Scalability

Hello Design forum. I am a newly registered user but have been reading for years. This forum is amazing and so unbelievably gracious. Just to start thanks to all who offer their expertise. I am a producer/engineer in Nashville, TN (USA). Getting ready to build 2nd studio. In early, early design phase. First studio was good but I want this studio to sound as amazing as I can reasonably afford. If all goes as planned, it will be a free standing structure on my property from the ground up so I will have flexibility. I want a really great sounding tracking, mixing, overdub facility. Sound transmission is somewhat of a concern but it's on a 2.5 acre property so I can probably get away with a lot. A great drum room is essential! No plans yet to show, working on basic layout now and trying to master Sketchup. I think I've hit most of the forum rules bullet points so...My first question is I've been through a lot of control room and tracking room designs both on this forum and in other resources. It seems there are very common tried and true control room & tracking room shapes. My question is how much can these designs/shapes be scaled up or down to fit a needed size and how would that affect their sound? For example I looked at John Sayers Control Room Plan 2 design that measures 4.65m x 6.1m. If that room where scaled up/down how would it affect the sound and frequency response? Thanks to all. Scott

Hi Scott. Welcome!

I think I've hit most of the forum rules bullet points

All except one, it seems: The one in big glue letters on the forum rules for posting (click here). :)

My question is how much can these designs/shapes be scaled up or down to fit a needed size and how would that affect their sound?

In general, scaling up should not be too much of a problem, but scaling down might, for several reasons. For example, you might end up with the ceiling too low to be usable, or make the room too small to use diffusion (assuming it was pretty big to start with).

For example I looked at John Sayers Control Room Plan 2 design that measures 4.65m x 6.1m. If that room where scaled up/down how would it affect the sound and frequency response?

It might, yes, but the question is "how much?", and the answer is "that all depends...". Scaling a room will still keep the ratios in tact, so that isn't a problem, but if you are going down in size you might end up changing the modal support and spread too much, so that the room will no longer support some of the modes that it would have, and the spread can suffer for the same reason. Also, any devices in the room that were tuned to a specific mode will now have to be re-designed, since the modes will have change to a different frequency. The relationship between the room dimensions is the same, but the actual frequencies of the modes have changed, and that could, indeed, have an effect. So if you do scale something, then be sure to post the result here, for people to look at and comment on. - Stuart -

Thanks Stuart. I assume you mean "blue" letters? Have my location in post. Just added to my profile (sorry for that). Will have more detail as the plans get drawn and will post. Appreciate the help. Best, Scott

I assume you mean "blue" letters?

:oops: :!: Yup :oops: Gotta check my spelling a bit better! I mean, sure, that is a "sticky" post, but I reckon the letters aren't part of the "glue"! :oops: :)

Will have more detail as the plans get drawn and will post.

I'm looking forward to it! Sounds like you have something interesting in mind... - Stuart -

Stuart answered great, like he always does. A note on scaling. Where a wavelegnth is involved, like full range absorbers, the dimensions of the absorber do not scale. A 10' wavelenght is still 10', regardelss of how much larger, or smaller the rest of the room is scaled. Andre

Stuart answered great, like he always does.

But only because I had a darn good mentor, and an amazingly knowledgeable and generous one, too! Seriously, I mean that. I learned a huge amount from you, Andre, and your amazing ability to come up with just the right research papers to answer any damn question I ever could think of about acoustics! Credit where it's due: Andre is the absolute best. A class all by himself. Sincerely grateful (and still learning!) - Stuart - PS. Good point about the wavelengths: I hadn't thought about that aspect.