Santa Monica-based audio post house Eleven announced that it has added two new state-of-the-art audio mixing suites as part of a major renovation.
“This is my third time building studios, and I love the creative expression of designing and equipping a space where my clients and staff can be their most creative,” explained mixer Jeff Payne. “I remember my first break in our industry very well, and this expansion was an opportunity for me to continue supporting the culture of my company and encouraging the incredibly talented staff at Eleven to expand into their own creative visions for themselves.”
Over the last 12 months, Payne and Eleven’s executive producer Suzanne Hollingshead oversaw the renovation of the upstairs floor in the Eleven facility, transforming it into a new mixing suite for Payne (three times the size of his previous room), as well as an additional mixing suite, two large voice-over recording booths, an upstairs client lounge and a gallery space for revolving art exhibits.
For the expansion, Payne chose Santa Monica-based architect Patrick Tighe, known for his diverse architectural projects from office/entertainment to mixed use to high-end, residential. “I wanted a stellar architect,” said Payne, “not necessarily a studio architect. We wanted to give the new rooms, and the upstairs as a whole, a lot of architectural personality while bringing light and the essence of nature into the studio. Patrick was just the right talent for this project, because he does exactly that. He has a unique, clean and stunning design sense.”
Furniture designer Paul Weiser of Hands On Design custom designed and built Payne’s maple wood console, producer table and speaker stands.
On the technology side, Eleven collaborated with Ron Lagerlof of Hollywood-based Visioneering Design Co. “I have known and worked with Jeff Payne since before the inception of Eleven,” said Lagerlof. “Over the past 15 years, Visioneering Design has provided tech services through various changes in technology and equipment. In building these new studios, we looked at the most current systems, recommending and installing the latest generation of digital systems.”
Payne’s suite includes a new Avid S6 M10 control surface. “The S6 offers moving from what has been a very mouse-driven mixing experience to using touch pad technology and touch sensitive knobs, which is far more intuitive,” explained Payne. Other technology purchases for the new mixing suites include Genelec and Meyer monitors, BSS/Crestron touchscreen monitor control systems, the Avid Artist Mix series console, as well as the Avid HD syncs and HD i/os in conjunction with Focusrite Rednet 5s over Ethernet.
