Basement Bluegrass Studio Design

I've exhausted the search function and have read a BUNCH of really helpful tips and pointers!! A truly great site! I have purchased and read the Rod Gervais book as well as the Jeff Cooper book! Very helpful!!! Overview... I'm looking to convert my space into a facility where I can record a typical bluegrass setup (4-5 acoustic instruments) and do some electric overdubs and such. After my last place, I really want a control room large enough so that folks aren't breathing nacho breath on me while we're tracking/listening/mixing/editing... I need my own bubble of personal space! I am a vocalist and guitar/mandolin player and would like to be able to do overdubs and record my own demos. I envision a vocal booth attached to the control, where I can wire in a video monitor and use a wireless mouse or whatever so that I can punch my own buttons.... OR just lay some tracks right in the control room. For the type of music and the way I like to record, I NEED 4-5 isolation booths PLUS my vocal booth. Because of the current layout with bathroom and stairs, I don't think I'll have line of sight with the pickers, but I'd like them to be able to see eachother. I would like to have a small live room where I can cut drums, but it's not a necessity... perhaps the lounge could double ....? Not sure. I HAVE to have a lounge so folks can go chat OUTSIDE of the control room. I am a VOCAL guy. So I want a rockin' vocal booth NOT a coat closet and I want to SEE the vocalists from the control room (perhaps a door from one to the other... I like to go talk face to face with them sometimes...) How loud... I live in the country (minutes from Nashville, but with deer and turkeys in the yard). I have a neighbor about 1000' from the house, but others are quite a bit farther. I'm on an acre of land with a deep ravine behind me. I play ACOUSTIC music with the occasional 'lectric guitar or drums. No marshall stacks here! I'm not too worried about sound leakage!!! The house is a brick ranch with a block basement. The NW wall of the basement is completely underground and the SE wall is completely exposed. The basement has been gutted and awaits new construction. Our main entrance to the house will be shared as the main entrance to the studio. It's just my wife and I, and she's a singer too! 8) The dimensions are included in the drawings, ceiling height 8'6". I was hoping to get out of it for around $10,000. I'm planning on doing this in stages, though. I would like to get my control room and vocal booth done ASAP and then add the other booths as time and money allow. I need to figure out my design figured out pretty soon so I can start researching the HVAC (none in the space currently) and get that installed. Questions... What would you do with this space? (Please don't suggest making one "live room" instead of booths as that is NOT practical for what I need).. I'm trying to squelch Banjo bleed, Fiddle bleed and such...! Thanks in advance for your suggestions! EDIT--- I can't figure out how to post a picture of the drawing... Grrr...

Aloha and welcome to the forum, Here's your pic for starters. :wink: Aloha 8)

Thanks buddy! Do you happen to have a link to a page where I might learn how to do that?? My brain and sketchup don't really see eye to eye. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to draw that... and it's really simple. Oh well! Thanks for your time! -Stephen

I realize that I didn't identify the areas too well... oops. My current vision... Top Left is the vocal booth, thin but long... Directly below is the control room obviously Below that is a sound lock/storage area, and some HVAC room in the bottom Left corner. Bottom Right is the main house entrance. There is a little wooden riser there for some reason...eventually, I'm planning on a second entrance door at the end of that for a soundlock. I SHOULD ADD THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A MOSTLY CLEAR WALKWAY FROM THAT DOOR TO THE STAIRWAY (groceries,etc.) to the Left of the couch is a closet for the hot water heater and the kitchenette (counter for coffeepot, small fridge etc.) Bathroom/laundry room is self-explanatory except that I'll be adding a shower in the top left corner... exact doorway placement is still undetermined. The Booths (4 main and 1 vox) will be freestanding, room-in-a-room with their own ceilings. the lounge/main and control will use rc channels... Guess that's all I can think of for now! Thanks!

