Help me get started?

Hi folks Was hoping to get some initial direction. Been reading and reading on the site but am afraid of getting stuck in analysis paralysis. I want a design that won't haunt me, don't think it needs to be theoretically perfect and want some fun playing a part in its design, putting my feel on it and building it to some extent (certainly interior, traps / dispersion). So few questions I was hoping to get some stakes in the ground on... What I know so far: New construction - my early retirement, career transition studio. House attachment, on a slab. Looking for commercial / residential property fairly removed from neighbors. Music style can range anything that comes along. Cost is manageable through a variety of friendly building talent in my network, time to get it all put together and my own funds. This will be my third studio.. little basement boxes, now ready to do it right :-) So, looking to design a flexible control room with good acoustics for mixing or mastering, Decent size live room, drum / larger iso room room, small vox / iso room. High ceilings. I have access to timber for lots of curvy log cabin interior fun. Accommodate up to 6-8 piece bands. So first off as I get some ideas on paper, was wondering if a pentagon shaped control room is workable and what might be some minimum room sizes that won't haunt me with acoustics and treatment issues. My drawing is nothing more than shape, size ideas and general layout. All the sound insulation structure can come along as I lock in on a general concept. Hope I provided the minimal info to get started with some support... new here and happy to learn as I'm sure this will be an effort to get figured out correctly.

If I were doing this, first thing I would address is the site lines. As it is right now you are looking into a corner with multiple glass doors and reduced wall treatment area for your control room. Maybe move the control room up to the top corner and consider a view window in the control room plan that allows the viewer to see all parts of these areas without looking into that corner wall configuration. As a matter of treatment, the control room design as is has effectively removed, due to doors being in all the wrong places, your potential treatment areas and will most likely increase the brightness of the room that might have you looking for a way to reduce this high frequency energy by installing curtains over the doors, there by negating the paths and reducing these areas to more a nuisance than a good flow order.

Yes my apologies. The picture didn't depict what I had in my mind well. I reconfigured a bit specifically considering the site lines. Can easily choose shorter windows to increase available treatment area as needed. The furniture is there only to eyeball layout. Ultimately it will be a 16ch board / desk with outboard racks on either side So dimensions pretty close to as they were list in the first post. At this point looking top get any feedback on the room shape, general layout.

Like Brien said: "you are looking into a corner with multiple glass doors and reduced wall treatment area for your control room." That hasn't changed in your new layout. I also don't see any isolation between rooms, and I'd be interested to see your analysis of how those room shapes are going to behave, acoustically. - Stuart -

Appreciate the response... I'm getting confused a bit here. Yes looking into a corner... but those are clearly windows not doors in front of the monitors. To the side are doors (one slider for the iso room, one hinged for the sound lock to the live room). As far as reduced room treatment...Not sure how its different from something like this: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17308 The size of the windows can certainly be sized down to provide more treatment area As I mentioned... at this point I'm only wondering about if the room shape (Heptagon), layout.. is it workable? Wondering if I could get some frontal line of site into two rooms. I'm not trying to prove a new room shape with any acoustical analysis, just asking if this room shape would haunt me. Have not considered isolation between rooms at this point, again first step. Once I figure out a good layout then doubling up walls, double rock, etc for isolation would be dropped in.

Not sure how its different from something like this:

That one is not looking into a corner! There is a front wall, with two splayed side walls: That's not like your layout at all: With yours, there is no way at all of keeping early reflections away from the mix position: the "corner" makes that impossible. With John's design of that room, the walls, windows, ceiling, speakers, and console are all carefully arranged to control reflections. I can't see any way of doing that with a corner in front of you.

The size of the windows can certainly be sized down to provide more treatment area

How small would you have to make them in order to get enough treatment on the front of the room to deal with first reflections, comb filtering, and similar problems?

at this point I'm only wondering about if the room shape (Heptagon), layout.. is it workable?

The shape itself might be workable: no parallel walls at all, thus no flutter echo, and other good things. But I don't see how it can be done when looking into a corner. - Stuart -

I would also add this, given that we are talking about "new construction" there are many other items on the pre-construction side that have to be addressed before we can even begin to entertain what walls go where what shapes fit what area, etc. You have to first, get the actual footprint of the slab you are trying to place...then get some idea of what kind of exterior we are talking about. As is, your drawing shows a trapezoid slab, and you can trust me in this makes everyone involved in the forming to the wall erection to the roofing, bat their eyes and shake their heads trying to explain how difficult it will be, and it will be somewhat, but that is not my point. You need a certified footprint to start or everything we discuss can go up in smoke.

Ah Ha! Thanks guys.. Now I get it. I had no idea you were pointing out an acoustical issue created by looking into a "corner". I thought, you thought that the corner would be too bright because of what you thought were sliding glass doors (too much bright surface) would make it too hard to properly treat it. Also on the slab... Good point as well. Considering exterior, roof, etc. Anyway...Just trying to get an idea formulated. As I get the studio stuff and... rest of the house thought through, It's probably safe to assume I'll be getting an architect to handle all the final design work. I'll ultimately build the interior traps, speaker soffets, wiring and finish out the studio. Now walk back from that crazy idea... and look closer at what ya got on the form :oops: So much to learn