This is a story that happens time and time again in hundreds of rooms all around the world. It's a tale of terrific audio gear, talented people, good intentions and... terrible sound. In this particular case, Anthony Grimani played the role of the "room doctor" while a famous music studio played the "patient." In the wings, a well-known composer waited to hear the outcome. Would he be able to use his new studio composition room? Or would he continue to work from home using headphones?

It all began after composer Guillaume Roussel moved into his new studio space in Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions facility in Santa Monica, California. This facility houses many musicians, composers and sound engineers, each with their own space to create music. Roussel had just purchased more than $10,000 worth of new speakers, amplifiers and subwoofers to go along with his existing digital audio recording workstation, flat screens, keyboard and composing rig.

But the problem was the sound. The room had a sound character that made it impossible for him to hear his music clearly and cleanly. Furthermore, the acoustics of the room affected the soundstage presentation at his seat at the keyboard. What should have been a continuous 90-degree arc of musical images smoothly spread out in front of him, became a muddled combination of sounds lumped into a pile by each speaker. Click to read more...

Each year, CEDIA recognizes the best of the best in the residential electronic systems industry. Partnered with Sterling Home Technologies and AVAI, MSR supplied acoustical solutions for two projects that won top awards for Technical Excellence in the Home Theater category of the 2012 CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles® Awards.

Project by AVAI  -  Photo by Studio J

For both projects, we specified Sonata from our Dimension4™ line of acoustical tuning systems. Dimension4 systems were developed to address the sonic issues we continually encounter in the field: lack of accuracy, focus and tonal balance from room reflections, bass resonances, echoes, and imbalanced reverberations. Each system is pre-engineered to provide optimum audio quality without any complex calculations. Delivering high-quality performance, the Sonata system is especially suited to rooms with stretched fabric dress. Sonata's 2D and 3D diffusers are made with synthetic materials for lightness and ease of use. Medium-depth absorbers and ceiling panels are made of dense fibrous materials. Bass filters are made with composites of fibrous and flexural absorption.

Layout of panels is easy with Sonata. Absorber and diffuser units alternate around the room to provide a mix of damping and spaciousness.

Example of right wall layout of Sonata system

The first set of units is placed at the first reflection points on each side wall. The other two sets are placed beside them going toward the back of the room. A set of absorbers and a set of diffusers are placed on the rear wall, and ceiling absorber units are placed at the first reflection points between the speakers and the listening position. Ceiling diffusers are placed on the ceiling behind the seating area.

Bass trap modules are placed in the front corners on the floor (or along the front wall/floor junction if corners are not available).

Click to read more about the Sterling Home Technologies project which won the Level IV Gold Technical Award. Click to read more about the AVAI project which won the Level V Gold Technical Award.

For more info on MSR's innovative acoustical solutions, please visit our website.  

Century Stereo in San Jose, California is one of the oldest specialty AV dealers in the USA.  Their legacy of strong sales for McIntosh is just one example of their long-standing leadership in the category. In fact, they were the first dealer in the country to be chosen to feature The McIntosh Experience Center. This all-McIntosh room was the focus of a total cosmetic re-design and features lots of McIntosh gear. The problem was the room was not optimized for sound performance, so all this glorious McIntosh gear just did not sound as good as it should have. The MSR team jumped at the chance to work with the Century crew and, in a short time, had the room fully treated with Sonata panels and SpringTraps.

Century's general manager Rick Bronner commented, "From my standpoint it's all about the details. MSR goes to the nth degree to put every possible detail in the specs. They leave nothing to chance. When you're dealing with high end clients they naturally will have high expectations to the results. With MSR those expectations are easily meet. All the staff at MSR are not only extremely knowledgeable, they're wonderful to work with as well."

The first consumer event was held almost immediately and sales activity jumped. Now there has been a second event and the pace of sales is growing. Look for more details on the events themselves, and an interview with Century's Marketing Director, Melinda Foster, on what it takes to make events like these really work. We're very excited to have Century Stereo as an MSR dealer!

There is a new MSR Acoustics dealer in Covina, California, and sales of MSR acoustical treatments have indeed been sunny! Sunny's Home Theater & Music Systems has one of the most impressive collections of high-end equipment we've ever seen. Owner Sunil Merchant - and by the way, what a GREAT name for a master retailer! -has built Sunny's into one of the counties largest Wilson dealers, along with several other well-known high-end brands. Sunny's is just finishing a very nice screening theater for the folks at Netflix with Martin Logans being the speakers of choice. The addition of Sonata panels, SpringTraps, and Trifusers have tamed what was a difficult room, and turned it into a top-notch listening resource for Netflix. And there are reports of more rooms to come!

AudioVisions San Francisco has also joined the ranks of new MSR dealers. Their sound room now sports a bevy of MSR Sonata panels, a SpringTrap and a customized Salon Acoustics panel featuring an image of the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. The sound has been transformed and they are making plans to hold an MSR event later in 2012. 

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Are you installing a project studio? A music practice room? A home theater? An auditorium?

Check out our library of how-to guides, white papers and more - all written by Anthony Grimani from his many years of experience engineering and calibrating over 400 high-end, high-profile projects.

Here are links to recent articles by Anthony Grimani in Residential Systems and Connected Home magazines.

The Direct Approach 

Connected Home / Sept 2012 

A Different Way to Label 

Residential Systems / August 2012