One of the main concerns when setting up a studio, especially one that is to be primarily used for mixing, is its acoustic design. A room that doesn’t “sound right” will invariably cause the mix engineer to compensate in the mix for the room's sonic inaccuracies. The end result is a mix that sounds different when played in another space, usually not in a good way! It’s vital for a mixer to know that what they’re hearing is an accurate representation of what they are putting into the monitors otherwise it’s like trying to paint a picture while wearing multi-coloured glasses.

Simon’s choice of space for the studio was partly made with this in mind. The unit that he settled on was like a blank canvas that could be shaped internally to get the best acoustic result. After painstaking research and various recommendations he decided to ask acoustic designer Nick Whitaker to take on the task (http://www.nickwhitaker.net/index.html). Nick arrived armed with testing equipment and a huge tape measure and within days the basic design took shape.

The final design makes maximum use of the available space while using innovative (and largely hidden) design techniques. The end result is a room that’s true and neutral, where great mixes sound great and bad ones can be fixed!