Live Room

Dimensions: 66m² with 7m ceiling height

The live room at Rimshot has been designed by Kevin van Green (www.greenandgreenaudio.co.uk) and built from the ground up as a world-class tracking room.

Although the acoustics of the room are all-important, at Rimshot we believe that how you feel is just as important to getting the best performance.

We wanted to create a space that felt both informal yet really special; where musicians are able to relax but are also inspired to give their all and do their best work.

For this reason, the room is built around a green-oak frame (so called because the oak is shaped immediately after it has been felled ... while it is still “green” and easy to work). As the oak dries out it cracks and warps, giving the room a timeless character – when you walk in, it feels like it has always been there.

All the acoustic treatment has been hidden from view, meaning that despite the size, this room feels like a comfortable and homely living room.

Giant floor-to-ceiling windows form the west wall of the room, giving uninterrupted views over the Kent countryside. Sunsets are especially good!

The room sounds balanced but has its own character ... warm and rich sounding with a very natural decay.

On the technical side, the room is air conditioned and has separate electric circuits for the audio, air-con and lighting. The audio circuit has its own technical earthing system that ensures ultra-quiet electrics.

There are audio, network and word-clock tie lines to every part of the building. We also have lines for guitar amps and the Leslie speaker between the live room, booth and lobby, allowing for isolation as needed. In addition we have fibre cables run from the live room to the machine room, enabling sound to picture work.

Quotes from clients:

“When I walked in and the band were running the songs down, it was one of the greatest sounds I’ve heard ... warm, focused with this great ambiance. The sound in the room inspired me to raise the level of my performance to match what I was hearing.”

“Finally ... my double bass sounds like a double bass.”

“This is the piano sound I’ve been hearing in my head for the last twenty years! I’ve found it! Thank you!!”

“I’m not leaving!”