Lighting improvements at Spirit.

During last semester’s Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC), it was requested we make improvements to lighting in some of our facilities. It was felt the lighting was a bit bright/clinical and not particularly helpful to creativity. 

We’ve been discussing potential solutions to this ever since.  Over the last two weeks, we’ve implemented the following changes:

• Where there are two light switches in rooms (Audient Studios 1, 2, 4 and Mastering Studio), we’ve installed pink spot lights on the row of lights next to the doors.  We’ve also installed pink spot lights in Audient Studio 3’s control room and vocal booth, the floor lamp in Audient Suite 1 and on the reflector/diffuser in Spirit Studio
• All other light bulbs in Audient Studios 1, 2, 3, 4, Suite 1, S3 Studio, Mastering Studio, Spirit Studio, Edit Suites, Project Suite, DJ Booths and Live Rooms have been replaced with warm white bulbs.  There were a mix of bulbs in these rooms previously, some of which were very cool white.  This change has made quite a considerable difference
• We’ve installed warm white LED strips in Audient Studios 1, 2, 3, 4, Suite 1, Synth Suite, Mastering Studio, Spirit Studio, Edit Suite 1 and Edit Suite 2.  Some of these are in quite obvious places, such as across the console meter bridges in the Audient Studios.  We’ve also installed them in useful places, such as next to the patch bay in Spirit Studio, on the synth stand in the Synth Suite, on the outboard racks in Audient Studio 4 and under the furniture armrest in the Mastering Studio.  You’ll find black rotary dimmer switches in these facilities to control these lights.  These dimmers are typically found to the right of the light strips.  There are two dimmer switches in both Audient Studio 4 and Synth Suite
• We’ve installed desktop lamps in Audient Studios 2 and 4, Synth Suite, S3 Studio, Mastering Studio, Spirit Studio and S6 Suite.  These have warm filament bulbs
• We’ve installed some rackmount gooseneck lights in the Mastering Studio furniture, to help better see the outboard gear when not using the main lights

With the above rooms, you may find a combination of LED light strips, lamps and any pink light circuits give you all the lighting that you need.  You may just use the main lighting (now much warmer) for setting up sessions.

In addition to the above, we’ve also installed colour LED strip lighting in the Allen & Heath Booth, Pioneer Booth and Project Suite.  Colours and modes are switchable via the remote controls in these rooms.  We’ve found that the remote controls are quite directional, so they do need to be pointed towards the light strip’s receiver.  These LED light strips give off quite a bit of light, so you probably don’t need to turn the main room lighting on.  Both the DJ booths continue to have the desktop lamps.  Again, you should find a combination of lights that works for you.

We’ve also replaced a number of light bulbs in the corridors and reception, including adding some pink bulbs, to improve these spaces too.

We hope you find these changes are a big improvement. Do let us know if you have any feedback.