Aloha, You're welcome. :D Firstly, you need to generate a jpeg of your skp file - File/export/2D graphic Next, add attachment to your post - click choose file in section below "post a reply" box - locate your newly created jpeg - click "add the file" When you are finished posting your text, click "submit" Hope that helps, Aloha 8)

I'm wondering if I folks might need some more details .... I'm happy to provide'm. Looking forward to hearing y'alls thoughts and ideas! -Mojo

Not really a bump... more of a gentle "nudge".... Anyone have any suggestions for my design? Is there anything that is obviously "wrong" with the layout that I might not see... etc.? Thanks! -Mojo

Do you really need to seperate all your instruments? Wouldn't that type of music be best suited to the muso's all being in the same room. To get the feel and dynamic? I'd hate to try and get 5 headphone mixes perfect plus eye lines and timing. Small rooms also sound bad for acoustic instruments. A medium-big room with 2 booths would be better. lil

also your control room is a bit strange. It not square but it may as well be. You need to find soom more length and splay the left and right wall at least 6-12deg. I don't like the lay-out yet! I'll have a play and get back to you :)

Thanks for your comments Lillith... I'm eager to see what you have in mind for the control room. The booths.... and my reasoning... I've cut bluegrass in big rooms and in multiple booths... It has ALWAYS been easier and better in the separated spaces. Banjo, Fiddle, and Dobro are REALLY loud instruments and will bleed into EVERYTHING. BAD. Keeping mandolin out of guitar tracks and bass out of guitar tracks... EEK. One great place that I cut in sometimes uses a booth for Bass, booth for fiddle, and an airlock for banjo. Mando and guitar (me) sit in the larger room... It's a bummer when the mando has to re-cut his chops while I try to do a small fix on a solo... and vise-versa. I can't imagine how annoying that would be with 5 players involved!!! When I produce, I hire A-list players and it wouldn't be too much of an issue. However, many of my clients are bands or musicians who could benefit from a second or third pass on their solos... As a teacher, I'm happy to provide the opportunity for musicians to grow. Unfortunately, if the whole band has to recut because of some funky notes in a solo, musical growth is not so possible! If there are any suggestions for making the booths better (different shapes, different placements, etc.) c'mon with it!! I'm up for changing my layout in any way and if anyone can suggest a way out of my booth issues I'm happy to hear it! Again, thanks for the input! -Mojo

I played mandolin on an album late last year and your right! Damn I wish I could have re-done it but there was bleed all over the cello track. OK, ideas to come.

I should mention that the only things that CAN'T be changed are the stairs and bathroom.... I'm really hoping to have a small lounge... my wife has banned TV from the upstairs so that's going to be my movie watching space as well as a studio "hangout". Looking forward to your suggestions and thank you for understanding!! -Mojo

Aloha, Perhaps something like this for starters? In Rod Gervais’ book “Build it Like the Pros,” viewtopic.php?t=5670 he points out both L.W.Sepmeyer’s & M.M. Louden’s formulas most widely used in professional studios worldwide. L.W. Sepmeyer Height Width Length 1.00 1.14 1.39 8’ x 9’1” x 11’1” M.M. Louden Height Width Length 1.00 1.40 1.90 8’ x 11’2” x 15’2” Eric Desart on Louden’s Ratios viewtopic.php?p=64490&highlight=#64490 1.00, 1.35, 1.85 8’ x 10’8” x 14’8” This skp is based on Eric's study of Louden's ratios, which gives a starting point of 8' x 10'8" x 14'8" (H x W x L) Also, by re-orienting your control room this way, you'll have plenty of room for a vocal booth & lounge, as well as what appears to be a "front door" access. Hope this helps, Aloha 8)

Kendale, your ratios by my calculation are off just a bit 8' x 1.35 = 10.8' which is actually ~10' 9 5/8" and 8' x 1.85 = 14.8' or ~14' 9 5/8". Not sure how much of a difference that 1 5/8" each direction would make if any. Just an observation. Also there is only 14'4" from the wall next to the stairs (front of your control room) to the outer foundation wall (back wall of CR). Once you put in your stud walls, this is going to throw your ratios off even further. Also by the looks of it in order to get from the control room to the tracking rooms you actually have to leave the building and come in through the other door. There doesn't seem to be enough space between the wall of the CR, the post and the laundry room/bathroom. You said you wanted to put a shower in the corner there correct?

