T-Mix Studio / Construction Diary

Spanky, I am really looking forward to getting together with you again. I really am looking forward to recording with you whether it be at your place or mine. Tom

Hi Tom, YOu are your wife have done an AMAZING job! Congrats - hope you get it sorted for the new clients! Once I finished I had some friends around a we did loose jams over abot a week - every day I found something - patch wrong, midi wrong , loose connections n stuf......but now it seems sorted and I am feeling confident. In short keep up the good work and don't rush the patching!!!!!!! ;)

well , I finally started my move in yesterday, and took a few pictures. I am lousy at pictures.. I tell ya. Any way the place is a wreck but I got the computer and racks installed and wired and did a quick playback test. Man! Sounds beautiful! Clean , distinct imaging! I need to listen to a few things I know are mixed well , because I was listening to some stuff I tracked in the old studio 2 days ago and everything seemed heavy around 330 hz. I dont know if it is the new room showing a discrepancy in my recorded stuff or whether the new room is adding it. Probably the former. Anyway, here are a few more pics. Now on to the vocal booth and drum room! Tom

I forgot to mention that in the mix nook the double panels on each side are suspended on conduit, and they lift off to reveal the vocal booth window and drum room windows when I am tracking, Likewise in the main room all the wall panels slide along the conduit and lift off to change how wet / dry the room is. I have some diffusor panels in the build to try out here and there. Thanks for looking Tom

Tom, Your place looks fantastic - I can't wait for you to share how it sounds...... Rod

Rod, Many many thanks to you and the others on this board who inspired me to strive towards something I never thought was possible for me. As soon as I can record and mix some stuff I'll give my review and post the songs (if they are worhty of hearing.) Thanks again! Tom

Hey Tom Looking good man! Question for you... Those ceiling clouds...how did you mount them to your ceiling? It looks like they're screwed/anchord into a strip of wood on your ceiling. If that's correct, what is the wood strip secured to? Into the ceiling joist? Into RC? Some other way? Also if my eyes are seein' straight it looks like there is a chain attached to the cloud that's connected to the wood strip on the ceiling. Thanx

Camistan, I did anchor the wood strips every 2 feet into the ceiling joists to distribute the load and allow me to hang the clouds wherever I saw fit. I then hung some hooks (30 lbs rated per hook) and strung chain (30 lb rated as well) and attached the clouds. I bet the clouds dont weight 25 lbs each. I wanted to make sure 1 hook could carry the entire load if somehow the other 3 got unhooked. thanks for looking. Tom

It LOOKS cool, now.. how does it sound again? Congrats Tom!

i'm not sure, but it looks like you have a ton of room upstairs(attic). What are you using that space for? C

C, Thanks for looking. The attic area is mostly storage and also houses the hvac system suspended and quietened by gobos to keep the sound resonating in the attic. Because it is mostly trusses spanning the whole building the space is only available in 2 foot slices for the most part. The place works well. I am still adding acoustic treatments and equipment as I get money here and there. I hope soon to be able to post new pictures when I am done with the drum room hopefully after next weekend. Thanks for looking! Tom

hey tmix, I saw that you casually mentioned in another thread that you finished your build. As they say, pics or it didn't happen.... LOL

Yeah I know ..i know.... I am really lousy at photography, but I am going to try tonight when I get home. It is "relatively" clean and straightened up. It probably won't ever look any better..... I'll post. Hey.. one thing for sure, the sound is excellent and it makes it easier to mix for sure. I am finishing up some rough mixes on some tradition Celtic Musicians and I personally think it sounds great. The guitarist's guitar is washy sounding in person and I had issues with it....but it is OK. Tom

JWL, OK, These are not good, but as I promised, here are some pics. Not sure what order they will display, but here goes!

OK JWL! here is your chance to laugh! I know, I know... my picture taking is horrid... "Stick to recording " My Wife says! Tom

looks great tmix! Wish my space was ready.... LOL How's it sound in there? You like it?

All the rooms sound really nice. The smaller ones are very consistent in their sound from any place in the room.I thought at first the panels would make it really dead and sound like you are recording in a vacuum, but really just the opposite. It just makes the walls disappear acoustically. It is very loud and vibrant near the instruments but the volume just falls off sort of natural as you move away. The big room is different though. The nook is very tight and controlled, but the big room is dryer towards the middle , but gets some slight room slap back, ambiance as you get close to small end walls. You hear an ever so slight reflection from the far wall. I hope to be able to utilize some room mics with my drums and take advantage of it, if possible. I could post some recent music samples of recording . Just not sure how to do it here. Tom

Can you post some detailed/close pics of the rail mounting system you have for the big room? I am interested in doing something similar and would like to see up close how you did it. Thanks, bassman

Sure, It was pretty easy. I mounted a small block of pine 1 x 2 about 2.5 long every 4 studs or so with an electrical conduit clamp and clamped up a bunch of 3/4 rigid conduit, then mounted some conduit clamps (the kind that are single ended) to the tops of the panels hanging out the back so they would hang on the conduit. I had to spread the clamps a little so they would not lock down hard. I'll try to get some pics,... I am horrible with a camera.

Wow. Just wow. I remember when I first saw that room, it was super empty, save for a drum set (which has progressed nicely, thanking your son? for updates). I really like the window covering Idea...

Thanks! My son keeps his kit in the drum booth and I keep mine in the big room. That way I have one for practice with my band, but I can keep his miced up ready to record. I am still re-learning how to best utilize the rooms and mic from further back now that the rooms sound good. It gives the instruments more depth and space not having a mic 2 inches away. I appreciate the compliments. I sure enjoy the place.