[ 22 ] STUDIOshowcase Developing the Duality of Dream Asylum CHERYL FLEMING FLEMING CHERYL BY STROTHER BULLINS Prolific pop and hip-hop craftspeople Nate ‘Danja’ Hills and Marcella Araica had long dreamed of a unique production space in the Miami music community. Having worked around the world in premier recording facilities for more than a decade each, Hills and Araica realized that their needs would be best met by teaming up with one of the industry’s most prolific and successful studio design teams, Walter-Storyk Design Group (WSDG). “I’ve spent time in some pretty collaboration-friendly, adjoining the amazing studios around the country work spaces so intimately was more and the world—New York, LA, Vegas, about “extending the vibe,” explains London, Paris,” begins Araica. “Ev- Araica. “One thing I really want- ery studio I’ve ever worked in, I’ve ed to get from the design was that taken mental notes of things I liked, while everyone is working, everyone things I didn’t like, and things I’d would be involved; seeing each other want to do on my own. When it came across the live room in our respec- down to it, my partner Nate and I tive control rooms is important. We had these ideas for years—everything build that kind of energy while being from design elements to colors to acoustically isolated so that we won’t how it all made you feel from the interfere with the other’s projects. moment you walked in the door.” That’s the thing about most studios Araica became enamored by WS- that I wanted to avoid: I’ve never DG’s work while at Hit Factory in felt good about being cut off, be- Miami. “John [Storyk] designed one ing isolated inside a building, so the of the best-sounding live rooms, as idea of seeing constant energy mov- far as I was concerned—Hit Facto- ing around was something we re- ry’s Studio E,” she continues. “Little ally wanted. Also, the third control by little, I found out more about the room is there if the artist wants to go other projects he’d done; I loved Roc into another space to create, but still, At Dream Asylum, Studio X (top) and Studio Y have very different vibes, but they have a few The Mic, Jay Z’s studio in New York, they aren’t cut off from us, either.” things in common: They each are outfitted with SSL 9000J consoles and share a 600-square- and the infamous Electric Lady. So “It’s always a problematic re- foot live room. I knew if I was ever going to build a quest, sharing a live room,” says studio, it would involve John.” WSDG project manager Romina and it came down to isolation and Dream Asylum is a thriving produc- Built within a 4,000-square-foot Larregina. “During the schematic mechanical vibration issues. In this tion space with a lot of help from its former warehouse in South Flori- phase, the project started to grow. warehouse, a typical building, there’s locale; its just easy to please clients da, Dream Asylum is centered on a Each control room needed its own a lot of anomalies that posed chal- who come to the greater Miami area 600-square-foot live room with iso iso booth, too. We were ultimately lenges to isolation, so each studio is to work, confirms Araica. “It’s great booths, shared by two distinct control able to accommodate for three con- a completely isolated ‘room within because there’s so much culture right rooms—Studio X for Hills and Stu- trol rooms, with Marcella and Nate a room’ on an isolated floor. In the outside our doors—Little Havana dio Y for Araica, both with WSDG/ looking into the same live room. end, it’s an amazingly quiet space in on 8th Street, Miami Beach and the Augspurger Monitoring Systems and We’ve been able to accomplish this total, with the capability to contain club world, or just up the road to near-identical SSL 9000J analog con- in the past as well; we did a studio in extremely loud monitoring levels.” Fort Lauderdale for a more laid-back soles, the latter of which were sourced San Francisco not too long ago with Meanwhile, there was never a experience. It’s a wide range of inspi- via broker and refurbished pre-install three independent control rooms question regarding what consoles rations. I’ve worked in studios where by Warren Rhoades of Nashville’s needing to look into a common live would become each control room’s I’ve been there for, like, 10 hours and Rhoades Audio. The 269-square-foot room, and with proper isolation, it’s centerpiece. As different as the con- just wanted to step out and do some- Studio X and 360-square-foot Stu- completely doable.” trol rooms are from one another, thing different—and found nothing. dio Y are notably isolated via room- There’s no denying that isolating Dream Asylum’s dual SSLs are just In building this studio, we did think within-room build-outs. A third the rooms at Dream Asylum from about as similar as two “vintage” of everything, and we wanted to be mix/writing studio, Studio Z, is also each other while needing full-range, consoles can get. “The 9000J is al- close to everything. That’s what Mi- available for artists to work alone in high SPL-capable monitoring in most embedded in my DNA,” offers ami offers.” while on site, featuring an SSL AWS each control room posed significant Araica with a chuckle. Dream Asylum Series mixer atop a stunning Lucite challenges. “From an acoustics point Gear, design and talents aside, dreamasylumstudios.com producer’s desk; a lounge/screening of view, the big challenge was that room and solarium are on-hand, too. they are mixing what I’d consider Other notable custom details include ‘super loud,’” offers WSDG part- STUDIO: DREAM ASYLUM OWNERS: MARCELLA a wooden rear-wall acoustic resonator ner/director of International Rela- and geometrical ceiling cloud in X, tions Sergio Molho. “They work ARAICA AND NATE ‘DANJA’ HILLS LOCATION: and “living room” vibe in Y with an continuously while sharing the same HALLANDALE BEACH, FL oversized client couch set on a raised live room. With two different pro- platform under a dropped ceiling. grams of music, it was crucial that There’s more 4 Explore inside Dream Asylum at pro- While Dream Asylum is certainly they wouldn’t bother each other; soundnetwork.com/oct2015 [ October 2015 ].