New Apartment Mix Room

Hello, I'm moving into my girlfriends first floor flat in a couple of months and I've staked a claim for the spare room to be my new mix room. I've occasionally do a little bit of recording in this room, but mainly vocals, DI'd bass/guitars and occasionally acoustic guitar. It's main purpose will be as a mix room. I'll be doing recording in local studios mainly and then mixing back in this room. I currently operate out of a smaller cube like bedroom in my current house. I want to make it the best I can so I've read as much as I can and have a decent idea of what I want to do to the room. I only have a neighbour downstairs. I intend to lay new laminate flooring with a 22dB sound reduction membrane. I'll not be doing a lot of super loud stuff in the room, so hopefully this should be enough to not annoy her too much. The cupboard on the rear wall can't be removed as it's built in and I'll be relying on it for storage of guitar cases etc. I've been in and measured the room several times and made a little sketchup of the room which will be attached here. (sorry it's a bit rubbish, I'm not good at that sort of thing) The room dimensions are 335cm long 240cm wide 236cm high My main concerns are the door and window positioning in the room. I plan to have my computer/desk in front of the window. They make superchunking the corners impossible (at the rear) and a bit of a challenge in window corner. I'd like to superchunk the corners that the windows are on, make a cloud and put panels where my first reflection points are. My intended material is Knauf/Rocksilk RS45 in 10cm (4inch) thick slabs. I'm not overly sure what to do about the rear corners/wall. Is gobos the best answer? I could shut the doors and move them in place when doing mixing. I don't have a limitless budget, but I'm willing to spend up to £1000 doing this room right. Sorry if I've missed something out here, I really appreciate your time.

Hi "jeid", and welcome! :)

I intend to lay new laminate flooring with a 22dB sound reduction membrane.

I'd take that "22 db" figure with a pinch of salt! :) There's not many materials that will get you a 22 dB drop so easily... It's not so much a matter of "how much does each layer give me", but rather "how much does the entire system give me". It's the combination of materials that matters in determining total isolation.

My main concerns are the door and window positioning in the room. I plan to have my computer/desk in front of the window. They make superchunking the corners impossible (at the rear) and a bit of a challenge in window corner.

Most people tend to forget that there are actually 12 corners in a room, since we tend to think only of the four obvious ones.... :) So if you can't put superchunks in the obvious ones, then try for some of the other 8 corners...

I'd like to superchunk the corners that the windows are on, make a cloud and put panels where my first reflection points are.

Good basic plan!

My intended material is Knauf/Rocksilk RS45 in 10cm (4inch) thick slabs.

Can you get OC-703 where you live? If so, that might be an even better choice.

I'm not overly sure what to do about the rear corners/wall. Is gobos the best answer? I could shut the doors and move them in place when doing mixing.

That would work, yes. Put them on wheels so you can move them around easily, or you might even be able to figure out a way to hinge them to the wall in some way. - Stuart -

Hi Stuart, appreciate the response. Sorry for taking so long in getting back. I've since been in and decorated the room and laid a new wood floor rather than a laminate one. Feels much better under my feet! :D Turns out the floor was a solid concrete floor, which I didn't expect for a first floor flat. I've managed to get hold of Rockwool RWA45 as OC703 isn't available here in Scotland, at a steal of a price and I've made 12 panels. I'm going to push on with chunking the two corners by the window (which I'll be looking towards) and wondered if I split the 2' by 4' slab of Rockwool into 8 pieces, each triangle having a 60cm face and 2x42cm sides, would they be too small to be effective superchunks? Maybe I'd be best straddling the corners? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :)

Turns out the floor was a solid concrete floor, which I didn't expect for a first floor flat.

Lucky you! :yahoo:

and wondered if I split the 2' by 4' slab of Rockwool into 8 pieces, each triangle having a 60cm face and 2x42cm sides, would they be too small to be effective superchunks? Maybe I'd be best straddling the corners?

I'd go with the superchunks. Even at 60 cm they will still be very effective. And if it turns out you aren't getting enough bass trapping, you can always add the "corner straddle" in front of the superchunk later, to get the best of all worlds! - Stuart -