Garage studio layout: advice needed

I finally have a space of my own, ready to be converted. I'm eager - like many of you, I suppose - to get out of the bedroom and into a legitimate space. I would dearly love some advice from those of you who have built before on how best to layout this space. Space Description: Old one-car garage Dimensions: 196" wide, 213" deep, 99" high. Exterior Door: only one existing, 36", 84" from west wall, 76" from east. Windows: none Other: there is a water heater, unmoveable, located on the west wall, 60" from the south wall. The WH is approximately 24" wide, but a foot out from the wall. I would *love* to make this space a viable two-room recording space: a comfortable CR and live room big enough for a four-piece. Cramming in a vocal booth somewhere would be grand. I will be monitoring exclusively in the near field: no soffits, etc. necessary. I've been reading extensively on this site and have begun digesting construction methods and materials - but that's another discussion. Right now, I'm looking for help with layout. Thank you all very much in advance! Lindsay Graham

Here's the room as is, with dimensions. Some construction details: there are only exterior walls on the north, east and south faces. The west wall seperates the room from the remaining portion of the first floor, adjoining a staircase. There is a second floor above. All walls are 2x6 timber, with cementatious siding applied to 3/4" OSB. No interior leaf exists. Again, thanks in advance for any help in laying this room out. It's small and trying to get everything I want out of it is a challenge. I'm hoping there's someone out there with exceptional spatial-relations skills that sees something I might not. Lindsay

I've been fooling around with designs and came up with this one. Comments, criticism welcome. Lindsay

No replies? Unfortunate. But, here's to hoping someone's still reading: of those with experience with small studios such as this (20x20 approx), how do you find the dimensions? After building it, did you discover that the main room needed to be bigger or smaller? Is there some comfortable ratio you discovered? All assistance much appreciated, Lindsay Graham

Hi Lindsay! Caution: I could acting here as Profi like John, I´m looking self for Input! But there are two things that i don´t like if i released one for me: - The Great Liveroom mußt be used as Way to your Controlroom, if you recording suddenly "People walk trough your Recordings". Simple Words but i think you Understand what I mean... - And there is another I don´t like! The Square under the HW will be better build with an angeled Wall for a better Sound. A simple scratch with words: --------------------- Booth......Booth hw............Tape / Mic Store ..........cr ---------door------- The Points makes Spaces between the Words, not more. An other Idea was to make the hw and the Store to left, the Controllroom to right. To Picturetop you can released one or two Booth. I´m not the Expert, this only my Ideas to see your Picture! If you need more so told me... Jasmin "Some one here to helps me find a goodlooking Layout for me?" :wink:

Okay, take a look to my Idea for you, it isn´t in Scale! If you Like it try them with good angeled Walls and the true Size! Cheers Jasmin

cheers john

John: thanks for the design! Of course, I don't really plan on 5.1 anytime soon, but it's nice to see your forward thinking. I haven't yet paced this out to determine a sense of scale, but looking at that drumset - whew - what a small space! I'd really like a bigger live room (though I dig the two booths). I was looking at Snapper's studio (http://www.johnlsayers.com/Studio/Image ... p4/hr4.jpg) and know of several studios in town (Dallas, TX) that employ a similar CR design: wide and shallow. In these designs, often a near-field monitor set is placed right up against the forward wall, usually with some sort of absorbtion just behind it. I guess what I'd like to know is this: given the "ideal" back-wall distance from speaker is 11ft, what might be the "ideal" forward distance? A "good enough" distance? A "don't you dare" distance? Also, is there some magic angle that the walls are splayed at? All john's designs seem to be an up or down-scaled version of the same basic CR geometry. I read somewhere that 6 degrees mitigates flutter, but doesn't create a RFZ - steeper angles are required. All advice welcome and much appreciated! Lindsay Graham

Well, since I'm not an American I can't help a lot with the dimensions, since I only understand the metric system. However, going by standard one car garage dimensions, I'm guessing your space is quite limited. Which is why you should probably provide more info regarding how you will be using this space. You want a comfortable CR, but if you are going to be recording full live bands at once, then studio area will be much more important, and you'll have to deal with a small CR. Isolation booths will be pretty cool, but I'd keep them small. Not only for vocals, but they are good for keeping an amp while recording, so that you can give the musicians in-ear mixes for playback. However, if you are not gonna be dealing with full bands playing at the same time, then yes, you should divide the space a little more. In any case, for those dimensions, I'd leave maybe one tiny booth, and invest in moving panels and some plexi. That'll be the most practical setup, with a small-ish CR. [SPAM SIGNATURE REMOVED BY MODERATOR]

Guille, I'm not sure if you realize it, but are you responding to a thread that is nearly seven years old... Also, please read and follow the forum rules if you'd like to participate here. Thanks. - Stuart -