SongBoy Studios is a new production base designed by WSDG for Rich Tuorto, a Cornell University-trained architect who moved through touring work into songwriting and production. After years of working from his home in Prospect Heights, Tuorto needed a dedicated professional room that matched the growth of his business and wider creative plans. Managed by Assemble Sound, an Atlantic Records affiliate, he is using the studio for artist-development work in close collaboration with Atlantic.
WSDG partner and project manager Will Brown led a full-package scope covering acoustic design, structural acoustics, room acoustics, technical interiors, and AV design. Studios by Sonic served as builder, with Matt Schaefer of Full Normal handling AV integration. The approximately 1,500-square-foot facility centers on a large primary control room that also works as a live tracking space, plus an iso booth sized for a full drum kit; its hybrid workflow combines a computer-based workstation, analogue outboard equipment, PMC speakers, a Genelec subwoofer, and a Yamaha piano.
The design treats comfort and acoustic control as linked requirements rather than separate layers. Oak wall paneling, herringbone timber flooring, a custom desk, lighting, millwork, a kitchen, and an eat-in corridor area give collaborators places to work and decompress without leaving the studio environment. WSDG used Helmholtz resonators and positioned reflectors in the control room and booth to keep the rooms controlled but not over-damped, while extra conduit runs make later gear additions and cable changes possible without opening walls or ceilings.