One of the most awe-inspiring writing, recording and mixing spaces in the world, the Big Room is a musician’s paradise, packed with technology, old and new. Aesthetically, it’s also a far cry from the windowless box of the average studio, as glancing up from the 72-channel Solid State Logic 9000K console gives an intoxicating view of the millpond through the giant windows, complete with ducks, swans and – if you’re lucky – kingfishers.

Renowned for its controlled acoustic and natural ambience, the Big Room has long been one of the world’s premier environments for album tracking, full-band sessions, mix sessions and writing retreats. Its unique combination of scale, sight-lines and sonic clarity creates a versatile space where everything from delicate solo recordings to expansive ensemble performances can be captured with character and precision. With a comprehensive range of instruments and backline at hand, and monitoring trusted by top engineers for decades, the room remains the creative heart of Real World’s stereo production work – even as it now also embraces cutting-edge immersive technologies.

The original, groundbreaking idea behind the Big Room was to bring musicians and engineers together in the same space, ‘dissolving’ the control room, and that’s still how it’s often employed. When a greater degree of separation is required, though, there are 13 acoustic screens and two isolation booths available, as well as the option of joint-booking the Wood Room, for a more conventional divided control/live room setup.

The Big Room contains a Pro Tools | Ultimate HDX-2 system (64 i/o), custom Exigy monitoring and a 24-channel digital foldback system, as well as a Yamaha C3 grand piano, Yamaha U3 upright with optional felts, Hammond C3 organ and an ever-expanding list of other instruments and backline.

9.1.4 Exigy Atmos Monitoring

In 2025, the Big Room was further expanded with a bespoke 9.1.4 Exigy Atmos monitoring system, purpose-built to give artists and mixers a seamless entry into immersive audio production. Driven by a Grace Design M908 monitor controller, the system can switch instantly between full 9.1.4 Atmos and traditional stereo monitoring, making it ideal for projects that need to move fluidly between both worlds.

The immersive environment integrates effortlessly into existing workflows. With dedicated HDX-Dante outputs feeding the M908, a standard stereo Pro Tools session can be routed into the system within moments, without any need for session restructuring. For maximum flexibility, all speakers can also be hard-patched via the Big Room’s analog tie lines, allowing engineers to interface with the system exactly as they prefer.

This upgrade transforms the Big Room into an exceptional space for immersive recording, film mix sessions, Atmos music mixing, and exhibition or installation sound design. The system is engineered to remove technical barriers entirely, allowing artists to focus on creativity while exploring the expanding possibilities of spatial audio.

For an example of immersive production made in the Big Room, please refer to our page about our immersive R&D project ‘Flow’ here.

Whether you’re mixing film, crafting an Atmos music release, working on a stereo album, or experimenting with new recording approaches, the Big Room offers a world-class environment ready to meet the needs of any project.

Our engineering team can advise on which of Real World’s rooms would best suit your project. Get in touch with them via the Contact page.