Ben Barter Studio

Drummer and recording artist Ben Barter transformed a deteriorated backyard garage in Los Angeles—previously divided into two bedrooms and a small living area—into a purpose-built recording studio. Working around an active touring schedule, Barter stripped the structure back to its original shell, rebuilt the roof, removed the flat ceiling, and added a structural beam to create a vaulted interior. The compact room serves as both a drum-tracking space and an accurate mix environment, with six-degree angled sidewalls improving the stereo image while creating concealed storage for drums and equipment. Laminated interior glazing preserves natural light while strengthening isolation from the busy street and surrounding residential noise. The resulting room has a focused sound suited to pop production and remote drum recording, with enough flexibility to capture more spacious tones using room microphones throughout the studio and adjoining areas.

Haverstick Designs supported the project with acoustic simulations, room-ratio and low-frequency analysis, and construction details for sound isolation, while Barter served as his own general contractor and fabricated much of the studio himself. The acoustic treatment combines perimeter soffit bass trapping, ceiling clouds, Classic Acoustical wall tiles, perforated and broadband absorbers, diffusion elements, and DIY tube traps. An architect and structural engineer assisted with permitting and sizing the beam for the vaulted ceiling, an outside roofing contractor completed the roof work, and friends helped with the beam installation and CNC fabrication of custom treatment components. Together, the collaboration created a highly personal backyard studio that allows Barter to move quickly between professional drum tracking, mixing, and creative experimentation.