John Storyk
On Thurs. April 17, 2014 the Boston Section of the Audio Engineering Society held an event at the Berklee College of Music presented by John Storyk to discuss the design and construction of the new educational complex at 160 Mass. Ave. In design and construction for over three years, this two full floor, 14,000 sq. ft. component of a new $100 million, 16-story building includes a cutting edge 1300 sq. ft. recording/mixing suite; a 700 sq. ft. Dolby Atmos™ Dubbing Stage and a 400 sq. ft. (self-contained Sweet Spot) Mastering/Critical Listening Lab which used upwards of 100,000 feet of analog audio, video, CAT-6 and speaker wire with over 30,000 connections via 5500+ connectors.
The presentation outlined the original design ideas/objectives of the massive undertaking. John also addressed the changes made along the way in order to adapt to the complex construction issues that come with digging several stories in the ground of major city. Pictures documenting the various stages provided clarity to the unique aspects required of studio construction.
After the presentation, the event moved to the new building at 160 Mass. Ave. for a tour of the nine studios in the two levels of the production facility. John pointed out the design aspects implemented to allow for flexibility of altering the room acoustics as needed for the variety of projects that the studios would be used for.
As an aspiring musician and architecture student at Princeton and Columbia Universities, John Storyk's career has followed a natural pursuit of his two favorite subjects. Forty years on, his occupational inclinations have produced the design and construction of over 3000 world-class audio and video production facilities, recording studios, radio stations, corporate media and conference rooms, educational, sports and entertainment facilities, clubs, and theaters. His work includes private studios for Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys.
John Storyk's first commission was for Jimi Hendrix in 1969. That studio, Electric Lady, continues to churn out hit records today in its original site in NY's Greenwich Village. Storyk's more recent credits range from multi-million dollar recording facilities in Kuala Lumpur to NY's Jazz At Lincoln Center performance complex, Le Poisson Rouge and 54 Below, to studios in Argentina, Brazil, Europe and China. His 2011 Jungle City, a $6+ million NYC 'Destination Studio' was featured in the NY Times and Vanity Fair.
John Storyk is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Audio Engineering Society (AES). He is a frequent contributor to AES Convention Panels and Papers. A recipient of the AES Fellowship Award, he lectures at schools around the U.S. and has established courses in acoustics at Yale University, Columbia, NYU, Ex'Pression College, SF; Full Sail Center, Orlando; and Berklee College of Music in Boston where he is currently adjunct professor of Acoustics and Studio Design. The Walters-Storyk Design Group is a seven-time winner of the prestigious TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design.
