Truphonic Recording - Another Wes Lachot design!

[WiZKiD]

Here's a thread I always wanted to start..Now it's a reality!

Truphonic will be a 2 room facility in the heart of Charleston, SC. It's been designed by Wes Lachot, and we are expected to open this winter. The construction has been going on for quite some time now, but I wanted to compile a nice array of detailed photos before I began posting.

Charleston is a beautiful area. I came here from Miami, and haven't looked back since being captivated by this place. Perks include the Atlantic Ocean in my back yard , tidal creeks lined with sweet grass, an awesome college, and the historical architecture is absolutely stunning. Cost of living fair. It reminds me so much of Europe. Sherman and his men burnt every major city in the south during the Civil War. Charleston was the only one that was spared. This was due to his wife sending him a letter asking him to spare her favorite city. The first shots of the civil war were fired here. Still today there are amazing homes, municipal buildings, plantations, and commercial enterprises that date back to the 1600's.

Ok, enough boring history lol. The music scene rocks. HARD. Way harder than I expected. Esp the Jazz scene and Shrimp Records roster of artists. Very impressive. Now on to the build..

We started with an empty metal building on a plot of land we purchased back in 2008. It's in a very attractive neighborhood. We completely revamped the the lot and built a storefront in addition to the studio. Leased the storefront to a high end liquor store . It pays to be smart. Between the liquor store and the studio is the kitchen, bathroom, offices, and studio lounge area. All together we are about 5500 sq ft. The studio is 3,000 of that.

[WiZKiD]

Next, as you see came the basic framing and open-cell foam.

[dbjp]

Do you have a rendering of the design?

Good luck on the build!!

[alexvdbroek]

Awesome!
Good luck

[Clueless]

Welcome to the club! Can't wait to see the floorplan!!

[Downsound]

THIS is going to be good. Looking forward to every post!

[John White]

Looking forward to a great build and detailed thread with lots of photos.

Don't skimp on the floor details!

Good Luck,

[mike-661]

Wes and Tony & crew are some of the most capable guys you'll ever meet! They make the unthinkable a reality.

Very excited to see another great studio designed by Wes!

Cheers

[doose80]

like everyone here, somehow you have me at the edge of my seat....
GOOD LUCK, cant wait

[Le Lab]

keep the pics coming !

[WiZKiD]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the positive responses! So here's the basic floor plan I've pulled from the blueprints.. I photoshopped most of Wes's details out, just to be sure I'm not crossing etiquette lines by sharing too much. (not sure if that really even matters, but I have to show respect for his intellectual property) So if you see smudges or what looks like a bad eraser job, that's why.

I assure you it's not the next Manifold or anything...so don't fry me as the place develops! lol I've got to tell you that the pictures I've seen of that place are just unbelievable!!! Michael and his crew have risen the bar and set a new standard for studio construction and operations.

That being said, I have done my best as an Engineer to be as creative as possible with the wiring and design of our studio. I watched/slaved while two rooms got wired as I did my interning/assisting, so it's not my first time seeing or being involved with a construction. I've pulled from both experiences to make sure that Truphonic has the workflow, and ergonomics of a world class studio for both audio and video platforms. If you guys see anything that you feel would help, please don't hold back, I might just add your suggestions to the build!

As I said before, two control rooms here. My favorite addition to the studio so far is that all the rooms are interconnected. Even the second control room doubles as a tracking space. There are tie lines everywhere that run to the A room patchbay. If you count, there are 7 isolated spaces.

Pictured below is just after trimming the open-cell foam down which was a ton of fun!! Keep in mind all of the foam that was sticking out 8 inch - 1 ft was cut down flush with the framing. So all of that extra foam was on the floor after we cut it..at some points head high, lol. These pics are after a dump trucks worth of it was removed.

Then there is the trench at a few different angles. That will be filled with cement surrounding PVC piping for wiring in the A room. The wall with glass facing tracking room A and outboard rack will sit on each end of the trench. The console a few feet off the wall as standard. All of the pictures were taken with my iPhone, so please forgive the quality.

[WiZKiD]

Originally Posted by mike-661

Wes and Tony & crew are some of the most capable guys you'll ever meet! They make the unthinkable a reality.

Very excited to see another great studio designed by Wes!

