Former MTV VJ and current Sirius XM satellite radio on-air personality Martha Quinn and her husband, show producer/engineer, composer, and former Fuzztone lead-guitarist Jordan Tarlow, were looking to create a brand new recording space that could handle production needs for her Sirius XM radio show, “Martha Quinn Presents.” The space also needed to accommodate Tarlow's television commercial and film trailer composition work. RBDG designed a 1,100-square-foot personal studio that is functional yet inspirational.
The studio consists of a main control room, a large glass recording booth, a machine room, kitchenette, bathroom and lounge. It houses a Digidesign Icon D-Control console along with Tarlow's large collection of vintage recording equipment and instruments. RBDG also developed a Precision Kinetics custom 7.1 surround monitoring solution to match the studio's production needs. This setup makes Radiobu the first ICON-based 7.1 studio in Malibu . Radiobu is also equipped with ISDN for high-quality voice-over work.
RBDG's design focused on maximizing traffic flow through the existing structure. A small storage area was incorporated at one end of the space. At the other end, an entry vestibule doubles as a separately conditioned equipment and machine room area. The control room was designed with ample space for live interviews and performances, as well as for recording musicians. From his seat at the console, Tarlow can easily monitor the show while a group is performing to the side. The control room is also large enough to accommodate a custom broadcast table for multiple-guest, in-studio interviews.
“The studio sounds fantastic,” says Tarlow. “You can hear more clearly in here than any other studio I've ever been in. It sounds wonderful for mixing and voice recordings and the sight lines are perfect between engineer, talent and guests.”
RBDG's design included field-fabricated acoustical treatments. The existing structure's low ceilings posed some acoustical constraints, so RBDG used a pArtScience SpaceCoupler cloud to improve the performance of absorptive ceiling material and to tame low frequency energy at the mix position. Auralex's pArtScience SpaceArrays were chosen for distributing diffuse energy throughout the mix position and improving surround imaging.
Besides providing inspiration for the studio's name, Malibu also played a factor in the design of Radiobu. Quinn and Tarlow wanted to enjoy the beautiful Malibu weather while working in the rooms. RBDG's response was to include numerous windows and glass doors that allow natural light to stream into the studio. The entries at each end were designed to act as sound traps when the doors are left open. The resulting cross breezes both cool and inspire whoever is in the studio.