Commercial
FORM50 Fitness has built its following around a precise, high-energy approach to reformer-based strength training. Founded in 2018 by Monica Marder, the brand combines Pilates-influenced movement with streamlined coaching, hands-on correction, and a studio environment designed to keep clients focused from the first rep to the final cue.
For FORM50’s Brooklyn Heights location, that environment depended on more than volume. The studio needed music with enough impact to drive the room, voice reinforcement clear enough for safe instruction, and acoustic control that would keep the space from becoming fatiguing as classes filled with motion, music, and coaching.
Building the Ultimate Client Experience
Marder had learned from FORM50’s early locations that a basic consumer audio setup could not fully support the brand’s ambitions. Loud music alone did not create the right feeling, and instructors still needed to be heard without pushing their voices over the system.
“Vocal clarity and speech intelligibility is incredibly important in these group classes, because you want them to be able to hear instructions clearly so that they perform the exercises accurately and safely,” Marder said. “In addition to that, you want to be conscious of the vocal health of your coaches so they don’t have to strain their voice to be heard.”
The challenge was both technical and emotional: the system had to support the workout without distracting from it. When the audio helps clients feel guided, energized, and comfortable, the studio can deliver the kind of premium experience that makes FORM50 feel intentional instead of improvised.
A Recording-Studio Mindset for Fitness
Marder knew Pro Audio Design through its recording studio work for artists including Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg. After meeting PAD Founder Dave Malekpour, she saw how the same discipline used to shape critical listening rooms could apply to a boutique fitness studio, where every surface and speaker placement affects what clients and coaches experience.
“What made PAD immediately stand out was that they looked at our locations holistically and saw ways that we could make effective small enhancements to all of them that could make a big impact quickly,” Marder said. The Brooklyn Heights studio became the opportunity to design the sound reinforcement and acoustics together from the start.
That early involvement helped the team protect FORM50’s established look and feel while making the new location easier to operate. The goal was not to make the technology visible, but to let clients step into a room where the soundtrack, coaching, and room response all felt settled and intentional.
Seamless Integration and Acoustics
Once the Brooklyn Heights site was selected, PAD installed the DAS sound system and measured its performance in the room. Like many workout studios, the space presented a long, rectilinear footprint, which helped the team apply broad acoustic solutions rather than chase narrow, isolated problem frequencies.
PAD VP Sales & Marketing John Songdahl described the room as boomy, with reflections and reverberation that needed to be controlled before the sound system could perform at its best. Malekpour served as the project’s acoustician and space designer, Songdahl designed the sound system and wiring, and PAD’s Eric Anderson handled the installation.
The result is a system built around contrast. The music needs a club-like low-end presence that keeps clients moving, while the instructor’s voice has to remain intelligible, natural, and comfortable. Achieving both required treating the loudspeakers and the room acoustics as one integrated package.
Control Without Complexity
PAD specified full-range DAS loudspeakers with strong low-end performance from a ported two-way design using a 15-inch driver and horn-loaded compression drivers. The system distributes bass energy evenly through the studio, giving music the physicality expected in a fitness environment without letting it overwhelm speech.
Symetrix audio processing gives coaches accessible control over microphone and music levels, so they can adjust the energy of the room without becoming audio engineers. Feedback suppression helps optimize mic levels, maintain speech intelligibility, and keep the system stable during active classes.
“You want a club-like vibe to the sound and lighting so that the music is pumping and people are feeling hyped up,” Malekpour said, “but at the same time you also need the coaches to be clearly heard without being piercing or uncomfortable to listen to.”
A Model for Future Studios
Open since June, the Brooklyn Heights FORM50 location now serves as a model for future studios. For Marder, the sonic upgrade provided a level of confidence that extends beyond the room itself. PAD managed the process from design through installation, tuning, and calibration, allowing the FORM50 team to focus on the client experience.
“The studio is a completely seamless sonic environment to step into and it makes the instructor setup incredibly simple and easy to dial-in so they can focus on what matters most,” Marder said. “Being able to ensure that high-quality experience gives me a lot of relief and freedom to run the business. PAD was instrumental in ensuring that.”
Ultimately, the project shows how thoughtful integration can make technology disappear into a highly active commercial environment. In Brooklyn Heights, sound is not an add-on to the studio concept. It is part of the coaching, the brand, the safety of the workout, and the emotional arc of every class.
Featured Equipment
Audio
- DAS full-range loudspeakers
- Ported two-way loudspeaker design with 15-inch driver
- Horn-loaded frequency compression drivers
- Symetrix audio processing
- Coach microphone and music volume controls
- Feedback suppression for speech intelligibility and system performance
Services
- Acoustic design and room analysis
- Sound system design and wiring
- Installation, tuning, and calibration
- Operational setup designed for simple instructor use
Project Partners and Sources
FORM50 Fitness
Boutique reformer studios focused on strength training, precision movement, and hands-on coaching
Pro Audio Design
Professional audio equipment, system integration, acoustic design, installation, tuning, and calibration.
All photos courtesy of FORM50 Fitness
