An Examination of the Acoustic Design of Sound Recording Studios in Educational Buildings Through a Case Study

The digitalization of music production has shifted sound recording activities from large commercial facilities to smaller project studios, where limited room dimensions often cause acoustic problems such as standing waves, room modes, and low-frequency resonances that compromise neutral sound perception. This study evaluates the acoustic performance of the sound recording studio and control room at the Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture using objective acoustic criteria. The methodology integrates in-situ acoustic measurements, literature-based mathematical calculations, and three-dimensional room mode analyses performed with Amroc software. Results indicate that the recording studio exhibits relatively high reverberation times at low frequencies, decreasing toward higher frequencies, which may reduce musical clarity by masking high-frequency content. In the control room, reverberation times are relatively balanced across the frequency spectrum, except at 63 Hz, although they remain slightly above recommended values. Background noise levels in the recording studio range from 21.50 to 38.00 dBA, exceeding the NC 15–20 criteria generally recommended for professional recording environments. Room mode analysis reveals elevated axial mode energy; however, calculated Q-factor values remain below the perceptibility threshold of 16, indicating no significant audible acoustic coloration. The findings suggest that studio design in educational facilities should incorporate buffer zones between circulation spaces and recording areas, employ double-shell construction for effective sound isolation, optimize room proportions to minimize modal coincidence, and carefully select surface materials to achieve target reverberation times. Integrating computer-based acoustic simulations during the early design stage is recommended to enhance overall acoustic performance.