The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Audio Schemes is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.
Audio Schemes
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
16 | AUDIO SCHEMES
Debbie and Nick Langley
Betfred Studio for LCC Lighting at
MediaCityUK, Manchester
Audio Schemes constructs and soundproofs studios for
music, television and radio industries. Company founder
Nick Langley says that knowledge of the concept of
sound enables Audio Schemes to think outside the box in its
designs and constructions.
Audio Schemes is a culmination of previous experience that I had acquired in
soundproofing and studio building in previous companies. The way I see it, it’s a
one-man band, surrounded by skilled and capable people. Starting out as a dry
lining interior specialist more than 20 years ago went a long way to piquing my
interest in acoustics and sound. This developed further over the years at two other
companies I had a stake in, both of which were eventually sold.
It was during these times I had my first experience of building a recording studio in
an old abattoir in Manchester. This kind of experience helped further my experience
of the studio-building process – a perfect marriage of the physics of sound with
old-style construction work.
Returning to the industry
After going into semi-retirement following the sale of the previous business,
I caught the bug once again and returned to set up Audio Schemes in
2012. Initially, we started by taking on steady volumes of work in domestic
soundproofing and home studios. Through this, word gradually spread throughout
the industry. Our cause was greatly aided through recognition from consumer
trading title Which?, that designated us as a Trusted Trader – a title we’ve now
held for three years.
FACTS ABOUT
AUDIO SCHEMES
»Founded by Nick Langley
»Established in 2012
»Based in Stockport, Greater
Manchester
»Services: Construction and
soundproofing of studios for
post-production, television
and radio
»No. of employees: 15
»Worked with big industry
studios including Warner Bros.
and Sony, soundproofing
for the Royal Academy of
Music and Adidas and studio
building for bands Pendulum
and The Feeling
»Turnover: Around £3.5 million
»Endorsed by Which? as a
Trusted Trader
Audio Schemes
17AUDIO SCHEMES |
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018
Our success in the past five years has
been made all the more remarkable
given our geographical location. Ask
any professional working in the sector
in the UK and they’d likely confirm
that it’s very much a London-centric
industry. Counteracting this meant
aligning ourselves with the right
projects and helping to generate
positive word of mouth for what Audio
Schemes could offer. Another way
we’ve set ourselves apart is through
innovating. We take our pre-existing
knowledge of sound and bend the
rules in the design and construction
phase to go beyond set regulations
and notions of what people thought
were within the limits of possibility.
Designing and building for
many industries
Not long after we were established,
bigger studio-building jobs followed
with the likes of the Royal Academy
of Music and professional recording
artists The Feeling along with
soundproofing the northern UK
headquarters of sportswear giant
Adidas in Manchester.
We completed this project in 17 days,
11 ahead of the proposed schedule
and used 19,000 carpet tiles. This
project is a real demonstration of
our “have a go” mentality, while
managing to deliver on a big scale to
prestigious names. This approach will
continue as we look to expand the size
of the company. I’m very aware that
companies like us won’t ever be huge
due to the highly specialised nature
of what we do, but nevertheless,
there are still plenty of exciting new
directions to grow the business in.
After these projects, we then moved
into the design and build of broadcast
studios, simply because we had the
pre-existing knowledge and capabilities
while the market was a larger one.
Initially starting with a London studio
for Tamil Media, this move has since
resulted in projects with Virgin Money.
Our profile was further raised in
2015 through our work with the BBC
children’s programme
The Dengineers
,
where we built a studio in the shape
of an amplifier. This resulted in a lot of
interest, which enhanced the company
name and standing.
As of 2018, Audio Schemes’ order
books are full until the end of next
year and there is more potential to
branch out into other sectors. One
interesting possibility is working with
National Grid, being on the tender list
Post-production studio
for Roundtable Films,
Covent Garden, London
We always
exceed client
expectations
“
“
Premier League set in
London for LCC/eye-
catching design
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
18 | AUDIO SCHEMES
to soundproof their main control room
to reduce the noise damage emanating
from high decibel levels from gas
pressure explosions.
A multi-talented workforce
Making all of this great work possible
is our staff of 15, who encompass
many different talents. The team is
comprised of a mechanical engineer,
overseeing all ventilation and air
conditioning work; two joiners, who
undertake bespoke fabric fittings;
and a number of dry liners who have
served us for many years. People with
these specialist skills need to be trusted
to use them as a collective. It’s a
highly skilled sector – for instance, the
process of learning to fabric line walls
can take up to four years to become
proficient in.
Issues commonly arise during
projects and the team need an
intricate knowledge of their trade in
order to rectify them. A completed
soundproofed wall may look good to
the eye but in terms of performance, it
could still emit too much noise beyond
the client request. For cases like these,
there needs to be an understanding
of what works and what doesn’t.
Capturing images of our work step by
step has proved an effective way of
building on-site team communication.
Further recognition of our
abilities and services
A genuine area of pride and a
testament to the strengths of Audio
Schemes and its staff was being asked
by the All England Lawn Tennis Club
last year to soundproof the physio
rooms and two TV studios on the
Wimbledon Centre Court, as there
was a lack of privacy when holding
conversations in these rooms.
Looking outwards
One of these is expansion into Europe.
Despite Brexit, we don’t anticipate major
changes. This is because if the price is
right and the quality is there, people
will trade. There are also aspirations to
look further afield. Inquiries have been
made to do some work over in Dubai,
a location where word of mouth from
UK businesses can go a long way
and open up opportunities. The US,
specifically New York City, has also
been looked at. Worldwide, the British
reputation for building still prevails and
this will serve us well as we look to
move furtherforward.
The British
reputation for
building still
prevails
“
“
Giordano-designed set
for a studio in Africa