8.5.2024  As opposed to another kind of room, say the cab of an ’87 Ford Ranger Bigfoot Cruiser, a studio reference room is designed and calibrated so the sound can be trusted. The Blue Rock control room is the creation of renowned acoustic architect Michael Cronin. He also built Ocean Way, Blackbird in Nashville, Mutt Lange’s Sully Sound in Switzerland, and many other key studios around the world.

As you can see, there are only two reflective surfaces—the front wall and the floor. The 3 other walls and the ceiling are shrouded in cotton-wrapped baffles extending an additional 3 feet behind the fabric you see pictured. This absorbs undesired reflections of sound waves and focuses the sonic picture—vital for artists making decisions for recording and mixing.

Reference speakers are part of the design—the M4+ main monitors we use are made by the British designer Dynaudio. They are being calibrated—with sweeping tones, real-time analysis, and, yes, a “reference” microphone. And the final “reference" is a quality pair of ears—here provided by Blue Rock engineer Michael Schatz.