8.2. Layout of rooms
- 8.2.1 Priorities and practice
- 8.3. Isolation considerations: doors and windows
- 8.3.1 Sliding doors
- 8.3.2 Window systems
- 8.3.3 Multiple glazing considerations
- 8.3.4 High degrees of isolation
- 8.4. The Geddes approach
- 8.5. Recording techniques for limited acoustics
- 8.5.1 Moving musicians and changing microphones
- 8.6. A compact studio
- 8.7. Review
- 8.8. Typical isolation door construction
- 8.9. Summary
- References
- Chapter 9: The studio environment
- 9.1. Some human needs
- 9.1.1 Daylight
- 9.1.2 Artificial light
- 9.1.3 Ease and comfort
- 9.2. Ventilation and air-conditioning
- 9.2.1 Ventilation
- 9.2.2 Air-conditioning systems and general mechanical noises
- 9.3. Headphone foldback
- 9.3.1 Loudspeaker foldback
- 9.4. Colours, and general decoration
- 9.5. AC mains supplies
- 9.5.1 Phase
- 9.5.2 Power cabling
- 9.5.3 Balanced power
- 9.5.4 Mains feeds
- 9.5.5 Earthing
- 9.6. Summary
- Reference
- Chapter 10: Limitations to design predictions
- 10.1. Room responses
- 10.1.1 The envelope of the impulse response, and reverberation time
- 10.1.2 Schroeder plots
- 10.1.3 Energy/time curves
- 10.1.4 Waterfall plots
- 10.1.5 Directional effects
- 10.2. Scale models
- 10.3. Computer models
- 10.4. Sound pulse modelling
- 10.5. Light ray modelling
- 10.6. Ripple tank modelling
- 10.7. Measurement of absorption coefficients
- 10.8. Review
- 10.9. Summary
- References
- Chapter 11: Loudspeakers in rooms
- 11.1. From the studio to the control room
- 11.2. Room influences
- 11.2.1 Radiation patterns
- 11.2.2 Loading by boundaries
- 11.2.3 Dipole considerations
- 11.2.4 Diffraction sources
- 11.3. Room reverberation and the critical distance
- 11.4. Sound power radiation
- 11.5. Corrective measures
- 11.5.1 Minimum and non-minimum phase
- 11.5.2 Digital correction techniques
- 11.5.3 Related problems in loudspeakers
- 11.5.4 Summary of correct applications of equalisation
- 11.5.5 The modulation transfer function and its implications for electronic room correction
- 11.5.6 Electronic bass-traps
- 11.6. Phase and time
- 11.7. The black art
- 11.8. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 12: Flattening the room response
- 12.1. Electronic correction concerns
- 12.2. The standard room
- 12.2.1 Beyond the standard room
- 12.3. The anechoic chamber
- 12.4. The hybrid room
- 12.5. A BBC solution
- 12.6. On listening rooms in general
- 12.7. Close-field monitoring
- 12.8. Summary
- References
- Chapter 13: Control rooms
- 13.1. The advent of specialised control rooms
- 13.1.1 Geometrically controlled rooms
- 13.1.2 Directional dual acoustics
- 13.1.3 The LEDE
- 13.1.4 The Non-Environment
- 13.1.5 Toyoshima rooms
- 13.2. Built-in monitors
- 13.3. Directional acoustics
- 13.4. Scaling problems
- 13.5. The pressure zone
- 13.6. One system
- 13.7. Aspects of small control room designs
- 13.7.1 Conflicting requirements
- 13.7.2 Active absorbers
- 13.8. A short overview
- 13.9. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 14: The behaviour of multiple loudspeakers in rooms
- 14.1. Mono sources
- 14.2. Stereo sources
- 14.3. Steady-state performance
- 14.4. Transient considerations
- 14.5. The pan-pot dilemma
- 14.6. Limitations, exceptions and multi-channel considerations
- 14.7. Surround in practice
- 14.8. A general view
- 14.9. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 15: Studio monitoring: the principal objectives
- 15.1. The forces at work
- 15.2. Where is the reference?
- 15.3. Different needs
- 15.4. What is right?
- 15.5. Close-field monitoring
- 15.6. Why the NS10M?
