Custom Accoustics

Calum Smeaton

Five years ago, Calum Smeaton launched a successful audio engineering career with help from a grant from Hunter’s Fund. After applying for an initial grant to upgrade the DIY music recording studio he founded while attending the University of Virginia, Calum landed a gig producing audio tours for the Smithsonian Institute. 

 In 2021, he completed an internship in Architectural Acoustics at Walters-Storyk Design Group, an international construction company specializing in acoustics and media system engineering. 

That internship tied directly into his latest business endeavor: acoustic room treatments for “e-studios.” 

 After spending the last two years studying acoustics, diving into advanced mathematics, refining his designs, prototyping, and filing patents, Calum is now preparing to launch his latest venture.  

 “As large commercial studios shut their doors in unprecedented numbers, small, efficient, economical “e-studios” pop up in droves to replace them,” Calum says. "These spaces are demanding attention, pushing for professional standards, and seeking alternatives to outdated, industrial solutions. I believe that my designs represent just this alternative.”

 E-studios are not limited to music production purposes—they include spaces for video post-production, dialogue recording, gaming, newscasting, vlogging, and film scoring, to name a few

 “I believe the owners of such spaces will greatly benefit from the availability of affordable, bespoke acoustic treatments that inject some expression into their spaces while enhancing the acoustic character,” Calum says. 

Calum’s grant from Hunter’s Fund will be used to purchase industrial machinery to scale up his production process and bring his products to market