*UPDATED* MY STUDIO: Help needed - LONG and NARROW Room

EDITED BY THE AUTHOR: dear ALL i've re-edite the post to make it clearer (thanks for the feebakcs) an to summarize comments in order to have a clear post for the people with LONG and NARROW SMALL ROOMS. READ HERE FOR THE DETAILS ON WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, MY SPACE, MY MUSIC APPROACH: Hi everyone, OBJECTIVE: WOW sounding CONTROL room for producing electronic music. Hopefully, if space allow it, a mini vocal booth. [b]MEI produce HOUSE/ELECTRONINC MUSIC at pro-level... and i'm Very LOUD sometimes ;) (I’ve a small label and produce for some big independent globally) BUDGET I would love to spend max 2000 Dollars IMPORTANT FEATURES Acoustics – Want a wow sounding control room. Feel is the missing step for being able to produce 100% on my own my records. Functionality – Would love to have space for 2 people working on the mixing zone and a couch for moving/resting/third person Look – Aesthetically pleasing “recording studio look” preferred over sterile practice room or “home” look. Said this do not feel I need to reconstruct the whole studio but may be just the “mix space” surround (flush counters and some acoustic treatment) while I can work with other material/painting to have a good feel Space – Control room well sounding is priority. If fits, a small vocal booth will be fantastic. BUILDING Footprint – room is 2.44 M (W) by 2.50 M (H) by 3.60M (L). Long can go up to 3.80/3.85 if needed for better ratio. This is because I’m creating the wall that divides the room from the bathroom (next room) and I can adjust a bit the space) Floor – Proposed WOOD (as seen in 99% control rooms) Electrical – I would love to have less “in the wall cables” as I change set up quite often and need to play with cable patching (obviously not for flash mounted speakers..) Water – No need Ceiling – 2.50 M height. Flat ceiling in concrete Walls – Floor + 2 out of 4 walls are in concrete and with 1 meter of soil around. The other 2 walls will be in Gypsum (1 dividing from the bathroom the other dividing from the basement)  may be on this last two needed a bit of isolation but the rooms are at 2 floors up… so even if not isolated is fine (for budget reason) DOORS & WINDOWS 2 Doors – 1 directly from the outside (see picture) another from the basement Exterior Windows – would love to have a window giving view on the basement (+ a communication glass if space for the vocal booth) FIND HERE THE QUESTIONS WITH ALREADY THE ANSWER I'VE GOT IN IT FOR THE FUTURE READERDS: ANSWERED 1) WHIT THIS SPACE IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A VOCAL BOOTH? --> NO THE SPACE IS TOO SMALL AND YOU WILL HAVE A MICRO CONTROL ROOM IF YOU PLAN FOR A VOCAL BOOTH! GO FOR ONLY CONTROL ROOM (THANKS FOR TH CLEAR FEEDBACK) 2) is the design acoustic approach i've desiged right to have a good soiunding enviroment?(thanks to help) ANSWERED 3) Is the WINDOW OK on that side of the wall if cutting that panel in the middle? (sorry but i did not know how to cut it in sketch up)? YES, HOWEVER BEING THE NEED OF CONTROL ROOM TO BE SIMMETRICAL, YOU SHOULD ASLO PLACE THAT CUT ON THE OTHER SIDE (CUTTING THE ABSORTION PANEL) --> THanks for the feedback 4) Can the window be openable or need to be only a glass? (thanks for help) 5) Can i put the video (APPLE 30'') in that position or you think can interfere with the sound? [/b](thanks for help) 6) In case i remove the video and put a pojector to have the red sqare filled with video (obviously i''l paint white before ;).. would the noise of the projector be to loud and ruin the acoustic? (i can treat it... probably?) (thanks for help) 7) If i want to put the desk in that way (only way due to the space) would it generate some acoustic problems? (i've read about comb filtering etc etc)? do i have to plan for an angled desk? (thanks for help) 8) where should i put my heating system (fancoil based): Below at the center of the speakers or on the back of the room? (thanks for help) 9) to perfectly limit sound to exit the room (as the only side with possibility is the right one, the other part are all under soil) can i do the 2 lead approch only on that wall? (thanks for help) FIND HERE THE SKETCHUP FILE OF THE STUDIO Studio ale - Small narrow and long room.skp FIND IN BELOW POST SOME RENDERINGS FOR CONSULTATION Thansk in advance for the support Ale

SOME RENDERINGS TO NOTE: i've let still 1 with the VOCAL BOOTH for futre references and if still some pro want to give perspective

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Just wanting to know if i'm missing some information to enable some senior member to answer. I'm asking only because i've seen senior members answering to post more recent than mine... and was wondering if i was missing some crucial info to enable them to answer. I'll patiently wait... don't worry... just wanting to know if you have all the info.. THanks in advance.. Ale

This space, in general, is small so a one room environment might suit you better then trying to break it up with an isolation booth. It would be easy enough to build some movable isolation panels that could be used to work as both control room absorption/reflective surfaces and when placed edge to edge would help you to isolate the vocals. But the skylight thing seems like it may be more trouble than it would be worth just for natural light and specifically for an air in conduit. I would look deeper into the room and find the best way to get much needed air exchange/fresh air. edit: "room is 2.44 M (W) by 2.50 M (H)" Due to these room dimensions that reinforce the modes, essentially almost square in form, you will want to build an overhead soft acoustical cloud to take the energy out. Hope this is helpful.

