Background and excavation
My idea is that this blog will initially feature content on the background, design and construction process of the recording studio, and will then turn towards documenting recording sessions and other activities once everything is up and running in early 2026.
La Riba de Santiuste seems like an unlikely place for an initiative like this to arise. With just 15 inhabitants, it is one of the emptier villages in an area classified as being in extreme danger of depopulation. My wife’s maternal family is from the village, and the support of our neighbors, in conjunction with the remarkable natural surroundings and accessibility from Madrid, was a deciding factor in my decision to build here. Financial support from the LEADER 2023-2027 program in the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara region made the scope of the facility possible.
As recording studios go, Santiuste Sound Studio is unusual. The concept grew out of my own frustrations in searching for suitable locations to record classical guitar and chamber music. For recordings of acoustic instruments or voice, I think it is an obvious but frequently ignored truth that the acoustic space is just as important a musical component as the performer and instrument within it. Recording options for musicians wanting to avoid the problems and flawed solutions inherent in typical small rooms come down to three scenarios: large recording studios, concert halls, or remote recordings in churches— none is ideal. In all but the most expansive recording studios the acoustic ambience is relatively dry and unflattering, and a large part of the cost goes towards collections of equipment that remains unused in a purist approach to capturing acoustic instruments. Auditoriums are even more costly, and a large space does not necessarily guarantee a satisfactory recorded sound. Churches may be more accessible and can sound wonderful, but frequently leave much to be desired when it comes to acoustic isolation and overall comfort. The goal for this project is the creation of a naturally reverberant recording room with a floor space and internal volume that can accommodate mid to large ensembles with the isolation of a modern, purpose-built facility… the best of all worlds.
Planning began in late 2023 with acoustician María Larrosa Navarro and architect Rosalía Martínez Taboada. The building is constructed of brick with a stucco and stone exterior, internal airgap with mineral wool insulation, and a fully decoupled inner structure made of a sandwich of drywall and viscoelastic liner on a floated concrete slab. The exact internal acoustic treatment, consisting of perforated wooden resonators and phase-coherent diffusers, will be finalized once measurements can be taken in the building.
Throughout this planning and design phase I’ve been encouraged by the enthusiasm of friends, musicians and collaborators from around the world, many of whom have been saving projects to record in the studio when it’s completed. I’m especially excited about the ability to host longer-term projects or residencies that simply wouldn’t be viable anywhere else. If anyone reading this has a project that would benefit from time in this space, please get in contact and we will figure out how to make it happen.
Excavation begins!
