For Immediate Release
Atlanta, GA – October 15, 2025 – GIK Acoustics has collaborated with Grammy, multi-Latin Grammy and TEC Award-winning mastering engineer Adam Ayan to design and build his new mastering studio, Ayan Mastering, in Portland, Maine. The project marks Ayan’s first independent facility following the closure of the legendary Gateway Mastering, where he spent over 25 years shaping some of the world’s most iconic records.
Ayan’s love of music and passion for sound began long before his mastering career. Inspired by MTV, he played bass in several bands in his youth, one of which recorded a demo at a local studio. “That was just eye and ear opening,” he laughs. “We were having a blast making this record! I didn’t know a lot about the technology in the studio world at that time, but I wanted to.”
The experience led him to study sound recording at UMass Lowell, where he first met Grammy-winning mastering engineer Bob Ludwig and was introduced to the craft of mastering. By 1998, Ayan had joined Gateway Mastering, first as Ludwig’s assistant and later running his own room.
Over the next two decades, he mastered thousands of projects before embarking on the opportunity to design a studio that reflected his own creative vision.
“The concept for me always was to build a room that was similar to my room at Gateway, yet, if possible, better sonically and also aesthetically, and which reflects my creativity and my personality,” Ayan explains.
For Ayan, the listening environment is central to his work. “The most important thing to me is my ears, my ear brain – that’s the whole thing… and the most important thing next to my ears is the critical listening environment. It’s the room itself. It’s the speakers you choose. It’s everything in the signal path.”
To achieve that level of precision for his new facility, Ayan turned to GIK Acoustics. Their expertise in designing and supplying modular treatment solutions gave him the confidence that every element of the space would contribute to a truly neutral and reliable listening environment.
Construction involved floating floors, double-wall isolation and multiple layers of QuietRock with green glue to create a completely controlled shell, providing GIK Acoustics the perfect foundation on which to deliver the treatment plan.
According to James Lindenschmidt, Vice President of Acoustic Design at GIK Acoustics, the untreated room initially exhibited long decay times and clustered modal activity in the low end. “Modal activity clustered between approximately 28–56 Hz, with numerous other problems throughout the bass range,” explains Lindenschmidt. “The solution hinged on modular broadband devices, more or less evenly distributed throughout the room.”
The final design centred on three GIK product families: Soffit Bass Traps in the corners, Q7D diffusers on the rear wall, and GIK’s new modular Sound Blocks for broadband absorption, range-limited bass trapping, and hybrid binary diffusion throughout the room. This approach delivered a smooth, even response across the audible spectrum without overdamping the space.
“The Sound Blocks are absolutely key to the acoustic design of the room,” says Ayan. “All told, there are 107 Sound Blocks in my room, of varying types. The size, depth and effectiveness of the Sound Blocks blew me away. Day to day, I have the best sounding room possible, and the Sound Blocks are the key to that. Beyond the sound, I was also able to choose fabric and plate colours, which was really important. It’s exactly what I wanted aesthetically for the room, and matches the colours of the Ayan Mastering logo and brand.”
Having relied on his trusted Duntech Sovereign speakers throughout his career, Ayan needed a room that would support their accuracy. “The Duntech Sovereigns are my favourite speakers of all time, and the most balanced speaker in terms of frequency response that I have ever heard,” he says. “That said, any listening scenario is made up of several elements, the speakers being just one of those elements. As amazing as they are, the room they are in is a big part of the overall sonic picture. A lesser room would add colour to the sound, but a well-designed room like mine helps make them shine.”
Reflecting on the transition from Gateway, Ayan adds, “It feels amazing! I was privileged to work in what were considered two of the best mastering rooms on the planet. Being in a position to start fresh with new and modern building materials, with a new and modern approach to the room and what would go in it, and the approach to managing the acoustics of the room with modular GIK devices, was key. This new approach allowed for a result which is better and more neutral than those spaces I worked in for 25 years. I’ve created a feel and vibe that is wholly my own.”
Ayan believes his experience highlights an important message for anyone setting up a studio. “Not only do I believe that acoustic treatment is a critical investment in any studio, but I believe it to be the most crucial investment,” he says. “When you’re setting up a new room, you should take the time and invest in making that environment as neutral as possible so you can work well without fighting any colour the room may be adding. I’m just so thrilled with the way it turned out.”
The result is a mastering space that balances neutrality with personality, allowing Ayan to work with complete confidence that every decision translates beyond his studio.
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High-res images, available here.
Media Contact:
Liz Wilkinson PR
liz@lizwilkinsonpr.com
+447368992676
About GIK Acoustics
GIK Acoustics is a global leader in acoustic treatment solutions, providing bass traps, acoustic panels, diffusers and modular systems for studios, high-end listening rooms, home cinemas and commercial environments. Serving both the professional audio and Hi-Fi markets, GIK Acoustics is trusted by recording engineers, producers, musicians, educators and audiophiles worldwide.
With manufacturing hubs in the US and Europe, the company delivers direct-to-customer service across global markets, offering free acoustic advice and tailored design support from a team of experienced engineers and designers. GIK products combine performance and aesthetics, with a wide range of customisation options to suit both technical needs and visual preferences.
Learn more at gikacoustics.com (US) or gikacoustics.co.uk (UK/EU).
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