- 15.7. General needs
- 15.8. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 16: The Non-Environment control room
- 16.1. Introduction
- 16.2. Sources of uncertainty
- 16.3. Removing a variable
- 16.4. Limitations, real and imaginary
- 16.5. Spacial anomalies
- 16.6. Solutions
- 16.7. Stereo imaging constraints
- 16.8. The concept of stereo as currently used
- 16.9. Conflicts and definitions
- 16.10. A parallel issue
- 16.11. Prior art and established ideas
- 16.12. The zero option – the origins of the philosophy
- 16.13. Summary
- References
- Chapter 17: The Live-End, Dead-End approach
- 17.1. First impressions
- 17.2. A window of objectivity
- 17.3. Working and listening environments
- 17.4. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 18: Response disturbances due to mixing consoles and studio furniture
- 18.1. The sound of mixing consoles
- 18.2. Equipment racks
- 18.3. Computer and video monitoring
- 18.4. Sofas
- 18.5. Effects and equipment racks
- 18.6. Close-field monitors
- 18.7. General commentary
- 18.8. Summary
- Bibliography
- Chapter 19: Objective measurement and subjective evaluations
- 19.1. Objective testing
- 19.1.1 Pressure amplitude responses
- 19.1.2 Harmonic distortion
- 19.1.3 Directivity
- 19.1.4 Acoustic source
- 19.1.5 Step-function response
- 19.1.6 The power cepstrum
- 19.2. The on-axis pressure amplitude response
- 19.3. Harmonic distortion
- 19.3.1 Intermodulation distortion
- 19.4. Directivity – off-axis frequency responses
- 19.5. Acoustic source
- 19.6. Step-function responses
- 19.7. Power cepstra
- 19.8. Waterfalls
- 19.9. General discussion of results
- 19.10. The enigmatic NS10
- 19.11. The NS10M – a more objective view
- 19.11.1 Specifications and measurements
- 19.11.2 Discussion of results vis-à-vis subjective perception
- 19.11.3 Conclusions
- 19.12. The noise of conflict
- 19.13. Summary
- References
- Chapter 20: Studio monitoring systems
- 20.1. The constituents of the system
- 20.2. Console monitor circuitry
- 20.3. Audio cables and connectors
- 20.4. Monitor amplifiers
- 20.5. Loudspeaker cables
- 20.6. Crossovers
- 20.6.1 Passive crossovers
- 20.6.2 Active crossovers
- 20.6.3 Crossover characteristics
- 20.6.4 Slopes and shapes
- 20.6.5 Digital crossovers
- 20.7. Loudspeaker cabinets
- 20.7.1 Cabinet mounting
- 20.7.2 Cabinet concepts
- 20.7.3 Mounting practices and bass roll-offs
- 20.8. Loudspeaker drive units
- 20.8.1 Low frequency driver considerations
- 20.8.2 Efficiency and sensitivity
- 20.8.3 Magnet systems and cone materials
- 20.8.4 High frequency loudspeakers
- 20.8.5 Mid-range loudspeaker
- 20.8.5.1 Cone drivers
- 20.8.5.2 Dome drivers
- 20.8.5.3 Mid-range horn loudspeakers
- 20.9. Review
- 20.10. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 21: Surround sound and control rooms
- 21.1. Surround in the cinemas
- 21.2. TV surround
- 21.3. Music-only surround
- 21.4. An interim conclusion
- 21.5. The psychoacoustics of surround sound
- 21.6. Rear channel concepts
- 21.7. Perceived responses
- 21.7.1 The simple discrete source
- 21.7.2 The multiple distributed source
- 21.7.3 Dipole surround loudspeakers
- 21.7.4 Diffuse sources
- 21.8. Low frequencies and surround
- 21.8.1 Music-only low frequencies
- 21.8.2 Processed multiple sub-woofers
- 21.9. Close-field surround monitoring
- 21.10. Practical design solutions
- 21.10.1 The choice of rear loudspeakers
- 21.11. Other compromises, other results
- 21.12. Dubbing theatres
- 21.12.1 Room-to-room compatibility
- 21.12.2 The X-curve
- 21.13. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 22: Human factors
- 22.1. The ambiance of the occasion
- 22.2. The subjectivity of monitoring
- 22.3. Conditioning and expectations
- 22.4. Lack of reference points in human judgements
- 22.5. Studios and control rooms
- 22.6. Summary
- References
- Chapter 23: A mobile control room
- 23.1. The problems to be solved
- 23.1.1 Electronic control limitations
- 23.1.2 Space problems
- 23.2. The vehicle
- 23.3. Acoustic discussion
- 23.3.1 Rear wall absorber
- 23.3.2 Frequency breakdown
- 23.3.3 Side wall reflexions
- 23.4. Close-range monitoring
- 23.5. Directivity and total power
- 23.6. Attaching a sub-woofer
- 23.6.1 The appropriate equalisation
- 23.7. Results
- 23.8. Conclusions
- 23.9. Summary
- References
- Chapter 24: Foldback
- 24.1. A virtual world
- 24.2. Constant voltage distribution
- 24.3. Stereo or mono
- 24.4. In-studio mixing
- 24.5. Types of headphones
- 24.6. Connectors
- 24.7. Overview
- 24.8. Summary
- Chapter 25: Main supplies and earthing systems
- 25.1. The ground plane
- 25.2. Low impedance supplies
- 25.3. The number of phases
- 25.3.1 Why one phase only?
- 25.4. Line filters and power conditioners
- 25.5. Balanced power
- 25.6. A general overview
- 25.7. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Chapter 26: Analogue audio interfacing
- 26.1. The origins of the professional interfaces
- 26.2. Jackfields (Patchbays)
- 26.2.1 Balanced to unbalanced problems
- 26.3. Jacks – 2 or 3 pole?
- 26.4. Avoiding chaos
- 26.5. Multiple signal path considerations
- 26.6. Grounding of signal screens
- 26.7. Balanced versus unbalanced – no obvious choice
- 26.8. Sixteen options for one cable
- 26.9. Some comments
- 26.10. Summary
- References
- Bibliography
- Appendix 1
- Appendix 2
- Appendix 3
- Appendix 4
- Glossary of terms
- Index