Mikrokosm Studio Implantation

Hi guys, I've been reading tons of posts for the last 3 months here to be able to build an almost-pro and evolutive recording & mastering facility here in France. For many reasons the projects turned into something far away from what I decided to build last November. The plan now is to have a 5000 sq.ft building in which there will be a Film Producer, a photographer, a designer, a stylist, a web designer and a recording studio. The good thing is that for the same budget I'll have a space 3 or 4 times bigger! The bad thing is that I have the same amount of money for construction work :? Fortunately I just found investors to help me but I have now to design it properly and I'm in need of advices to choose the best implantation. I (badly) drawn a few sketches with usefull enough information (I hope...). You'll also find pictures of the surroundings, the buidling of course... Basicaly what I do need is a comfortable Control Room, with daylit, and a large recording room to put metal band and quiet string quartets or speech actors for commercials in it (with a big door of course and windows if possible). I want a window and a door (sliding door?) between these 2 spaces. I do need really good sound proofing because of the other guys that will be working in the offices really close to the studio and the neighboors living in the apartment right above the office area in which I think building the control room will be cheaper (because of using the existing walls and upper floor slab). Existing floor is a concrete slab, I'm thinking about floating the floors. For costs reasons I'm wondering if a 5mm resilient layer + 8mm OSB + hardfloor would be great enough? The same for the walls?... every walls except the one between the Control Room space and the 4 other offices is a single plaster wall with windows. Again for money reason and considering the STC chart I'm planning to put 15mm of rockwool on every existing concrete walls and ceillings, then to build a 3 layers (13mm+13mm+18mm) plaster leaf with 10mm of rockwool on the outside. I'll leave a 4 inches air gap between the two walls. Am I definitely wrong by saying that this might work? I mean enough not to bother neighboors upstairs and people working in the same building in the office? I measured everything and put it on the plans attached. I've been working in Montreal 4 years ago and I know that here in France construction materials are way much expensive that in north america. Our budget for the construction is between 70 to 90k$... 100k$ MAXIMUM! and we plan to do most of the job by ourselves (5 guys ready to fight again plaster and rockwool)! Any input is more than welcome, I know I still have a lot of work but the studio has to be ready between April and May. We'll have access to the building at the end of January so this has to move forward quickly... Long nights to come... In advance, thanks!

Am I in the wrong section???... Did I miss something in the rules? I just need to discuss ideas about my project with experienced people so please leave comments or anything that would help... benoit

The machine room in between the control and tracking rooms is not a good idea. Not only will you spend more on glass with this dual type wall but you move the machine noise directly into the audio path via flanking or possibly the air space depending on how you guys build it. With a budget as large as yours, you need a qualified designer.

Hi xSpace, Thanks for answering. Since I've been updating these first designs. First of all I've been looking for a pro designer here in France, also looking for help from friends here and there that built pro studio by their selves (see http://www.greenhouse.is or http://www.12kmastering.com/gear.html) and then did minor acoustic treatments with designers. That's why and thanks to them that I landed on this forum. For now the money I have will be only materials and electricity... I wish I could include designers fees in it but after a few calls to acousticians I understood I was too short to hire one and I cannot imagine putting all my money in a Top designed CR without any tracking room or vice versa... I wish this could work with 15k$ studio designer's fee as people here asks. I'm a noob in constuction (not the case of my future partners), a noob in acoustics (but I wish I can learn enough to get it right... ok not too bad), a noob with 2 choices: - Continue working between a bedroom in my flat and pro studios, moving every week tons of (mainly old and vintage so fragile) gears - Trying to learn basics of acoustics with the help of gurus like you, finding construction experienced guys and make it work not too bad... I've been able to find investors only for the second solution! I know my budget is way much bigger from what you're used to discuss here but this doesn't change the fact that I want to be involved as much as possible in the design of my future studio, understand the choices I'll have to do. Designers in France refused the project because to them there wasn't enough money on the table so what should I do? I certainly posted too early. Even if I'm not missing that much in mind to present an interesting and clear project I think I have to refine many stuff by my own. At the same time my english is not that good I probably need to learn google sketchup to make things explainable to all of you. I'll try to be back this week with better sketches and updated plans now I have ceillings height, ideal ratios for the rooms... Speak you soon benoit

benoit - check out this site and see what others have used in their designs and construction. http://www.johnlsayers.com/Studio/index.htm

Finally received Rod's book from amazon... 1 and a half months delayed delivery... Things are getting clearer and clearer! Will be back with relevant questions.