Non-environment rooms?

[Eric Best]

Hey guys,
I just finished reading a book called "Project Studios, a more professional approach" by Philip Newell. He describes a control room he refers to as a "non-environment" room. This room was also developed by a guy named Tom Hidley from what I understand.
Does anyone have any experience with a rooms like these?

Eric

[John Sayers]

I don't know the book you refer to but I do know about Tom Hidley.

Tom started the whole redesign of US studios in the 70s with a company called Westlake Audio and later Eastlake Audio where he created a control room that was designed purely for listening to speakers in an environment that played no part in what you heard, in other words the sound you heard was direct and true and not affected by the reverberations and reflections normaly associated with a non-treated room.

He pioneered the flush/soffit mount speaker system, the acoustic hanger bass trap, the live drum booth, the piano room etc etc. He built some of the top studios throughout the world with this technique. He would have to be the most influential studio designer of the past 30+ years.

He's my hero, naturally.

http://www.hidley-design.com/01_2/01_hid1/fr.html

cheers
john