Consultancy
Studio Design Consultancy
With Sean Barcoe
Overview
Planning a recording, podcast or production studio? Sean Barcoe helps you design it around how a professional studio actually needs to operate — not just how it looks on the floor plan. The goal: identify the critical technical requirements early, avoid expensive changes during construction and end up with a reliable, professional and scalable facility.
Where Sean can help
Requirements & workflow
Defining how the space will really be used before major design decisions are made.
- Music recording and production
- Vocal recording
- Mixing and mastering
- Dolby Atmos / immersive audio
- Podcasting
- Voice-over
- Video production and livestreaming
- Content creation
- Photo and video shooting areas
- Client and artist areas
- Equipment storage and technical spaces
- Future expansion
Layout & room planning
Room allocation, sightlines and workflow between spaces.
- Control room
- Live room
- Vocal / isolation booths
- Machine and equipment rooms
- Podcast and broadcast rooms
- Production suites
- Client areas
- Storage
- Cable pathways
- Equipment positioning
- Sightlines between rooms
- Operational flow
Acoustic design coordination
Practical acoustic requirements, together with your acoustic specialist and architect.
- Sound isolation objectives
- Room-to-room isolation
- Internal acoustic treatment
- Listening position
- Loudspeaker positioning
- Low-frequency management
- Reflection control
- Noise-floor requirements
- Doors and glazing
- HVAC noise
Audio system design
Recording, monitoring and audio networking, specified for your workflow and budget.
- Recording system and DAWs
- Audio interfaces and preamps
- Monitoring systems
- Digital consoles
- Patch systems and stage boxes
- Microphone lines
- Headphone monitoring
- Talkback and intercom
- Dante / AES67 networking
- Analog and digital distribution
Monitoring & immersive audio
From stereo to Dolby Atmos rooms.
- Stereo monitoring
- 5.1 / 7.1 monitoring
- Dolby Atmos configurations
- Loudspeaker positioning
- Subwoofer integration
- Monitor control
- Digital audio transport
- Calibration requirements
Electrical & technical infrastructure
Studio-specific requirements for your electrical / MEP team.
- Clean technical power
- Electrical distribution
- Equipment circuits
- Grounding strategy
- UPS and power conditioning
- Technical rack power
- Lighting power separation
- Cable routing
- Floor and wall boxes
- Termination points
HVAC coordination
Studios need far lower background noise than normal commercial spaces.
- Acceptable room noise levels
- Equipment heat loads
- Airflow and ventilation locations
- Duct noise
- Mechanical vibration
- Isolation
- Equipment-room cooling
Network & IT infrastructure
Separated production, audio, control and general IT networks.
- Dante / AES67 audio
- Video-over-IP
- Control systems
- High-speed internet
- NAS / central storage
- Editing workstations
- Wi-Fi
- Remote recording
- Livestreaming
- Backup systems
Video, broadcast & content systems
For studios that also produce video, podcasts or livestreams.
- Camera infrastructure and positions
- Video switching and routing
- SDI / HDMI infrastructure
- Lighting requirements
- Streaming systems
- Teleprompters
- Video monitoring
- Production control
- Recording systems
- Synchronisation / timecode
Equipment specification & procurement
Equipment schedules and review of vendor quotations.
- Audio equipment and monitoring
- Microphones
- Consoles and interfaces
- Networking
- Racks, patching and cabling
- Video systems
- Lighting
- Computers and storage
- Accessories and infrastructure
- Review of vendor quotations
Construction & installation support
Your studio technical consultant on site, through to commissioning.
- Reviewing contractor proposals and drawings
- Coordination meetings
- Answering technical RFIs
- Reviewing equipment locations and cabling
- Site inspections
- Installation supervision
- System configuration
- Testing and commissioning support
- Final operational review
How it works
- Discovery & requirementsObjectives, workflow, budget, intended use and future needs.
- Concept designLayout, technical concept, room functions and system architecture.
- Detailed technical designEquipment specifications, connectivity, infrastructure, networking and monitoring.
- Construction coordinationWorking with your architect, acoustic and MEP consultants, contractors and integrators.
- Installation & commissioningInstallation review, configuration, testing, calibration coordination and final commissioning.
Typical deliverables
This document sets out the studio's intended uses, workflow, technical spaces and future needs. It gives the project team a shared reference before layout, infrastructure and equipment decisions are made.
These recommendations cover room allocation, sightlines and movement between control, recording, production, client and storage areas. They help the layout reflect how people and equipment will move through the facility.
These recommendations bring together the audio, video, network, monitoring and control requirements for the planned workflow. They help the architect, consultants and installers coordinate the technical concept.
An equipment schedule organises the proposed audio, video, lighting, computer, storage and supporting infrastructure items. It gives the project team a structured list for specification and supplier review.
This maps the main recording, monitoring, patching, talkback and audio-networking systems. It helps show how the studio's audio functions connect before installation begins.
Signal-flow diagrams show how audio or video travels between inputs, rooms, equipment and outputs. They give installers and operators a clear reference for routing and connections.
This outlines the production, audio, control and general IT networks, including storage and workstation needs. It helps keep different network functions organised and ready for the intended workflow.
These requirements describe the technical power, grounding, cooling, cable pathways, floor or wall boxes and termination points needed by the studio systems. They help the relevant project consultants coordinate those provisions early.
Rack requirements set out the space, power, cooling and connection needs of equipment racks and machine areas. They help reserve suitable locations and supporting infrastructure in the room plan.
These schedules list the required cable routes, connection types, stage boxes and termination points. They give the installation team a practical reference for wiring the planned systems.
Equipment placement recommendations cover listening positions, loudspeakers, workstations, cameras, racks and other technical positions. They help coordinate sightlines, access, workflow and room requirements.
This review compares contractor proposals, drawings or supplier quotations with the agreed studio requirements. It helps identify technical questions and coordination points before work proceeds.
These recommendations set out the planned configuration, testing, calibration coordination and final operational review. They give the project team a clear framework for checking the installed systems.
Final architectural, structural, electrical, HVAC, fire-safety and construction drawings remain the responsibility of the licensed project consultants and contractors. Detailed acoustic calculations are produced by the appointed acoustic consultant.
FAQ
As early as possible — ideally before the floor plan and construction decisions are final. That's when changes are cheapest.
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Need individual training for your team or venue?
Tailored on-site training at our studio or at your venue — talk to us about your team.
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