Another Country opens “Cinema Room”

Another Country has opened what is possibly the largest sound recording room in the Midwest — one that clients are calling “the best room in Chicago,” says partner/sound designer John Binder with justifiable pride.

Construction on the $1 million sound stage began last November and was completed by late January to handle sound for Super Bowl spots.

“The room was designed to mix all formats for broadcast and theatrical,” notes executive producer Tim Konn. “It’s 7.1 Surround Sound capable, an emerging format that allows us to stay ahead of the game.”

While Sound 4 has been booked solid with spots, “this is the room for feature work,” Binder says of the 10,000 cubic foot “box within a box,” which he slips into calling the Cinema Room – and for good reason.

It’s completely equipped with theatrical accoutrements ? a Dolby digital cinema processor, Surround Sound, all the gear for THX and a 15-foot wide video monitor with a 2.35:1 cinematic aspect ratio.

“It’s designed it so you hear sound as you would in a theatre and down to your TV,” says Konn. “The room has several different sound systems, and whatever we’re mixing translates across the board.”

That sound system has three different sets of speakers: 13 main speakers, six near-field speakers and two speakers in the living room environment in the back of the room.