Busy educational facilities rarely get enough downtime for a full refurbishment, but this year's summer holidays provided Spirit Studios in Manchester with the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Over an intense three-week period, the sound engineering and music production school completely changed the layout of its flagship studio in order to give students a better working environment. A key part of this process was repositioning the facility's existing PMC MB2S-A monitors in order to create a wider and more consistent sweet spot around the listening position.
Located in a refurbished mill in the heart of Manchester, Spirit Studios was originally a commercial recording facility and rehearsal space that hosted sessions for many local bands including The Smiths. By the mid-1980s it had moved into adult education and was known as the School of Sound Recording. The current studio facility was built in 2009 to mark SSR's 25th anniversary and was named Spirit Studio in honour of SSR's beginnings. By 2018, the entire operation was rebranded and at that point it reverted to its original Spirit Studios name.
This summer's refurbishment of the flagship studio was overseen by the school's Head of Technology Tom Aston, who was also behind the original studio build. Located on the top floor of one of the school's buildings, the studio is a large, open plan room that has no division between control room and live room thus giving students the opportunity to learn different recording workflows and capture the best performances from the artists. When it was initially built, the school installed separate isolation booths and a machine room to ensure the studio remained quiet. It also called in acoustician Jochen Veith to treat the room and correctly position the PMC monitors so that there was a proper balance between preserving a live sounding room for performance and recording and offering a good environment for mixing.
Spirit Studio has been a great success for us since it opened 14 years ago and it is our most in-demand facility, Tom Aston says. The refurbishment we undertook this summer incorporated feedback we had gathered from tutors and students so that we could create an environment that is even better suited to their needs. It remains open plan, but the new listening position now faces the far wall rather than looking into the room.
Work carried out involved stripping down the school's Neve VR console, rotating it 180 degrees, splitting the outboard rack into two separate units and rerouting the audio cabling.
With this new layout, we have greater flexibility in terms of positioning of the PMC MB2S-A monitors, Aston adds. We could position them anywhere in the space between the console and far wall that provided the best performance. With the old layout, pushing the monitors away from the console would encroach into the live area. By taking measurements, experimenting with positions and making some adjustments to the 10B crossovers, we ve made some great improvements to the low frequency performance, as well creating a wider and more consistent sweet spot around the listening position.
Throughout the process, PMC was on hand to offer advice and make recommendations for improving the performance of the MB2S-A's, including providing details of the crossover adjustments available and their default settings for the studio's configuration. The new layout means the room can now more comfortably accommodate classes of up to 20 students, as well as provide seating for dozens of attendees behind the console at Spirit+ masterclasses. A new Mac Studio workstation has been installed and its keyboard, mouse and screen are now located in the listening position, rather than on a separate table. The studio has also taken delivery of some classic Stand Easy screens, providing even more flexibility for the recording space.
With the new academic year now in full swing, Tom Aston says the studio refurbishment has been well received by students.
It's been 14 years since we took delivery of our MB2S-As and we're just as happy with their performance today as we were back then, Tom Aston says. In fact, I'd say our appreciation of them has only increased with time. They've been used relentlessly since they were installed and have proved very reliable. And with improved performance due to the recent changes we've made to the room, and fantastic support from the team at PMC, the next generation of music producers and sound engineers will be using them at Spirit for years to come.
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Busy educational facilities rarely get enough downtime for a full refurbishment, but this year's summer holidays provided Spirit Studios in Manchester with the perfect opportunity to do just that. 
