Cabin Studio

Cabin Studio Design I am researching planning a studio space in my cabin. My Goal is to create the best space I can in a small 24x16 cabin that I also must live in. This is a temporary situation, so my thoughts are to make some portable acoustic baffles to use as wall dividers to create the space as I will try and show below. If I manage to be able to stay here, (recession took a big bite out of my wallet)I will be building a home, with either a studio in the home, or potentially use existing cabin as studio. I am attempting to keep the livability as best I can. Optimal use of current windows for light and viewing pleasure. Living conditions are a little rough here, I have basically been camping for almost 3 years here, and using an outhouse at -37C is an experience we should all have at least once in our lives, but it gets old fast, lol. I would consider moving walls and kitchen (kitchen and entertainment unit could be swapped down the road) but definetly trying to keep things simple and low budget as I can with this being a temporary situation. I am hoping to use the space to record local bands, etc, ranging from solo artists (guitar and vocals) to rock and blues bands. I am just getting back into the music scene and doing recordings, I use to do about a dozen recordings a year when I use to play 15 years ago. I am exploring trying to turn this into a part time or full time revenue stream at this point though. Neighbours are not a concern, this cabin is in the middle of a 204 acre forest off the grid, nearest trail is 200 metres, nearest building is 1800 metres. Isolation is from wildlife noises, aircraft, and in studio purposes only. Existing Construction: Floor: Poorly poured concrete floor, non painted. (plan to insulate with 1 inch Styrofoam insulation and hardwood floor before next winter for heating purposes)(keep a couple of blankets on the floor right now for insulating purposes, which surprisingly make a big difference, can come up or stay down for recording) 2x4 wood frame construction, pink fiberglass insulation, steel clad exterior, Interior walls and ceiling are drywall, with the exception for from the left side of the window beside the door at the top of the “before” diagram, across to the kitchen counter wall, and down past the window on that wall by one foot, which is plywood. Ceiling 7’11” and I hope I included enough of the other dimensions on the diagrams. Budget: I am thinking I can build my current proposal for under $500. I would be able to spend 1000 to 2000 in the near future if needed, plausibly up to 5000 but the cheaper the better with this being a temporary set up. My Proposed Plan: Walls: Is to build 3 inch 2x4 baffles with pine frame, roxul safe and sound and burlap for fabric. For wall dividers I would join 3 panels as in diagram “Accoustic Baffle” with two added sides and feet. I would then arrange 5 of these as layed out in the diagram below “Proposed Studio Layout 1” and some sorta varabiable baffle I have not exactly designed yet to close out the room across from the console wall. The console desk and it’s panel could be pulled out to set up the studio, and tucked back in when not in use to free up the window space. I may replace the door with a patio door for extra light and too see the nature I am living in. All the other wall panels could be tucked behind the couch out of the way when not in use. A heat shield would be added to protect the panels from the woodstove when it is in use. The portable design would allow to move these panels to another location if I was going to do a remote recording session. Ceiling treatment: I was planning on taking the single 3inch 2x4 panels and suspending them from the ceiling as illustrated in the two diagrams “Proposed Cloud Layout 1” and “Proposed Cloud Layout 1 side” angling to 12 degrees. This is going to make for a low ceiling at the low points, and I’m 6’6”, but it should be 6’9” to 6’11”. For storage reasons, I am hoping to leave these panels in place. Future Considerations: 1. The attached shed I am hoping to turn into a washroom soon, but of course is ideal for a vocal booth, or even to isolate me from my main console room if’ I’m foolish enough to try and do a live band off the floor. Ideally for the washroom purpose, I would like to add a doorway into the cabin where the window is now, going outside to the washroom has gotten old when it is -30C. 2. The bedroom also has potential for another isolation booth, certainly will be used as an amp room as is. 3. I would consider removing the walls around the bedroom, moving the kitchen area. moving the woodstove not so much since again this is temporary situation, but I am open to all ideas. Questions: 1. Will my “acoustic baffles” work to create a symmetrical space within my cabin, or will the sound waves just continue to reflect between the existing walls? If they are not going to work as I currently plan, will plywood or similar on the back help solve this problem? 2. Is there too much dampening in this current design? Should slats be added to some of the baffles? 3. My “acoustic baffle” wall dividers, are going to be anywhere from 6 feet to 6 ½ feet in height. My ceiling is 7’11”. Current plan is to leave no space between each panel and a space below them of 10 inches, and the balance open up top, this would create a thermal loop for heating in the winter. But is this going to cause sound problems? Do I need to redesign and close these in from floor to ceiling? Would there be advantages if I left spaces between each 2x4 baffle as they are joined into the panel of three? 4. Are the separate panels for my cloud design acceptable, or do I need join them and make one large cloud? thank you in advance for any and all help, hope i followed all the rules and provided sufficient info. darryl

I noticed as i prepared this drawing and posted it that this set up is wider then it is long, my previous sketch didn't show this as i had not noticed the "partition walls" needed to be angled at 12 degrees yet or they would be paralell to the opposing wall, and these new diagrams are closer to scale as well. The simple solution to this is to angle the partition walls the opposite way, will post a sketch when i get a chance. But basically would move the partitions where they meet the wall 3.6 feet closer to the console and have them angle away, instead of angle back in as they do now. I could switch to the configuration when i need the room to use it as a live room, and back to new way for the control room applications. I realized this would be among the first criticisms as i posted it and thought i should post my solution to the problem.

it is going to interfere with the door, but it is a moveable partition, has to be some sacrifice in this set up.

