Mixed Music Arts · Bochum, Germany
From shaping steel to shaping sound. — Acoustically designed & built by Acoustic Spaces.
The threshold
The drop
Touchdown
The real room · Bochum, Germany
For consideration · Studio Design Project
Some studios are built inside legendary recording facilities. Others are born in places that helped build an entire nation. Located in Bochum — the historical heart of Germany's steel industry — MMA Studios continues the city's tradition of uncompromising engineering. Only this time, instead of shaping steel, the facility shapes sound.
The name Mixed Music Arts reflects owner Frank Kissing's martial arts background and a musical journey spanning Hip-Hop, Reggae, House, Dance-Pop and Rough Soul — genres defined by groove, bass, emotion and impact. MMA Studios was purpose-engineered for this hybrid philosophy: combining disciplines with focus, precision and controlled power.
Acoustic Spaces redefined the room geometry with a custom flush-mount wall for uncompromising low-frequency performance. Using NIRO & TORA by REDIacoustics, the concept was optimized before construction. 42 purpose-engineered Helmholtz and slotted-panel resonators. Broadband absorption at all critical first-reflection points.
Production Room: Dutch & Dutch 8c — songwriting, editing, daily production. Main Control Room: Guzauski Swist GS4 main monitors + dual GS18 subwoofers + Dangerous Music D-BOX.
The studio's striking visual identity was designed by Frank Kissing. The large-format, graphic-novel-inspired artwork — printed on acoustically transparent fabric directly in front of the hidden acoustic treatment — was created by Frank as an integral part of the studio's character. It is this graphic design that gives MMA Studios its unmistakable cinematic atmosphere.
A room designed like a record — dark, warm, and built to make you feel something. Submitted with pride for the Studio Design Project category.
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