Cheers

Thanks! and yes, they already have! Plus they are great people. It's amazing when you respect someone for their talent, and then meet them only to respect them more for their character. Couldn't be happier with the progress thus far. Clear Track looks great btw..congrats!

[stonzthro]

Weird place for a Helicopter pad!

[The Beatsmith]

[BradWilbanks]

Looking great! Have you decided about any of the gear going in your rooms yet?

[WiZKiD]

Originally Posted by BradWilbanks

Looking great! Have you decided about any of the gear going in your rooms yet?

Hey Brad, we've got some time before any of the gear/boards will be set in stone. I can tell you that there will be a bunch of world class outboard, because we already have most of that. I am having some fun on eBay getting rid of anything I consider "eh" in order to purchase the greatest front end with no exceptions.

I am currently leaning towards an Icon based work flow paired with 32 world class outboard pre's. It makes a ton of sense to me. Most of my experience is with analog desks, and the Icon still impresses me how fast I can get a vibe going. It's really fast and allows you to get right to the artistic side of mixing! I have been experimenting using the icon with hardware inserts and a few colors of analog summing. If we go with the Icon, we will also get several summing units all with distinctive color. This way choosing the summing mixer can be included in the Engineer's creative process. There is a lot to consider before making that a final decision. But time is on my side!

[WiZKiD]

Originally Posted by Clueless

Welcome to the club! Can't wait to see the floorplan!!

Thanks!!

[BradWilbanks]

Originally Posted by WiZKiD

Hey Brad, we've got some time before any of the gear/boards will be set in stone. I can tell you that there will be a bunch of world class outboard, because we already have most of that. I am having some fun on eBay getting rid of anything I consider "eh" in order to purchase the greatest front end with no exceptions.

I am currently leaning towards an Icon based work flow paired with 32 world class outboard pre's. It makes a ton of sense to me. Most of my experience is with analog desks, and the Icon still impresses me how fast I can get a vibe going. It's really fast and allows you to get right to the artistic side of mixing! I have been experimenting using the icon with hardware inserts and a few colors of analog summing. If we go with the Icon, we will also get several summing units all with distinctive color. This way choosing the summing mixer can be included in the Engineer's creative process. There is a lot to consider before making that a final decision. But time is on my side!

Awesome man! The ICON systems are truly amazing, and I agree that they def let you get in and go!

[Nowak]

Icon? PFFT.

Get yourself an SSL for that dough, a great SSL.

Stef

[Demor]

What great SSL could you possibly buy, and most importantly, maintain at the same price?

[Nowak]

What's a D-Control worth?

[BradWilbanks]

Originally Posted by Nowak

What's a D-Control worth?

Avid's ICON System isn't the D Control alone. The ICON line include the D-Command and D-Control. So actually if he was referring to a D Command I doubt he'd be able to grab an SSL for that.

But to answer your above question...

Avid ICON D-Control ES (Base Configuration) | VintageKing.com

Digidesign ICON C24 to 8 Ch DCommand ES | Sweetwater.com

[Nowak]

OK, 65grand for a 16 fader D-Control.

You can get a tasty 4K for 50-60K.

But yes if it's a D-Command you're looking at then definitely not.

Stef

[BradWilbanks]

Originally Posted by Nowak

OK, 65grand for a 16 fader D-Control.

You can get a tasty 4K for 50-60K.

But yes if it's a D-Command you're looking at then definitely not.

Stef

Completely agree! But then again this is Truphonic Recording and neither of us are the owner or operator! haha

[Demor]

I believe those prices include a complete HD 3 system

[Demor]

You can buy the SSL but maintaining it is a whole other story. And the power bill will be a nightmare as well.

[Nowak]

Will it?

Have you at least done some research?

Stef

[MidasHatesGold]

hey boys... this is a photo thread...watch and enjoy. It will be a fantastic place when it´s done.

best of luck for your business.

[Nowak]

Originally Posted by MidasHatesGold

hey boys... this is a photo thread...watch and enjoy. It will be a fantastic place when it´s done.

best of luck for your business.

Apologies.

Stef

[Demor]

Right, this is not the place. We are here to admire the project of the OP and ask a few questions here and there.

So, to the OP, what was your motivation to go for the Icon, I'm tempted to get one as well, so.........?