Hi Darryl, and welcome! To be honest, I don't think I'd try to do a corner layout in such a small space. My first approach would be to have the desk facing the window to the "attached shed", and arranging the panels on each side, more or less symmetrically. It won't be perfect by any means, but it will give you much more room to work with, and will allow you to get your speakers a bit further apart. Question: Is that a door into the bedroom? Can you close that door, to give you a bit more symmetry? If so, aim to put your desk in the middle of the "shed" wall, about equidistant between the bedroom door and the wall on the other side (top of diagram).

i had not noticed the "partition walls" needed to be angled at 12 degrees

Not an issue. Your panels wont do much to isolate your area form the rest of the room, so it really isn't worth wasting that space on angling things that won't have much effect. You don't give any details on how you are going to build your "baffles". All you mention is a frame with some mineral wool and covered with burlap, but that won't work as a baffle, so I guess you forget to include something in there! Maybe you can provide some more details? I reckon you'll also need some type of movable pass traps for your corners. The other issue is that your room is practically square, so you are going to have modal issues with it. Not much you can do about that on a tight budget. For your clouds, you say: "I was planning on taking the single 3inch 2x4 panels and suspending them from the ceiling ". Panels of WHAT???? :) About your questions:

1. Will my “acoustic baffles” work to create a symmetrical space within my cabin, or will the sound waves just continue to reflect between the existing walls? If they are not going to work as I currently plan, will plywood or similar on the back help solve this problem?

They aren't baffles if they don't have a back on them! In other words, yes you need plywood, MDF or something like that in the back. They should basically be large gobos. And even then they are not going to make a huge difference, but they will help a bit. As you suspected, the sound will still carry on "bouncing around" the rest of the room.

2. Is there too much dampening in this current design? Should slats be added to some of the baffles?

Probably not necessary to add slats. Build them first, and see how it goes. You will still have plenty of "diffusion" going on from the rest of the room, so I doubt you will be absorbing anywhere enough to kill your highs.

4. Are the separate panels for my cloud design acceptable, or do I need join them and make one large cloud?

Separate is fine. - Stuart -

Thank you very much for your help Stuart. I guess some of my terminology was off, i have read so much on this site, and love the vast wealth of information here, but it is a lot to learn in a short time. Will keep reading.

You don't give any details on how you are going to build your "baffles". All you mention is a frame with some mineral wool and covered with burlap, but that won't work as a baffle, so I guess you forget to include something in there! Maybe you can provide some more details?

I am using the wrong name, well made up my own name I guess. I was looking at building “bass traps” as they are called in this link below. Just a frame around a batt of 2’ x 4’ x 3” safe and sound rockwool, covered in fabric. I was going to join 3 of these as illustrated in the diagram above called “Acoustic Baffle” to make up my partitions. I was also thinking the rockwool I was using was 4 inches when I started this and paid no attention to the fact that for a 4 inch wall it is only a 3 inch batt, so is 3 inches still enough to be considered a “bass trap”? I think I see it being referred to more as a broadband absorber as I look around for proper terminology. Bass trap – broad band absorber http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7814

For your clouds, you say: "I was planning on taking the single 3inch 2x4 panels and suspending them from the ceiling ". Panels of WHAT????

Sorry, I was referring still to the “bass Traps” So I was planning on making 6 of the 2’ x 4’ x 3” bass traps made of a batt of rockwool in a wooden frame wrapped in fabric and suspend each one separately on the ceiling with a 12 degree angle. I was hanging them individually to maintain as much ceiling height as I could.

Question: Is that a door into the bedroom? Can you close that door, to give you a bit more symmetry? If so, aim to put your desk in the middle of the "shed" wall, about equidistant between the bedroom door and the wall on the other side (top of diagram).

No there isn’t but it wouldn’t take much to put one there.

I reckon you'll also need some type of movable pass traps for your corners

I am going to assume you meant bass traps, I didn’t find anything I thought applied when I searched pass traps, lol (being new to this there is so much to learn, lol) Is it Possible to make portable super chunks, or would gobo’s be the way to go. Thinking of building frame 24 inches by 24 inches by 34.5 inches(I think the math is right) and 3 feet high. ¾ inch plywood on the two 24 inch sides of the triangle, fabric on the front, and filled with rockwool. Stack two together in a corner? Would it need more mass then the plywood? I hope i explained that so it is understandable. You have me thinking more along the line of John’s bedroom studio design, just letting it soak in.