Genelec powers Shreya Ghoshal’s sonic Sanctuary in Mumbai

Channelling the unique artistic vision of Shreya Ghoshal – one of India’s most celebrated singers – The Sanctuary is a dynamic audio-visual studio located in the bustling Santacruz West area of Mumbai. Attracting artists, producers, filmmakers, and content creators alike, the studio fuses inspiration, innovation, and functionality, all under one roof – with Genelec studio monitoring at its very heart.

“During the Covid period, I started working from home. I built a small home setup and was recording my own music for two or three years during that time,” recalls Ghoshal, known affectionately as the Voice of India. “But the home environment is chaotic. You don’t find the peace you want while creating music, so I needed a space where different ideas and different kinds of people could come together to collaborate.”

Named The Sanctuary to emphasise the studio’s sense of comfort and calm in the midst of Mumbai’s bustling atmosphere, Ghoshal was really clear about what she wanted to achieve. “Most Mumbai studios are small because of limited space and cost, while the big ones are too large for a single vocalist. So, I wanted a place of the right size where you can sit, ideate, relax, play games, discuss with your band, and move around freely.”

In realising her dream of a vibrant creative studio environment, Ghoshal enlisted the help of her father Bishwajit, acclaimed studio designers Munro Acoustics, and renowned studio and live sound engineer Chinmay Harshe.

Even at low volumes, you hear the entire range clearly and can spot flaws easily.

Harshe recalls the process clearly: “Shreya said ‘we have to build a studio’, and that's how it started. Then discussions began about who would design it, so we got Kapil Thirwani from Munro Acoustics onboard, and everything came together. There were backandforth discussions about where to put the control room, and so on, and in about ten days, we finished the plan and decided to execute. We built it in record time — about four months.”

The relaxed feel of the studio was also crucial. “From the start, Shreya wanted it to be a community space, not just hers,” adds Harshe. “She wanted it to feel peaceful, unlike a corporate studio where the clock is ticking. That’s why the vibe is comfortable.”
The plan for The Sanctuary included a precision-tuned control room, a dedicated piano room, small and large isolation booths, and a double-height live room – offering the perfect environment to capture every nuance of the artist’s performance. When it came to monitoring, Genelec was the obvious choice.

Chinmay Harshe, renowned studio, live sound engineer and collaborator at The Sanctuary, Mumbai.

“Genelec monitors have been a part of my life from the beginning, with all the big studios in Mumbai using them,” explains Ghoshal. “They have power, precision, and aren’t coloured. Many monitors produce mixes that sound different when you take them elsewhere; but Genelec sounds true.” At this point, Shiv Sood from local Genelec partner Sound Team was enlisted as the natural choice to help The Sanctuary create the perfect monitoring solution for the room.

With Sood providing a selection of Genelec monitors to audition, The Sanctuary team finally settled on the 1238DF midfield SAM (Smart Active Monitor) models in conjunction with a 7370A SAM subwoofer, configured and calibrated using GLM loudspeaker manager software. With its slimline dimensions, the 1238DF is a consistently popular choice with discerning professionals seeking main monitor performance from a more compact enclosure. For nearfield monitoring, The Sanctuary has installed a pair of two-way 8030C models in the RAW aluminium finish, which were originally supplied by Sound Team for Ghoshal’s home studio during the pandemic.

Thanks to the accuracy of Genelec monitoring, we always know what we’re doing.

The Sanctuary features Genelec 1238DF as main monitors, 8030C as near-field along with 7370A subwoofer.

The studio is also equipped with a world-class selection of Manley, Neumann and AKG microphones, Chandler, Manley and Universal Audio preamplifiers, Lynx audio converters, and a meticulously curated backline of instruments and amplifiers. “Since Shreya’s a singer, we chose specific microphones and preamps to have the right variety and flavours. It was all a team dialogue — what to get, what not to get. But since the studio is available for everyone, a visiting singer or artist won’t lack equipment — everything is here,” says Harshe.

Commenting on the performance of the monitoring system, Harshe is delighted with the results. “Even at low volumes, you hear the entire range clearly and can spot flaws easily. It’s like a microscope — extremely clear. Phase issues are also easy to detect. When you collapse mixes into mono, the sweet spot doesn’t move much. You’re not fishing for it. It’s stable and cohesive.”
Ghoshal agrees. “These monitors help me understand what I have sung. If a projection sounds harsh, I’ll go back and redo it,” she says. “Chinmay knows my voice well and suggests when to change the preamp or mic depending on the song type — whether that’s electronic or acoustic.”

The accuracy of the monitoring system owes much to GLM software, which integrates closely with the DSP hardware within Genelec SAM monitors and subwoofers. GLM measures and analyses the room’s acoustics, and allows the frequency response, playback level and time-of-flight for each individual monitor to be automatically fine-tuned to the space. Prior to the development of SAM technology back in 2006, precise system tuning would have involved a lengthy manual calibration, as Harshe explains:

“Back in the day Genelec’s local sales engineer Clifford Pereira would always need to come and tune the system, but now GLM handles it, and we know it’s calibrated for the room. We tried different subwoofer positions, found what worked best, and that was it. Very easy.”

Since opening, The Sanctuary has been consistently busy with Ghoshal’s own projects and has also attracted glowing testimonials from visiting clients such as composer M. Jayachandran, actress Ratna Pathak Shah, and playback singers Madhumanti Bagchi and Armaan Malik. And already the studio has a restless eye on the future, with plans to expand to 5.1, 7.1 and beyond.
But right now, Ghoshal couldn’t be happier with the results. “This studio gives solitude when needed and space to bounce ideas with others. It works for every artist who comes here – and thanks to the accuracy of Genelec monitoring, we always know what we’re doing.”

THE KIT
2 x 1238DF
2 x 8030C RAW
1 x 7370A
1 x GLM Calibration Kit

Genelec Distributor
Sound Team, Mumbai