Not so soundproof: Inside the noise issues in Hewitt Hall’s new studios

OSWEGO, N.Y. — After years of anticipation, SUNY Oswego’s newly renovated Hewitt Hall is finally open, but some say the state-of-the-art media facility still isn’t ready for prime time.

The $80 million project was designed to serve as a modern hub for communication and media students, featuring brand-new television studios, audio production spaces, and editing suites. But just weeks into the semester, professors and engineers say ongoing technical issues, particularly with the building’s HVAC systems, are preventing the space from operating at full capacity.

“It’s got this extremely loud vent, which makes it impossible to mix anything,” said audio production professor Jeff Bradbury, standing inside one of the new recording studios. “That noise floor, I can’t tell if I have any noise in the recordings that I’m playing through the speakers.”

Bradbury explained that the issue runs deeper than just annoyance. The HVAC system creates a constant background hum that interferes with the precision required for professional audio work.

“You should be able to hear a pin drop in here, not that,” Bradbury said. “When we were in Lanigan, you’d walk in those rooms and if you were quiet for a second, it almost felt like the room closed in on you because it was so quiet. That’s how it’s supposed to be. These rooms were designed to be that quiet, but the HVAC noise ruins it.”

Lanigan Hall, the program’s former home, housed older but acoustically sound studios that allowed for critical listening and recording work, Bradbury said. In contrast, the new Hewitt spaces, though modern and visually impressive, have struggled with noise interference since opening.

Shaun Secaur, a broadcast engineer for the college, said that while the building is a major step forward for the program, projects of this size often take time to fully stabilize.

“Sometimes from the top to the bottom a lot of details get missed along the way,” Secaur said. “I actually had my sights set kind of lower. I thought there was going to be a lot more wrong with the building. I didn’t even think it was going to be done in time this semester.”

Secaur said that resolving the HVAC issues will take time but emphasized that the college is aware of the concerns.

“I think students have a great opportunity in Hewitt,” he said. “We all have the same concerns for any of the shortcomings that are here now, we’re all in this together.”

Despite the frustrations, both faculty and staff remain optimistic that Hewitt will soon deliver on its promises. Once fully operational, the building will give students hands-on experience with industry-standard tools in television, audio, and digital media, preparing them for careers in an increasingly technical field.

For now, though, the sound of progress at Hewitt Hall is quite literally louder than expected.