Video for Milton from Ben Fain on Vimeo.

The PoolHouse is the on-site recording studio of the Harold Arts residency program in Chesterhill, Ohio. Designed and built in 2010, our studio reclaims an abandoned indoor swimming pool for our musical residents, and artists interested in working with sound.

Harold engineers Ben Carver and Brian J. Sulpizio, working with our local architects John Singree and Billy Conner, developed a plan that took advantage of the large indoor space provided by the PoolHouse and the availability of low-cost white pine from the Harold Tree Farm.

The lumber was all milled by friends in the local Amish community. We built a solid deck over the entire length and width of the pool itself, sturdy enough to accommodate our musicians and all their gear. The aluminum ceiling was removed and replaced with acoustic treatments improvised from available materials. The natural and undesirable sonic reflections of the rectangular room were offset with wall treatments made from the irregular-shaped bark that is normally disposed of in the milling process.

The result is the enormous tracking room we call the PoolHouse, big enough for a busload of musicians, but versatile enough for an intimate solo recording.  The PoolHouse is also ideal for recorded live performances, with plenty of space for a well-miced band and a large audience as well.

During the Harold Arts residency, the PoolHouse is run by an accomplished team of engineers and producers (the 2010 team included the aforementioned Ben Carver and Brian J. Sulpizio, along with J. Ashley Miller, Gabe Noel, Seth Vanek, Jason Ajemian, and Nori Tanaka.) We are looking forward to making the PoolHouse available for off-season projects; please contact us at info@haroldarts.com for more information.

Previous Harold Compilations on Soundcloud, also available on LP or CD

Harold Arts 2008 by haroldarts Harold Arts 2009 by haroldarts