Dormer Studio

Greetings, What a thrill to find this site! A dream come true. Thank you for all your generous help. I just bought a tiny house in East Northport, New York on Long Island. After much discussion with the wife I have been moved to a little dormer room upstairs. Until I can build a studio from scratch in the back yard I am tired of fighting with her and will use this as my studio space. Its so small! I can barely stand up. The door opens out into the hallway, not into the room. The walls are old gypsum board with a plaster layer that is peeling because the glue that binds it to the board has failed. There is an oak floor. I am a violinist/Composer so I'm not loud. Its a quiet neighborhood and I have two little windows. I can hear the fire siren and the Long Island Railroad. I want to leave the windows alone for light and air so I don't get clausterphobic. My budget is 1000 to 2000. I had a brand new electric service put in the house and will want a clean line directly from the utility box in the basement and would like some suggestions regarding power I can tell the electrician. All the construction work I do myself. Here is a drawing and a funky photomerge I did in photoshop. Thank you! Matt Pierce www.matthewpierce.com

Matt - what do you want to do in this room - what is your recording setup?? I'd look at doing something like this. cheers john

John, Thank you for the drawing! I've been out at the house working like mad before the school year starts and I get very busy. The large table in your drawing about describes my setup. One computer with a flat screen monitor and some Yamaha, Paradigm and Auratone Monitors on Auralex Mopads with an amplifier and a nice pre. I multitrack record myself (violin) and fellow string colleagues and that is it. Its basically a writing room. (see pic below) I was hoping to get my table (5'x 2') onto the west wall. This might make me feel not so cramped in there. I'm not sure. Acoustically your slot resonator walls make sense. I need to get to your site and figure out what a slot resonator is as this is the first I've heard of one! What if I put a table on the west wall? What are the pros and cons? -Matt

well if you put the table on the west wall you block out all the standing room I put the table where the ceiling height is the lowest so you can stand where it's the highest. cheers john

Well duh, That makes the most sense. I'm researching slot resonators and found your DIY Wall hanging site. As far as the back wall. Frame it out, insulate and sheetrock it? That is what you mean by the 4" of insulation correct? What kind of wood for the slots? Up to me? I'll need to find planks and rip them. Any comments on that sloping ceiling? Is that good or bad. Its old gypsum board. Treat it or leave it as is? -Matt

No for the west wall - frame it - insulate it and cover with cloth so it's a dead wall. the angled ceiling is fine as it angles the right way - just paint it. for the slots a cheap method is to buy veneered plywood and rip it down into planks - that's how Bruce built his slots at Blue Bear. cheers john