Basement studio

Dear Audio engineers and studio designers, My name is Jasper Bom, and I am 17 years old. I live in the Netherlands, and i'm studying at SAE Amsterdam. Recording and mixing is my true passion. That's why my father and I decided to build a small studio with a nice control room. My father plays the piano and therefore he has a grand piano (with a length of ±1,80m). We would like to keep that in the studio. In the control room we have a plan to buy a TL-Audio VTC 32 channel console (dimensions: 1,18m x 1,59m). I have made a floor plan of the space where we can build our studio. I hope someone can help us because we really don't know if this is possible. Thanks in advance, Jasper Bom

o by the way, we can only build in the green zone, but because of the doors we can use the red zone as a airlock. Thanks!

what kind of isolation do you need? inbound noise vs. outbound sounds? neighbors? do you envision the studio as a single room or multiple rooms? what options do you have for HVAC?

gullfo wrote:

what kind of isolation do you need? inbound noise vs. outbound sounds? neighbors? do you envision the studio as a single room or multiple rooms? what options do you have for HVAC?

thanks glen, I need it to be pretty isolated, inbound sound won't be a big problem. HVAC can be routed to the window side. I have room enough for it. I would like to have multiple rooms, for small recordings and so I can mix everything, while the live room is in use. But I do have neighbours. I do not want to disturb them to much! Jasper

Maybe something like this? This is just a sketch.

Or maybe something like this?

i would rotate the control room as the attached.

leon.payne wrote:

i would rotate the control room as the attached.

Yes I have thought about something like that, but the problem is that you can't see the people in the life room for that matter. And otherwise the reflections in the back from the glass will be a problem..

i like the second one but you would want the window forward more to allow space for trapping in the corner. the first design suffers from access routes between the rooms. in the second one you have some space left over on the near side of the CR, what is your intent there?

I was thinking about mechanical or maybe a vocal booth or something...

maybe build some isolation cabinets in the CR and put the booth in the live room?

gullfo wrote:

maybe build some isolation cabinets in the CR and put the booth in the live room?

Woow Glen this looks truly amazing! This won't be a very expensive build would it? How would you build it? Jasper

basically it's room within a room (if you need isolation) - 2x4 frames and drywall and pink insulation. the corners are super chunks and there are some angled slats on the walls to break things up. clouds on the ceiling. the live room some long slat walls to provide angles and the booth which is another isolation section. costs? assuming just materials, if you don't need to build out the room within a room and just the isolation booth, dividing wall, and treatments, then probably not too bad for a hobby studio. if you need isolation and want better finishes then it will cost you. if you simply divide off the rooms and don't need isolation, then start simple and treat the rooms, skip the isolation booth and start using the space. later if you find you really need high isolation etc, take down the dividing walls and redo the space with the room within a room etc. if you're just a beginner and not a large budget, work smart and build up over time. if you can spare the extra money and effort for soffit mounting your monitors, then do it will be a more rewarding workspace.

I have a pair of KRK RP8 speakers. I don't know if these are compatible to build into the walls. I think we have a pretty good budget, acoustics is step one of a good studio! But first I have to build it in sketchup for a detailed view. cheers

I have made something like it but I won't have the exact measurements. I like the concept, but I think that the isobooth is in the wrong spot.. Jasper

The beauty of sketch up is you can play with placement... That said, it might be that you don't need an iso-booth. Maybe do the reference vox in the CR and then use the main tracking room for the final vox (or other solos) later.

yeah that would probably be better or maybe make a iso-booth in the other corner! But thanks for the idea. Would it be best to let a designer finish the design? I would like to make a studio with verry good acoustics, we don't have a lot of those in the Netherlands.. Jasper

There are a couple of designers in BE if you're looking for someone "local". But that will be an additional cost but if you have the budget...

It doesn't have to be local because it can work out via internet. And structural changes can be made by myself. Do you think I need to ask a designer? What should I do with the ceiling ?

i guess it will boil down to budget, skills, and time frame. there are a number of designers on the forum starting with John Sayers. i also tend to be helpful on occasion. :wink: for the ceiling, assuming you have the isolation under control - the ceiling in the live room can be a combination of absorption and diffusion. in the CR, i'd go with a false ceiling and a combination of absorption and diffusion to shape the space and proper response.

Yes. I guess is will be the best thing to ask around for some quotations. Are you a designer? Or don't you do professional designs?

yes, you should obtain quotes and talk to designers. yes, i do designs. you can pm me with your contact details.