I was told I left the internet hanging on my studio progress. That’s true. I’m done. Been working on lots of cool shit by cool people. I’ve built a perfect work environment for the work I’ve spent chasing for half my life. I love it and I hope you’ll love what comes out of it.
This weekend marks the 1 year milestone in the studio build for ATMAS Mastering Lab. While I’d hoped it would go faster- what we’ve managed to accomplish in 1 year is remarkable.
After installing the floors, we were back to Sheetrock. A second layer of wall insulation was installed in the decoupled walls and 2 (!!!) layers of sheetrock were installed on the interior of the room. Finally closing in the months long job of isolation.
The Sheetrock was floated and sanded. Making the room ready for paint and acoustical walls!
ATMAS Mastering Labs update. Floors, Floors, Floors. We used reclaimed antique red oak. Glued directly to the slab. I don’t recommend this for a number of reasons. But they really did turn out nice.
Devastating. The aftermath of a hurricane.
Like a hurricane - the greater the impact, the greater the devastation.
Chris Stafford’s impact was immense.
He is lauded as one of the Cajun music greats but he transcended it.
We talk about his musical prowess but it was his humor that moved us.
He bended genres effortlessly and always landed the plane.
He had it all - style, chops, taste, heart, groove, swagger, poise, polish, flare - but none of the grandeur.
I ran sound at Blue Moon from 2008-2012 - a pivotal moment in Lafayette’s musical history.
It was ground zero during the peak of that particular musical renaissance.
I attribute so much of my life’s journey to this time.
I had found my place. Staff was so deeply a part of that place.
We became contemporaries, collaborators, competitors.
Best of all, friends.
He inspired me to transcend the fundamentals of my craft, to forget about the instrument and equipment.
To focus on the moment and the people you are creating the moment with - and for.
We will not be the same after this.
Our trees are uprooted. Roofs blown to bits.
We will rebuild, no doubt.
But the devastation will be felt for as long as we breathe.
ATMAS Mastering Lab Update: The holiday months were greatly productive. Here we have the transformation of the ceiling. A baffle box to slow & quiet the Air Conditioning is mounted in the rafters. The (first layer of) ceiling drywall is hung from a decoupling product called resilient channel. A second layer of insulation was stuffed into the ceiling as the drywall went up. Also seen is the interior wall structure - fully decoupled from the exterior structure. All that time and effort spent on adding mass and air tightening is about to be covered up.
ATMAS Mastering Labs has successfully sealed and insulated the exterior walls, and we've reached a crucial juncture - the start of the interior wall layout. The threshold of the door was a critical area to get right, as any sound leakage could negatively impact the studio's acoustics. To mitigate this, we've focused on constructing a dense, airtight door cavity where the double leafed walls will interface. 🔇🤓🪚🧰🛠️
ATMAS Mastering Labs update.. We’ve completed the custom fitting of 5/8” Sheetrock between all wall & ceiling studs. 2 reasons: added mass to the wall/ceiling & to ensure an air tight seal. Every seam & crack around the drywall is filled with acoustical sealant. Once this sealing is complete, we can insulate the exterior wall and move on to interior wall layout & design!
ATMAS Mastering Labs. 6 weeks in. Ideas proven false. Decisions that led to savings & more that added expense. Exterior is enclosed. Windows, framed. Laminated glass for the exterior panes are on order. Isolated ground circuits? Wired. Next up is rendering the exterior wall air tight. No air, no sound. In theory.
Today marks day 1 of the ATMAS Mastering Lab buildout. We’ll try to stay up to date on the progress and process. I’m overwhelmed with ideas about how to bring this space to life.