Thanks so mUcchhhh!!! So if you have been able to answerr it mean that the info are sufficent... Thanks for the input: A) i will for sure build some cieling absorbing panels B) FOR THE BOOTH.... i've checked the dimensions also with the booth and it still seem viable... but you say it's better to dont' do it... --> It's better or it's a REAL NO GO? C) no cielineg HOLE as it will cause more problemes than other --> got it!;) And on the other questions?

Hi Ale! I started to design my control room and I found your thread today. Your room is almost the same size as mine so your design thread interests me a lot :D I'm not the right person to answer your questions, but may I say my opinion about that vocal booth thing. If you are mostly of time working in your control room and need that booth few times per project, then I think it's useless. You'll end up too small control room. Every time you wan't to relax a bit and move a little backwards you're hitting your head to the back wall :D And maybe vocals are sounding better bigger room than a small closet. -janne

Thanks so much for the input. I'm also thinking that NO VOCAL BOOTH is the right choice... but would love to know what JOHN also thinks ;)... Said this, do you have any other input based on the research you have made on my above questions? Thanks Ale

I'm not the professional of studio construction or acoustics. Let the pro's answer your questions, but couple of things comes to my mind based on what I've learned about from this forum. To me your overall design looks pretty good. Maybe you'll need absorbtion to the walls (acoustic panels and corner bass traps). Are you familiar with John's inside-out wall construction? -janne

I'm still not clear if the VOCAL BOOTH is a no go... ANy pro answer? Morever woul like some help on the othe rquesitons... may help if i attach the SKP file of the studio in the pics? Thansk Ale

tripiale wrote:

I'm still not clear if the VOCAL BOOTH is a no go... ANy pro answer?

A pro already has. XSpace is one in every way except use of the title. Honestly, Andre

Sorry i did not want to be un polite... I was referring to the whole post and not only to the vocal booth. I've some very crucial quesiton on top of the booth that i'm not able to answer on my own... so i was wating for some expert to help... that's it... Sorry if i sounded rude... wasn't my intent.. Ale

Dears, i'm close to have the carpenter in my house.. .and have no clue on the above quesitons... I know one of the rules is to "wait" patiently.. but it's 1 month that i'm waitinf and i need to go and install :( and i'm super-scared of doing things wrongly)... Thanks so much for your help Cioa Ale

I don't see any reason why you can't put a window on your right side to the wall. If you want to maintain your isolation, then I think that window should be two classed type. Because your room is a control room you want to keep it as symmetrical as possible, so on your left wall you should leave some hard surface on location of that window is in your right wall. Am I clear enough :D Those couple of things comes to my mind. Maybe you could update your main questions and clarify them a bit? -janne

Dears, thanks so much for your feedback. I've done a lot of work to simplify the post and include all the feedbacks + i've added the SKATCH-UP file of the studio. I've also modified the post to include in the first post all the answers so future readers can find the summary in 1 post. Really appreciate if you can help me answer the other questions i've posted. THanks Ale

That window thing again. You asked: Can the window be openable or need to be only a glass? Sure it can be openable, but you are losing your isolation when it's open. What's the point of that window? Natural light and fresh air coming in? And that monitor thing: Can you instal it to the front wall (red sector)? That would be pretty easy if you hava flat screen monitor. Then it won't interfere your stereo image. -janne

Thanks... For the window is natural air and light (yes i know when it's open i lost isolation)... FOR THE VIDEO: the fact is that if i mount where the red sware is is too far away to read... so i need to use a projector... WOULD A PROJECTOR be a bad choice in a control room? THanks Ale

tripiale wrote:

Thanks... For the window is natural air and light (yes i know when it's open i lost isolation)...

Yes my answer was pretty stupid :D You could use two glassed openable window as I earlier suggested. See photo. Don't know if those are very common in Italy but in Finland we have those almost every house. Maybe you could build your own?

tripiale wrote:

FOR THE VIDEO: the fact is that if i mount where the red sware is is too far away to read... so i need to use a projector... WOULD A PROJECTOR be a bad choice in a control room?

Ok! That's a good reason :D Well I don't know how noisy those projectors are... -janne

See photo.

The setup shown in that photo is a three-leaf system: Bad idea. Instead of using an operable window for ventilation it would be much better to use a proper HVAC system, with silencers. - Stuart -

i will have 1 fancoil system to heat or airconditioning.. but having a proper HAVAC for fresh air will be very costy for me. As i have to make a window for light .... if i do the two foil version (as explaind in the manual)... would it be ok? (with angled galsses). ALe

An open window is the best natural bass trap you can have...if your situation allows it.

Unfortunately i cannot leave it always open.. .it's just to recycle air time to time...

DO NOT USE THE TRIPLE GLAZE WINDOW ITS NO BETTER THAN DOUBLE GLAZING (INFACT WORSE) TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY :horse:

Also try reading some of the posts, if you spend the time you can answer all your own questions without needing any expert advice, (although xspace is a guy you should really listen to) I find myself, that the more i read the other posts on the site the more confident i become about making my moves as ( and i can see john and co laughing at this) i start to understand the issues i am dealing with Blessings and enjoy the build :D DF

Thanks.. i'll read again... as i've posted my quesitons after having red a lot.. however, i'll search again and read all over.. said this.. can someone tell me at least if the ACUSTIC TREATEMENT i've desinged in my project are the right ones, right size and positioning? Tx