Room Layout..... Input appreciated

Here's a layout that ive been working on. Ive finally gotten my list of things on the new house done that were a priority over the studio :roll: , and im ready to start building. Here's what ive got to work with: -12'x12'9" room -18" deep closet space left over from built-in bookshelves that i built in the office adjacent to the studio. Not sure what that will be...probably just storage. Ive tried to stay away from parallel walls while still making the most out of this small space. I wrestled with having an iso room, or just leaving the whole room open. After the last open room situation i had though, I found out that it would be very useful. The black walls are walls to be framed, blue is existing. Any insight would be very appreciated. Thanks, Mike

btw: I also wanted to ask anyone with experience doing it both ways... ( or any acoustical guru's) If cutting up a room this small in this fashion "will" make a difference sonicly vs. just leaving it open. Im just wondering to myself if trying to play by the rules really helps in small room situations. again, thank you

Mike - it will make a huge difference. here's my suggestion. cheers john

Thanks John, .....I appreciate the alternative design, very nice, and informative with regards to how i should treat it acoustically. I have a couple of questions, if you get time: 1. A friend suggested that an iso booth that small might not be very effective with loud vocals/amps, etc. Would a booth that small still be able to provide a dead ambience if treated as you described? ...even at louder volumes? I had a very bad experience battling proximity in the last room i had, hence my interest in an isolation booth. I just want to be fairly sure that I can get it pretty dead so no other unforseen problems arise. 2. I noticed in your design that the apposing walls in the control room are treated differently. Will this have a negatively noticable effect on stereo imaging? 3. Is the 4" 703 youre describing full height (floor to ceiling)? 4.....the most important one: Would it be beneficial for me to go forward with a design like the one posted rather than just leaving the room open and treating the perimeter walls as best as i can? thank you very much, Mike

Mike - the smaller the room the more treatment is required to deaden it at all frequencies, NOTE I said at all frequencies. I'd suggest the trouble you've had with small rooms is that they've been dead ONLY in the high end. Your small booth fully treated will work IMO - what is your ceiling height?? There is another area there for treatment. The opposing walls in the control room can actually have similar treatment if you build the right wall inside out - i.e. the drywall goes on the right side of the wall leaving an open cavity on the innerside that can also be treated as a slot resonator. The 703 goes all the way up the wall plus I'd add a ceiling cloud depending on your ceiling height.

4.....the most important one: Would it be beneficial for me to go forward with a design like the one posted rather than just leaving the room open and treating the perimeter walls as best as i can?

Most definitely - you need this much treatment to get a small room like that to work and you've got the opportunity to treat the lowmids with the slots and the low bass with the heavy trapping at the rear. The glass windows and the timber slots will also stop the room from being too dead in the high end so the room will sound tight but not dead. A timber floor would also help in the high end. cheers john

thanks a million John, My ceiling height is 8' throughout. The clouds wouldnt be a problem. I have an abundance of 2x4 acoustic ceiling tiles at my disposal.... would stacking them....say 5 thick, and containing them in a perimeter frame work for this? I would then hang the stacks a few inches from the ceiling. "The opposing walls in the control room can actually have similar treatment if you build the right wall inside out - i.e. the drywall goes on the right side of the wall leaving an open cavity on the innerside that can also be treated as a slot resonator. " I love that idea!!!! So would i just fasten the slats to the wall framing? ...and if so, would steel stud framing be ok with that (I was planning on using 3-5/8" studs for the interior walls)? thank you very much, Mike

I'd stick with timber studs - unless you want the room to sound like a dobro :):) I'd ditch the acoustic tiles and make a 703 cloud in each room. cheers john