Circle Studios Birmingham - studio build/refurb

[and you know]

Originally Posted by emearg_s

Hope the nee's and the back are ok in the morning, But i can't help but wonder what you do with all the spare time when your places is finished ???????

Build a a studio in a grade 1 listed building for a laugh I hope.

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by emearg_s

Hope the nee's and the back are ok in the morning, But i can't help but wonder what you do with all the spare time when your places is finished ???????

I was thinking something crazy and radical... Like recording some music!!

[emearg_s]

(This joke No one get upset I was trying to be ironic )

Don't be silly No one on gear sluts actually record music, I thought they just bitched and Talk Bull shit about what toys they buy if they ever won the lottery ???

[Trev@Circle]

Er... Couldn't possibly comment...

[DirkB]

Originally Posted by Trev@Circle

I was thinking something crazy and radical... Like recording some music!!

Crazy talk

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by DirkB

Crazy talk

Haha! Certainly is!

[Trev@Circle]

So I thought someone might be interested in the construction of our doors.

First take a 1 hour fire door blank, router out a rebate to perfectly fit a random piece of glass you had ordered in the wrong size for the booth window (ahem...):



bond a layer of limp mass membrane to either side of the door then take two sheets of maple laminated mdf and router windows (using a pre-prepared template):



and then stick the lot together before fitting it in the custom machined frame:

[Matt R]

That's pretty amazing work. I think your door handle is even more awesome than the door itself :P

[Arthur Stone]

That's a great shot from the live room - must of been good to get the desk and monitors set up for the session...that 500-series rack looks sweet! Thanks for sharing your studio build with us.

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by Matt R

That's pretty amazing work. I think your door handle is even more awesome than the door itself :P

Isn't it a thing of beauty!

Originally Posted by Arthur Stone

That's a great shot from the live room - must of been good to get the desk and monitors set up for the session...that 500-series rack looks sweet! Thanks for sharing your studio build with us.

Thanks man, the rack is just one of the penthouses in the desk!

[Syncamorea]

Originally Posted by Trev@Circle

First take a 1 hour fire door blank, router out a rebate to perfectly fit a random piece of glass you had ordered in the wrong size for the booth window (ahem...):[/IMG]

Hey, that's just utilization of available materials!

I dig the approach - meaning the vision and ability to customize. This all gives the studio unique character.

[Trev@Circle]

You can see here that we downed tools on this room. This is to await the plasterer. He is scheduled for tomorrow so I'm hoping to finish the wood flooring over the weekend.

[Syncamorea]

The live room looks great! Are all of your treatments already up?

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by Syncamorea

The live room looks great! Are all of your treatments already up?

Yes mate. Live room has been up and running for a couple of years or so. Nothing has changed treatment wise. Once the wall is plastered and the door has been properly refitted we'll be ready to rock again!

[Matt R]

Up until just the other day, I was under the impression that your old live room and control room were being left untouched. I didn't realize you were renovating the control room window bay and adding three other rooms. I thought this was a second live room and second control room altogether.

I definitely like the layout of the place.

What is your primary intent for the three rooms you've just built? Additional studio space, rehearsal rooms, etc..?

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by Matt R

Up until just the other day, I was under the impression that your old live room and control room were being left untouched. I didn't realize you were renovating the control room window bay and adding three other rooms. I thought this was a second live room and second control room altogether.

I definitely like the layout of the place.

What is your primary intent for the three rooms you've just built? Additional studio space, rehearsal rooms, etc..?

Hey Matt

The biggest change from my own perspective is the Northward Acoustics designed control room and ATC mains which I'm incredibly excited about. Even in its unfinished state (and at this stage i have only tracked from the new room with Steve Baughman doing the mix in LA) it feels like the flattest mix environment I've ever worked in. The three new rooms have been built with complete flexibility in mind. Each will have a different vibe visually and a different sound: a stone room, a neutral room and a standard room). The whole complex will be matrixed so that you can link any room (by an xlr patch bay) to any other room. Thus you'll be able to use any room as an isobooth off the main studio, on a standalone basis or, by renting 2 or three of the new rooms, as a freestanding studio complex (using one room as a control room and the others as live rooms for example). In addition, one of the rooms will have an infinity wall so it can be used as a soundstage or even a photographic studio. Of course a band could also choose to rent a studio to rehearse in if they so desired but that won't be the primary purpose.

Make sense?

[Matt R]

Absolutely, and it's a great idea. The only caution I'll give is with regards to the cyclorama wall: They can be extremely delicate. You don't want anyone standing on the curvature. I've seen peoples feet go through them, I've seen plaster chipped off, etc...

That's one room I would reserve rather carefully to ensure the safety of that wall. They can be tricky and expensive to fix. If the surface isn't perfectly smooth, the lighting will cast shadows on the curve.

Other than that, I think it's a great idea. I'd love to hear my drum kit in that stone room. I've never been in one before :P

[Trev@Circle]

Good spot but I'm ahead of you on that. I'll show you soon how I'm going to get around that one!

[Trev@Circle]

So after many weeks of waiting the area of the main live room that was changed finally got re-plastered:

[AwwDeOhh]

Originally Posted by Trev@Circle

Good spot but I'm ahead of you on that. I'll show you soon how I'm going to get around that one!

are you planning on opening a skate park in that room?

Place is coming along nicely!
Are the three 'new' rooms finished (i might have missed them, i saw their construction though)

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by AwwDeOhh

are you planning on opening a skate park in that room?

Place is coming along nicely!
Are the three 'new' rooms finished (i might have missed them, i saw their construction though)

Thanks man. Sadly the three production rooms are not finished. In fact, we are only really about to start work on them again now.

Today's good news is we pretty much finished off the live room floor and painted the walls, the bad news is I forgot to take the camera down with me...

[Trev@Circle]

oops! here's a shot I realised I didn't post from yesterday:

[Trev@Circle]

Here are some pictures of the live room from first thing this morning. I tried to capture the width of the room with the first shot (difficult due to the humungous old live room window still sitting in the room!):



I tried to get the length of the room in this one:



And this one is looking from one side wall to the other:

[TjTminds]

It's gorgeous! I bet it sounds every but as good as it looks!

[TjTminds]

**bit**

[andyspiller]

It sounds fantastic - you won't believe the amazing variations you can get. Trev, its great to see it finalising - the Control Room looks appropriately mega to compliment the live room, well done!!

Now about that small wooden matter we were discussing.........

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by TjTminds

It's gorgeous! I bet it sounds every but as good as it looks!

Thanks man!

Originally Posted by andyspiller

It sounds fantastic - you won't believe the amazing variations you can get. Trev, its great to see it finalising - the Control Room looks appropriately mega to compliment the live room, well done!!

Now about that small wooden matter we were discussing.........

Thanks Andy! Glad you were pleased! Funnily enough I've spent the day on the internet looking at options. You around for a call tomorrow?

[Trev@Circle]

We've been doing some work in the non-technical areas too. The old office was pulled down in part to make way for the production rooms. Here's one before we started cleaning up the remaining space:



After the cleanup:



and after the new walls and ceiling have been built and plastered:

[bassjam]

Hey mate, have you swapped your speakers round to put the mids and tweeters to the outside?

[Trev@Circle]

Originally Posted by bassjam

Hey mate, have you swapped your speakers round to put the mids and tweeters to the outside?

No mate. The control room design specifies them to be on the inside. Why?