Break-down studio

Snap bio: Not young; looking hard at sixty. Suffer Renaissance man syndrome, resurrected a long-moribund musical career; previously, heavy into computers (Mac platform). Wedded the two professions: recording live performances (see photo of a portable recording console I recently designed and constructed, borrowing from a yet earlier career as cabinetmaker). Have an entire house at my disposal; see sketch of floor plan. The building is best described as simple and light cottage-construction, is more than a hundred years old, and built at that time from still earlier building material. The structure sits above ground on support tiers, the floors are hardwood (pine) over planks set on cross members (both cypress). Renovated walls are layered plywood/sheet-rock. Ceilings are either wood and beam or sheet-rock (depending on room), and ranges between nine and eleven feet in height. My plan is to use each room for a single instrument, and then recording everything in one pass (as live performance). The first project has amplified instruments and a drum set; some amps miked, the rest direct line in. Since this is a residence first and recording studio (or site) second, the preference is to have as acoustic baffling something which can be disassembled again and stored away (that is, rather than built-in). Any suggestions, especially so far as the drum set is concerned? Or any serious drawbacks RE the way the house is constructed (in particular, the floor), again so far as the drum set is concerned? Also, perhaps a good book on the rudimentary concerns and goals in this regard, so I don't appear too wantonly ignorant in this forum.

How quiet do you have to be as far as neighbors are concerned? How far away are your nearest neighbors? What are your sound ordinances? I'm asking isolation related questions because that's not something you can afford to think about last. :) Got photos of your building and rooms?

sharward wrote:

How quiet do you have to be as far as neighbors are concerned? How far away are your nearest neighbors? What are your sound ordinances? I'm asking isolation related questions because that's not something you can afford to think about last. :) Got photos of your building and rooms?

Though in town and residential, the general locale remains essentially rural; there's a generous amount of surrounding space between houses on two sides, while the other two are bounded either by family or placable neighbor. So outside sound 'bleed' isn't a concern; to that, sound testing w/ a pair of JBL Eon 10 speakers at a 'healthy' gain setting transmitted an acceptable decibel level. True, maybe not quite the db level of a live amplified band, but for my intents and purposes (i.e., music genre), it'll work. As to local sound ordinances, apparently they're pretty lax--a fair number of boom-box vehicles cruise by at all hours, while zydeco--the hallmark music of Opelousas--is pumped out in backyard parties at a level that can be heard, outdoors, several hundred yards away. In short, this is Louisiana--they likes their music--and there's not a whole lot of 'style-cramping'. What photos I have don't really convey the nature of this layout as well as the basic schematic appended to my original post. I would remark that only half the house is 'lived in'--the rest is 'under construction', though that pretty much just means trim and paint. No drapes, few rugs (no carpeting), as I prefer a rather 'monastic' decor. Which is to say, not much furniture while what there is constitutes hard surfaces, lots of open space. The reason I ask specifically about the drums is that the band resides in New Orleans, and it's a 260-mile roundtrip. I don't want the drummer to set up, hit the kick drum and have some weird kettle drum effect quake through the entire house due to floor mechanics (as described previously). It entered my mind that perhaps some wooden shipping skids/palettes as kit riser might 'diffuse' this particular drum. (I should mention this is a blues band, but not of the Cream category. No mega-Marshalls. No eighty-piece percussion Armageddon.) Again, what might I expect from the rooms acoustically as I've detailed (such as the walls and ceiling heights)--it seems drums represent the most involved acoustic setup (though it seems to my admittedly very limited experience post-recording work can 'fix in the mix', i.e., EQ, compression, and whatnot). I do 'live' recording. No additional tracks. Nothing Pink Floyd here (much as I love them). I opt for energy rather than perfection. It's what the job calls for, anyway. Also, I wonder, when miking an amp if its speaker should be turned towards a ninety-degree corner--wouldn't this forty five degree angle presentation prevent sound from bouncing directly back at the amp? Or am I getting a bit finicky for this 'rough-edged' genre. Finally, below is the website address for another blues band I recently recorded, as audio samples; recommend either Third Degree or Caledonia. This was recorded outdoors in a parking lot. Most listeners, including the band members, are astounded by this location, since it apparently sounds to them like a studio setting. Just a touch of post-work. But generally, as is. And works fine quality-wise for my (and these bands) present needs. http://www4.streamload.com/Nodes/Node.a ... 1288204335