Newsletter

At ASC, we design and deliver acoustic solutions for the studio engineer and the discriminating HiFi listener (among a plethora of other users and applications). While the original intention for the StudioTrap was to provide studio users an easier way to optimize their room acoustics for multiple functions, some audiophiles discovered their profound influence on the sound of a normal HiFi room.

This week we share an awesome video provided to us by acclaimed audio engineer Brian Vibberts. He focuses on recording applications and demonstrates the amazing uniformity of the sonic spaces able to be created in wildly different rooms. Please check out his brief bio below.

What about those of you not involved with the production side of the recording industry? We think you will also get a kick out of seeing some of the methods used to produce the songs and records you love-without which you would have nothing worth listening to!

Without further ado, bust out your headphones and enjoy the main feature!

Brian tells us all about ASC’s QuickSoundField and demonstrates a few of its benefits.
Stay tuned for more in the series!

Top Engineers: Brian Vibberts

Seven-time Grammy Award winner, long time client & friend of ASC, and all-around great guy, Brian Vibberts (aka Dr. Vibb) shared with us his thoughts on the effectiveness of the QuickSoundField and StudioTraps. He has been a major player in the recording industry since the early 90’s, cutting his chops with the great Bruce Swedien making Michael Jackson albums. The variety of musical acts that have been graced by his services is truly mind boggling: Sting, Metallica, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, and Chick Corea constitute just a sampling.

These days based in Los Angeles, he rocks with a full-scale ASC AttackWall in his home studio and uses only the best gear to produce some of the finest mixes heard in this millennium. We like Brian because he is a super nice guy, easy to work with, and carries an infectious smile everywhere he goes. But his skills and talents are what place him in the upper echelon of audio engineers today; it’s no wonder they call him “the man with the golden ear.” Read the links below for some more detail on his history and accomplishments.

Check out the projects for which Brian won Grammy Awards (US) here.
Visit Brian’s home page here.
Read Brian’s Wikipedia Link here.
To gain additional insight into Brian’s personality, background and clientele, read this great interview.

Below, Brian records the cello in a QuickSoundField.

And What About Hifi?

Thanks for checking out the premiere acoustic tool for capturing consistently life-like recordings to be used in the music you love to listen to. Now—how can we use these highly flexible and portable devices in our living rooms or dedicated listening rooms to create musically engaging immersive experiences and compelling impressions of symphonic sound stages? Well, in a single phrase: acoustic shadowing. The other major benefits are mid-bass control and unmatched upper treble diffusion.

Is every listening room suited to be outfitted with these utilitarian workhorses? Possibly not. Is every significant other going to be thrilled at the sight of additional floor-standing audio tools scattered about the living room? Perhaps not. BUT – will any audio room, big or small, sound better with a carefully positioned and aimed set of StudioTraps? This is a resounding “yes,” and for that reason we think they are worth considering as a component of your reference-level audio playback system.

Read Jonathan Scull’s entertaining and enlightening article from a 1998 issue of Stereophile here.

ASC’s StudioTrap: the Swiss Army knife of acoustic tools

This week you saw and heard the effects of the ASC StudioTrap when utilized in a QuickSoundField configuration. You also read of a few different ways to integrate StudioTraps into your HiFi listening room for maximum sonic benefit. We hope we inspired you to look at audio in a new light and better understand what makes things sound good.

Special thanks to Brian Vibberts for the informative and fun video. Please stay tuned for the next installment in our developing YouTube series on ASC acoustics. In the meantime, happy listening, and keep it coherent!