Empty space with limitations for all in one Control room

Hello all. What a wealth of knowledge, opinions and options there are in the world of studio construction! I am compiling this first post carefully and slowly, adding the required information (I hope!) I'm currently in the planning stages of my first studio space which is to be inside a timber framed outbuilding/shed type building, eager to get moving but nervous of wasted effort! I am a dj, hip hop (mainly) producer but also take an interest in recording live instruments to use as part of my own productions or for sample packs. My main concern is having a room that 'sounds good' or neutral rather, so I can have faith I am hearing what is there in the audio material I am dealing with and record in there if necessary. The site is a yard using heavy machinery very occasionally but so far there is very little background noise in the area. Have spent a good few hours there. Total isolation is by no means necessary but I would like to be able to play a drum kit in the studio at any time without disturbing the nearest neighbours around 150-200ft away. The shed is connected to 2 similar spaces either side, neither of which are regularly used. The shed is approx 22ft w x 28ft l and has a pitched roof, around 13ft at it's highest point in the middle of the room, going down to 7ft at the front and rear. The floor is wooden floorboards on beams supported by brick pillars going into the earth. Underneath for the most part is a couple of feet of air and then earth. The walls are differing. Some plasterboard over insulation and some chipboard over insulation. As you walk into the space there seems to be a logical place to build a room, to the right of the beam (the beam is a little closer to the left side of the shed from main door). There are approx 12ft between the beam and the wall and I was hoping to get my space inside this width using a 1:1.9:1.3 ratio with a ceiling height of 8.5ft. This means 8.5x16.15x11.05 which comes in at a little of 1500 cubic feet. Am I being naive to think I can do this? My walls would be someone thin. This was the only 'friendly' ratio I though I would be able to fit in the space without having to go around the beam or factor the beam in. Which is of course a possibility but I am guessing the beam is carry vibrations to and from the other spaces in the structure. At the moment I am thinking of sandwiching the room between the beam and wall without being connected to either. Budget around £2-3000 (3500-5000ish Australian dollars) but, as always, less is better! So for a room within a room design, is this space too small for my possible dimensions? Any other suggestions? Can I work with the beam? Can I build around it and have it penetrating the space? Will the wooden floor be a nightmare? Bearing in mind the neighbours I wish not to disturb and not part of the same structure. I think the main thing I am hoping for is other designs that would fit in the space, or someone to say 'oh you can do that a little smaller than 1500 cubic feet no problem'... Anyway, sorry for my lack of direction or detail, I really hope you guys can help me!

What the beam/ joist looks like

Hi there "Dj Buzzword", and welcome to the forum! :)

My main concern is having a room that 'sounds good' or neutral rather, so I can have faith I am hearing what is there in the audio material I am dealing with and record in there if necessary.

So this is going to be primarily a control room, but with the possibility of doing some light tracking in there too? Is that correct?

Total isolation is by no means necessary but I would like to be able to play a drum kit in the studio at any time without disturbing the nearest neighbours around 150-200ft away.

That should not be a problem. 150 feet is a long way, so you have the advantage of the natural attenuation of air over long distances.

I was hoping to get my space inside this width using a 1:1.9:1.3 ratio with a ceiling height of 8.5ft.

That's actually not a very good ratio at all! It's outside the Bolt area, and fails 2 of the 3 "critical" tests that the BBC uses for determining if a room can be used as a studio: it needs to pass all 3 to be usable. So you should probably re-think those dimensions, to something closer to one of the good ratios, or at least get it inside the Bolt area. You are reasonably close to Louden's second best ration, which would be great, but your biggest issue is that the profile is nearly square: your length is almost exactly double your height.

which comes in at a little of 1500 cubic feet.

That's fine. That's a good size for a CR.

Am I being naive to think I can do this?

Not at all! :) Many many forum members have done what you are taking about, very successfully. If they can, then there's probably no good reason why you wouldn't be able to. The issue might be budget: yours seems unrealistically low, but apart from that what you propose is certainly do-able.

My walls would be someone thin.

Why?

Which is of course a possibility but I am guessing the beam is carry vibrations to and from the other spaces in the structure. At the moment I am thinking of sandwiching the room between the beam and wall without being connected to either.

Right. It is very important that your inner-leaf walls should not touch the outer-leaf anywhere.

So for a room within a room design, is this space too small for my possible dimensions?

It's fine! John has built entire studios inside a shipping container, so what you propose is well and good.

Can I build around it and have it penetrating the space?

You can certainly build around it, but it cannot penetrate the room, or at least it cannot touch the room if it does so. So you could soffit around it in your ceiling, if you wanted to. You'd need to take greater care with the acoustic design if you did that, but it it feasible.

Will the wooden floor be a nightmare?

Yes. :shock: 8)

or someone to say 'oh you can do that a little smaller than 1500 cubic feet no problem'...

OK; then I'll say this: "Oh, you can do that a little smaller than 1500 cubic feet no problem". :lol: :roll: But seriously, you CAN go smaller if you have to. Or bigger. 1500 f3 is a good size, though, so if you can stay in that ballpark then you should be fine. That said, people have built smaller studios very successfully.... The problem is that the smaller it is, the harder it is to treat. It seems to me that you have a good space, and a good basic idea, so I don't see why this wouldn't work. - Stuart -