Advice on overhead plumbing, ceiling beam...

I am FINALLY building out my studio after many years of dreaming and planning. I've lurked in this forum and learned a lot. I think I've pretty much got most of what I'm going to do figured out. But, above and just behind the area where my "control" area will be, I have some overhead plumbing that is going to be boxed in. Every plumber I've spoken to says there is nothing I can do about how it hangs down. Above is a bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. I've made a sketchup file that is pretty darned accurate, if I do say so myself. I have placed a model of my proposed desk/workstation area. Attached are some screen grabs. I've also uploaded the model to my web server: http://wongastudios.com/su/floorplan_raw.skp (3.7MB) I will be building absorbers and bass traps. Will install some sort of ceiling "cloud". Not sure how to deal with the support beam, center post and end posts. Definitely don't know how to deal with the horrible box-O-plumbing. I also have a A/C window unit (central air and heat are coming later)... I figured I could build some sort of removable box to hang over it when off using the same techniques I've seen to build an absorber. Thoughts? I'll likely be putting a sofa behind my control area. Maybe some sort of diffusion on the rear wall? I'm using my Flip HD camera to record the process. Right now I have stud walls against cinder-block external walls (except for the wall behind the control area... a stairway upstairs in that direction.) I didn't take the time to model the stairs in Sketchup. Ceilings are pretty low. 7' 8". Any suggestions would be appreciated. Happy Fall!

is there any reason for the layout as shown since it seems like the entire basement is available to use (based on your SU file).

The walls are already in place. The "vocal booth" is an existing closet that I'm going to convert. There are already steel anchors in the foundation to hold the walls in place and I figured I may as well just use it as it stands. but, there is no reason I couldn't move my mix area somewhere else. I was JUST thinking about extending the box for the plumbing all the way over to the support beam for some symmetry. I am, however, open to any and all suggestions. Many thanks for your reply. :)

The problem with that layout, Tom, is that you have no symmetry, which is rather important if you want your mixes to translate! Without decent room symmetry you cannot get a good stereo image. You should try to ensure that, at the very least, the front half of your room is symmetrical. You could do that by turning the desk around 180° (in your second picture), and putting it up against the wall there. That would put your back to the booth, which might or might not be a problem. - Stuart -

Thanks! That's been my biggest concern from the beginning is symmetry. Will it make no difference if I have absorbers along the wall to the right of the desk? Bass traps? See screen shots. I extended the box that encloses the overhead plumbing all the way out to the support beam and back to the wall. Not sure if that will make things workable or not. I can't move any walls, but if I can position my control area somewhere else, I'm for it. :D I should also say, if I haven't already, that I'm not so much worried about "soundproofing"... just optimizing the room's mix potential while still having enough room to get some folks in there to record. ;-)

Will it make no difference if I have absorbers along the wall to the right of the desk? Bass traps? See screen shots. I extended the box that encloses the overhead plumbing all the way out to the support beam and back to the wall. Not sure if that will make things workable or not.

Nope. That wouldn't help much. You'd still have a wall in front of you on the right but not on the left (behind your speakers, plus the acoustics of the absorption on the right over a solid wall would not correspond to the acoustics on your left, which is basically just empty space. I'd suggest either spinning your layout around to face the other wall, or building more walls to give you symmetry around that desk. But I'm sure that Glenn probably already has something in mind, and will whip out his trusty pen and paper real soon, with an idea or two! :) I'd also consider soffit mounting your speakers.... - Stuart -

I just started doing something like that in Sketchup. It wouldn't be a big deal to enclose the space... I should have enough 2x4s to frame it out. If I run it under the support beam, I would have enough support with a wall there to loose the big column in the middle of the room. Hmmmmm.... Then I should probably lower the ceiling in the mix room since I can't do anything about that freaking overhead plumbing. That would only give me around 6' 2" of headroom. That way I'd have a level ceiling height throughout the room. That would help, right? :) Thank you so much. The friend that is helping me is expecting to hang sheet rock this weekend. I could easily delay a day and frame up some walls.

Maybe this is more workable? I would be dropping the ceiling down all the way across where the blue shading is out to the beam. I've hidden the box, but the dotted line shows where the edge of the lower ceiling would begin. I hope that makes sense. Of course, I'll have a door where that hole is. :)