Sunset Audio Solutions has completed a comprehensive acoustic and visual transformation of the audio production studios at gaming company Activision’s new HQ in Santa Monica, addressing significant acoustic challenges while creating spaces that reflect the company culture.
Following a recent relocation from Los Angeles, the Activision audio team was challenged by serious obstacles in their newly installed prefabricated rooms. Despite appearing adequate on paper, the spaces suffered excessive high-frequency absorption, problematic proportions creating boxy sound, and severe sound spill between rooms.
‘When I returned to the office after the pandemic, I found the rooms we were assigned in our new office to be unworkable for audio postproduction,’ recalls Activision Audio Engineer, Trevor Bresaw. ‘The rooms were square, standard grey corporate spaces, and to make matters worse, when I did a sound test, it knocked the picture frames off my neighbour’s walls – the sound transmission issues were exceptionally bad.’
Activision turned to Sunset Audio Solutions to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the spaces, who immediately stripped the existing structures to the studs, in readiness for a complete rework. Lead acoustician Carl Yanchar devised sophisticated solutions to rectify the flawed acoustics without the excessive use of space, focusing on targeted adjustments to room geometry and surface materials.
The technical modifications included strategic removal of excessive soft surfaces, addition of bass trapping and doubling the wall mass to enhance sound isolation. High-quality reflective EQ panels and advanced insulation techniques were employed to fine-tune the audio clarity and resolve low-frequency issues. Mora Woodcraft’s master craftsmen executed the studio build and custom millwork with precision and attention to detail, ensuring that the technical solutions were implemented flawlessly.
Complementing these technical upgrades, the design team partnered with Indio Design to redefine the visual theme of the studios. Drawing inspiration from Activision’s brand legacy, the design features elements that reflect both retro and futuristic aesthetics.
The upgraded audio equipment in the rooms includes Grace Design M908 multichannel monitor controllers, Focal and PMC studio monitoring, Rupert Neve preamps and Black Lion power conditioning units. Sunset also employed Triad precision and custom mounting hardware for equipment installation, professional patch panels for flexible signal routing and comprehensive lighting solutions – each selected to match the studios’ acoustic environment, and requirement for audio quality and reliability.
‘Our design philosophy is centred on maximising usable space while simultaneously resolving the inherent acoustic challenges of small, cubic room geometry,’ says Sunset Audio Solutions’ Rich Avrach. ‘By applying targeted engineering solutions rather than conventional space-consuming methods, we delivered studios that sound exceptional without sacrificing precious square footage.’
‘The transformation of these editing bays has not only solved our initial sound transmission issues but has significantly uplifted our overall audio production quality,’ Bresaw says. ‘The Sunset Audio Solutions team quickly understood the complexity of the issues related to the space and its location within the building, and developed a great plan to create the amazing workspaces we now have.
‘Working in these newly optimized spaces is a game-changer. The attention to detail and the custom solutions provided by Sunset Audio Solutions have made a tangible difference,’ he adds. ‘I am incredibly thankful to Rich and the team for creating my first professionally built rooms. They sound and look amazing.’
