Voice Recording Studios

The John Marshall Media studio design philisophy: A super-deep dive.

Why Silence Matters: How We Design Voice Recording Studios for Spoken-Word Performance

Recording the human voice—especially for audiobooks, narration, and spoken-word work—is fundamentally different from recording music. A great voice recording studio is not about vibe, loud playback, or flashy gear. It’s about silence, control, and intimacy.

At John Marshall Media, our studio design philosophy starts with a simple premise: when you hear a voice, you should hear only the voice—not the room, not the building, and not the city outside.

Silence Is Not the Absence of Sound — It’s the Absence of Distraction

In spoken-word recording, even the smallest acoustic imperfections become audible. Subtle reverberation, HVAC noise, distant traffic, or building vibration can all interfere with clarity and performance. The quieter the room, the closer the microphone can be placed to the voice—and the more intimate, present, and emotionally connected the recording becomes.

That intimacy is what listeners respond to. It’s also what makes spoken-word recording so unforgiving.

This is why our studios are designed from the ground up for ultra-low noise floors, not adapted from music rooms or retrofitted office space.

Box-Within-a-Box Construction: Stopping Sound at the Source

Each of our voice recording studios is built as a self-contained, free-floating room within a room. Floors, walls, and ceilings are acoustically decoupled from the surrounding building using springs, neoprene, and mass isolation techniques. This prevents vibration from traveling into the recording environment—something especially critical in a city like New York.

Low-frequency noise, in particular, is notoriously difficult to stop. The only real solution is mass. Our recording booths weigh thousands of pounds, using dense construction materials specifically designed to block intrusive sound rather than merely absorb it.

When you step inside one of our booths and close the door, the effect is immediate and unmistakable. After a few moments, many people notice they can hear their own breathing—or even their heartbeat. That level of quiet is not accidental. It’s engineered.

Absorption, Not “Foam”: Designing for the Human Voice

A common mistake in studio construction is relying on thin, inexpensive acoustic foam to treat reflections. While this type of material can absorb some high frequencies, it leaves mid-range and low-frequency energy untouched. The result is a voice that sounds unnatural—dull on top, boxy in the middle, and uneven overall.

Spoken-word recording demands broadband absorption across the entire vocal range. This requires thicker, more carefully tuned materials that absorb evenly rather than selectively. In our studios, absorption is balanced with subtle diffusion using wood slats and reflective surfaces to prevent the sound from becoming unnaturally dead or lifeless.

The goal is not to remove character from the voice—but to remove the room from the recording.

Silent Airflow: Comfort Without Compromise

A voice recording booth must be sealed to remain quiet, but performers also need fresh air—sometimes for hours at a time. Delivering airflow without introducing noise is one of the most technically challenging aspects of studio design.

Our studios use slow-velocity airflow systems with long, acoustically lined duct paths and S-curve designs that prevent sound transmission. All ductwork is treated internally with absorption material so that any noise entering the system is eliminated before it reaches the booth.

This allows narrators to remain comfortable throughout long sessions without the hum, hiss, or whistle common in less carefully designed rooms.

Doors, Seals, and the Details That Matter

Even the best isolation design fails if the door isn’t right. Our studio doors are sealed using refrigerator-style magnetic gaskets, creating an airtight acoustic seal when closed. You can hear—and feel—the seal engage.

These details may seem small, but spoken-word recording exposes everything. Every potential noise source must be accounted for.

Consistency Across Studios: One Sound, Every Room

Every voice recording studio in our facility is equipped with the same signal chain, the same acoustic standards, and the same workflow. This consistency is intentional.

Whether a narrator records in one room today and another tomorrow, or whether a multi-day project spans multiple studios, the sound remains identical. Producers never have to recalibrate expectations, and performances remain seamless across sessions.

This philosophy extends to equipment, monitoring, recording software, and backup procedures—so the creative process is never interrupted by technical variables.

Designed for Performers, Not Just Equipment

Finally, great spoken-word recording is about people. Comfort matters. Chairs must be quiet. Booths must feel calm, not claustrophobic. Engineers must know how to place a microphone close enough to capture intimacy without making the performer self-conscious.

Our studios are designed and operated by people who record voice for a living. We know the small things that matter—because in a room this quiet, everything matters.