OK, imaginary internet friends! Let's do this thing!
Here's the room in question: http://hotelmorrell.com/studio/Basement02.jpg
I'm still working on learning Sketchup. I think I fucked up with the initial basement - I think that I started with the EXTERIOR measurements of the house, not the INTERIOR measurements, so I'll need to redo this before I pass the skp file on to you geniuses. Anyway, pretty picture, gives you a concept.
The first issue is location, location, location. I have two potential sites.
Site 1: the current mix position. Frame in the support poles, live happily ever after. Probably a double inside out wall, since the dang poles mean that there would have to be a minimum 10" airgap in the interior. Also saves me from mudding.
Site 2: the corner in the top left of the image.
There are pros and cons to both locations.
Site 1 Cons:
- Floor is not level, there are humps around the poles and there's a french drain tilt going on.
- Two windows
- Bigger (therefore a more expensive build)
- I'd need to mothball the studio during the build
- I'd need to find a new mix position. Probably just outside of the new booth, though.
- Walls show some moisture
- http://www.hotelmorrell.com/studio/above_mix.jpg
- Bigger (therefore probably easier to control sound)
- Potentially even large enough to double as a practice room for my kit, though too small to record in
- Less pipes in the way (but still, pipes in the way)
- Closer to mix position, so probably better interaction with the talent
- Pipes, pipes, pipes. The copper meets the black iron right here, dropping the available height to 6'7". That's not a good starting point.
- Smaller
- Further away
- http://www.hotelmorrell.com/studio/corner.jpg
- Floor is level
- Walls are bone dry
- Smaller, so probably a cheaper build
- Closer to other musicians, so probably better interaction for the band
- No need to putz with the mix position, which I like
- All numbers are accurate - where I measured them.
- The house is 103 years old - nothing is square, ever.
- The main goal: a vocal booth so my wife doesn't need to feel constrained in the house by my recording
- Secondary goal: booth large enough to get a reasonable acoustic guitar sound
- Probably can't afford it goal: meet goal one and two, but also be able to record amps without irritating wife/neighbors
- The floor is poured concrete - no idea how thick
- Floor to underside of floor: 8'2"
- Floor to bottom of joists: 7'4"
- Floor to bottom of pipes: 6'7"
- Money is very much an object