Behind the Scenes:
The Performance Listening Center at Shure

Just north of the massive Helmut Jahn-designed Shure headquarters in suburban Chicago is a low-slung giant shoebox of a modern structure that houses the company’s 65,000 square-foot Technology Annex. No flora-filled atrium or cheerful receptionist here; you will be greeted by friendly, no-nonsense security personnel. Gain entry here and you are among the few to see – from a distance - research and development in action.

The wide halls are sparse and as you pass glassed-in laboratories and workstations on the first floor, it’s apparent right away that this is a pretty serious place. After all, scientists, engineers and physicists work here. Turn to the left, though, and a particularly heavy, specially constructed soundproof door takes you into yet another world, plush and luxurious. This is Shure’s Performance Listening Center.

Whether you are a performer, an engineer or a just layperson curious about how recordings are made, this is an oasis.

Opened in 2005, the Performance Listening Center is a separate building (within a building) built on floating slabs and wall framing supporting acoustically isolated spaces. In it is a comprehensive evaluation studio and theatre-style critical listening environment.













The Evaluation Studio
Large enough to accommodate a small band, full drum kit and baby grand piano, the studio's main room is bordered by an isolation booth and control room housing recording and playback gear as well as the engineer's and producer's desks.

According to the PLC architect Russ Berger (whose firm also designed the Technology Annex) “Internal acoustics were a top priority at the PLC. Working within that framework, our goal was to provide a visually appealing space that sounded natural. Parameters that had a direct impact on the acoustics of the room included its dimensions, volumetric relations, and surface finishes.”

Many a Shure endorsing artist has found a studio away from home while visiting headquarters or coming through Chicago on tour – De La Soul, Wyclef Jean, Alice Peacock and Natalie Cole have all been here, along with engineers for acts like Radiohead.

According to Dean Giavaras, who is the Shure engineer responsible for running the PLC, it’s also a popular lunchtime and after-hours destination for band-forming Shure Associates who are musicians and according to legend, account for about 40% of the company’s employees.



The Critical Listening Room
Offering the comfort of an elegant theatre with tiered seating for fourteen and a bamboo floor, the critical listening room is used for product testing, competitive product comparisons, playback sessions and training.