Identical twins Jeroen and Martijn Boeren — better known as the hit DJ duo Sound Rush — have created their own bespoke recording set up at home, designed around a Genelec studio monitoring system.
Beginning with a 4m x 3m room, the brothers turned to leading acoustician and studio designer Jan Morel to design “the best studio in the Hardstyle scene.”
“For this kind of space and for the kind of music Sound Rush create within the Hardstyle genre, we had to essentially create an entirely different monitoring environment,” said Morel. “No matter what size the room, if the proposal is to make the best studio in Hardstyle, you just do it!
“When choosing the monitors for the install, I didn’t need to listen to any demos — I had worked with Genelec before, so I knew they were the right option.”
The install called on 1238 three-way Smart Active Monitors for their soffit-mounting capabilities, combined with two 7380 subwoofers to create a full-range monitoring system with high SPL and low frequency control. Nearfield duties are handled by a pair of compact 8040 two-way models.
“I had never installed the 1238s before, but everything turned out so well,” added Morel. “Now the guys have this powerful, high-quality sound coming from a whole new environment. There’s something about having this kind of set up for them at home – they’re completely in love with it.”
If the proposal is to make the best studio in Hardstyle, you just do it!
Acoustician and studio designer Jan Morel
The monitoring system was fine-tuned to the room using Genelec’s GLM calibration software.
“I use GLM as a tool,” explained More. “The automatic calibration setting from GLM is the starting point, and then I talk with the client to see what they want, because each client tends to have different personal listening preferences. With GLM I can go back and adjust things by hand to make sure the room sounds right for their needs.”
Like all home studio set ups, controlling the bass is crucial. Sound Rush’s install team applied low-frequency absorbers to all the walls of the small studio space to significantly improve the listening environment, decrease reverberation and add to the overall wow factor of the studio’s design.
“It was vital that we made layers of bass trapping material to close off the wall and ceiling surface and have the monitors almost floating in and amongst it all. In the end, if the monitors can float in a small room like this, it’s perfect because it’s controlling all the low frequencies simultaneously – and it allows you to hear the details in a way that an ordinary studio simply wouldn’t.”
Sound Rush’s home studio has left a lasting impression on the band as well as the install team.
“While some projects have their limitations and there’s always something that could’ve gone better, this project was close to absolute perfection – I was totally satisfied. We found the best solution for the studio within a reasonable budget and the final look is incredible. The Sound Rush boys and I are very pleased that this space is both spectacular and completely unique to them.”