About Tony Woolf

I specialise in the fields of (1) studio and control room design, and (2) hearing protection,especially for performers and those using headphones or loudspeakers. But I also undertake unusual projects - see General consultancy.

After being an acoustic engineer with the BBC for 14 years, I became an independent consultant in 1996.

While in the BBC I was a contributor to their Guide to Acoustic Practice (1990) and for some years was secretary of the BBC's Acoustic Committee.

I was sole acoustic consultant on many major BBC projects such as

  • The redevelopment of the BBC Edinburgh Headquarters

  • Creating the studio complex for the start of Radio Five Live

  • Creation of the largest radio drama recording complex in the UK (in Bristol)

  • Several purpose built new BBC Local Radio centres, and major re-modelling for many more.

As well as the more major projects, I have worked on numerous small facilities such as editing and post-production rooms. I'm used to fitting technical rooms into existing buildings, often with major constraints of floor loading and inter-slab height, projecting beams and other practical difficulties. While acoustic perfection may not be possible in such buildings, a cost-effective and adequate design can often be achieved.

I have a particular interest in achieving high quality loudspeaker monitoring and stereo imaging, and in solving speaker monitoring problems. If required, I will design for minimum early reflections using tools such as MLSSA. But this may not be either appropriate or necessary for your application. I will not try to impose a "one size fits all" solution but will try to achieve the best solution for your own needs and budget.

As an independent consultant I have worked on large and small projects. Here is a short list to show the variety:

  • Radio training studios for the University of Navarre (Pamplona, Spain)

  • Radio training studios,surround sound recording/mixing suite, and music practice rooms for Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Acoustic consultant for sound reinforcement and broadcast systems in the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the new Parliament building in Westminster (Portcullis House), and the Greater London Assembly Building

  • Hearing protection consultancy for BBC, BSkyB, Capital Radio and others

  • Provision of a system to reproduce a precise pattern of traffic noise at every bed in a sleep laboratory for medical research

  • Earphone and sound level limiter measurements for Canford Audio and others

  • London studio for CBC

  • Ground vibration measurements and prediction of underground train noise for a major London studio project

  • Transmission studios for BBC Radio 2 and Radio 6 Music

  • Film dubbing studios for BBC Pacific Quay building in Glasgow.

I have an MSc with Distinction from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, in Acoustics, Vibration and Noise Control, and I am a member of the Institute of Acoustics (MOIA).

Phone or email for a free initial discussion about your project.
Phone 020 7624 2512 or click to contact us.