I had a question about the ratios as represented by sepmeyer, ie. 1:1.14:1.39 which relates to H W L i was wondering if i were to switch the dimensions for The Height with th Width how would that affect the room? Im really keen on using that for my studio control room that im building so please do let me know if its a good idea. Thanks

Here is another possibility. Still using one of Loudens 3 golden ratios. This time the ratio is 1:1.50:2.10 for a room that is 8' x 12' x 16.8'. There is still room for a vocal booth behind the CR that is approx 4.5' x 8.5'. Just another option.

Firstly, THANKS for everyone's time and input! Several points to ponder, indeed!!! Kendale... I read that thing... I swear... can't believe I forgot to check the ratios.... I was so eager to get it up here for perusal by folks who know much more than I!! :oops: That being said, the door in the bottom of the drawing is a side door and more for emergency exit/access to the smoking area. It leads to the front end of the carport where I store lawn tools. The "front" door is the wide door on the right side of the drawing. That is our main access to the house. As Drthump pointed out, your version seems to reduce access between the control and tracking areas unless I'm missing something. I was also hoping (unless acoustically impractical) to have a larger control room as that's the room I'm building for me!! Drthump... I really like your idea as well. I have a couple of questions... First, could the control room be rotated 180 so the vocal booth is in the front (and I could see the vocalist while we track)? Second, where would you suggest putting the HVAC hardware (in my crappy design, I was going to stick it in the corner where you have your vocal booth)? I hadn't thought of two doorways in the bathroom for access like that, interesting idea! One tiny problem, in the lower left side of your drawing there is a small box on the exterior wall that is my main breaker box (which I should have labeled as such!). I am VERY excited at the ideas and suggestions given thus far!! THANKS!!!! I know that folks are against booths but, given that, does anyone have any recommendations for size and shape? I just threw down some that I thought "might" be large enough to sit with a guitar/banjo/etc. Also, I'm not sold on having the control room on that side of the structure. I landed with this design because I was hoping to use the inverse of the booths as an additional (slightly larger) booth where I could move the couch and cut some rare drum tracks (mellow, acoustic music drumming). Thanks, thanks, and thanks for the help and I'm eager for more great ideas!! I'm going to try and digest this all for a bit!! -Mojo

Mojo, Here is 1 more option for you that might give you a little more what you're looking for with the control room to vocal booth view. I took the exact dimensions from the sample design in Rod's book. This also gives you a nice size tracking room as well as leaving the whole other side of the space to add a lounge and/or additional rooms. You have a very nice versatile space to work with!

WOW! Cool! Definitely an interesting thought!! I'm really excited about the possibilities of this design! A couple of questions for you! How many folks would fit easily in that size control room? What are the dimensions of that vocal booth? I'm tossed between having a larger, more comfortable control room and one that would allow greater size for other stuff... quite a quandary! Does anyone have suggestions for my 4 booths in the other room? What are some things I need to keep in mind when building them (obviously non-parallel walls, but what else?)? Any recommended sizes?? Thanks for all the input!

Here is the Sketchup file for you.

Thumpy, my friend... YOU ROCK! So, I can't seem to open this file with the free version of sketchup, is there a way to save it a different way so I can open it? Thank you'ns!

It opens just fine for me and I have the free version as well. I even logged out of the forum and was able to do it. It will say read only. If you do a "save as" and put it in a regular folder file instead of the temp internet files then you'll be able to keep it. Anybody else have a problem downloading this? Bryon

upgrade to the latest version of SU to open the file. SU 7 is the most recent version. Hope that works for ye.

Ok. Got it... my computer was lying to me! Y'all got that sketchup thing DOWN... I'm still fighting with the darned thing... Anywho... Looking forward to more booth and control suggestions!! I'm really liking the latest Thump design, but I'm concerned with the size of the vocal booth and control space. Thanks again!

Wondering if there might be any more ideas......? :D Thank you'ns!