Building new studio, need ideas/suggestions

Hi! My first post. :) Looks like you've got a great forum here. We are building a new studio, and I would really like some input on how we would best go about placing bass traps, absorbers and diffusors in our rooms. Our budget allowed us to hire a studio designer to design the main control room, and give basic guidelines on the live room. I am mostly looking for ideas on programming room 1, since that is the room I will use the most. (For programming and also recording from the live room/the booths.) But of course, comments on how to make the other rooms sound their best, frequencies to look out for etc, is also most welcome. :) I will use the main control room to do mixing when possible, but would also like to be able to mix in the programming room, since I use an analog desk for summing etc. (And that's of course a hassle to move around.. :)) Mixing will be done on nearfields. All floors are double, both layers floating, filled with rockwool. Ceilings are hanging from wires, separated from concrete ceiling (appx 60cm distance to concrete ceiling). All walls are filled with 10cm rockwool (open back) and have double layers of gypsum (inside). Same goes for ceiling. All outer construction is made of concrete (walls, ceiling, floor) since this used to be a storage area. Please see attached image for details. Any ideas and suggestions appreciated. We haven't really decided on what to put on floors either yet, so any suggestions as to suitable material is also most welcome! Thanks!

Hi. The controlroom and the tiny booth looked very small. The wall angles are also not convinient for acoustics. Bluemusic

bluemusic wrote:

Hi. The controlroom and the tiny booth looked very small. The wall angles are also not convinient for acoustics. Bluemusic

Hi, thanks for replying. (Eller takk, om du vil.. :)) What you can see of the control room is just a tiny part of it, since I am not really concerned about the control room. Since it has been designed by a studio designer, I feel confident that it will work. The tiny booth is just what it is.. tiny.. :) It will probably be used occassionally as a small vocal booth, and also as a booth to put really loud amps in. Which wall angles are not good, and how would you change them/compensate? Thanks!

Aloha eirikur, In regard to the tiny booth, you might want to break up the parallel walls a little. (See attachment) Aloha 8)

kendale wrote:

Aloha eirikur, In regard to the tiny booth, you might want to break up the parallel walls a little. (See attachment) Aloha 8)

Ok, thanks, I'll do that... Even to an acoustic novice like myself, that makes perfect sense.. (*angry-at-self-should-have-seen-that-one*) :) Keep 'em coming! :)

Hi again. No one has any ideas for placement/orientation of monitors and mixing desk as well as treatment for the programming room? Ideas greatly appreciated...

have you done any sound tests in the finished but untreated room/s? that info would help so the pros here could get a better idea of what you need to do.

Hi DreaminDrumBeats, and thanks for your reply. No, unfortunately I haven't performed any sound tests. The reason is that I don't have any real knowledge on what software to use or how to interpret results. I also fear that a measurement would be more or less useless since I don't have a measurement microphone, and since I figure results will be affected quite a bit by which mic I would choose to use, as well as coloration impaired by pre-amp and AD conversion as well... Maybe I'm just being paranoid about the latter, but I haven't really performed measurement tests on room resonance before. But, if anyone can verify or write my fears off as paranoia, I would be more than willing to try. Cheers!

Aloha eirikur, Would you happen to have some measurements of your programming room? (L x W x H) Aloha 8)

Hi! Reposting programming room 1, this time with measurements included. :) Oh, and also included a corner that (unfortunately) had to be built into the room.... So now it is EVEN smaller... :cry: Edit: Oh, and the height of the room is 240 cm... Cheers! :D

Measurements didn't help? Still no ideas?

Aloha, Can your door be reoriented to swing out? Aloha 8)

Hi again Kendale. No, unfortunately, we have to have it swing inwards, due to regulations here in Norway. (Escape in case of fire etc) Cheers!

Aloha, Okay, does that "corner that (unfortunately) had to be built into the room" run from floor to ceiling? Aloha 8)

Yes, it does :cry: :roll:

Aloha, Okay. Would regulation allow you to locate your entryway as indicated? Or use a double sliding glass doorway for an entryway? If so, would this work for you? Aloha 8)

Hi again Kendale and thanks for your suggestions. Appreciate it. :) The way you arranged the room makes sense. I think there's just one issue with it, and that is the fact that I would really like to try to build it so that it is possible to be working both in the main control room and the programming room at the same time. For your solution, I would have to walk through the live room to get to the programming room, which would not be great in that respect. What do you think? :)

Aloha, I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by:

working both in the main control room and the programming room at the same time

I am curious...perhaps if you would illustrate how one might accomplish that; given the current layout posted? Aloha 8)

Hi. Terribly sorry, you're of course right, it doesn't at all show how that would be possible from the image I first uploaded... :( I'm really sorry about that. You see, there is actually planned a door/separate entry for the programming room. (As indicated in the image below). In addition, the main control room also has its own entrance... Once again, I'm terribly sorry that I didn't think of the fact that the image doesn't show this, hope you don't feel that I've been wasting your time by failing to provide this information. I should of course have made sure that it was obvious from my first post... :shock: sorry....

Aloha, Ah, I think I am begining to understand what you mean. Okay, no worries! :wink: Here's another question for you; could the door to your programming room be moved more toward the center and made to open inwards to the left? If not, then how about 2d? I just remembered John had done a studio plan in a container and might give you some ideas: http://www.johnlsayers.com/Studio/Mainpage/MP-Mark.htm Here's an edited section of the plan. Would something like this be a viable option? Aloha 8)

Aloha, Here's two more... Aloha 8)

Mm.. thanks again. I think the "1d" layout is the one will probably be the best for us. (most easy to accomplish and doesn't affect the plans for the booths) What would you do with bass traps/absorbers in that case? (Where/what?) And how would it in your opinion be different (i.e.better or worse) from the clicktrack layout? (how much better or worse, what to keep in mind, that sort of thing?) Thanks again, much appreciated! :D

Aloha,

What would you do with bass traps/absorbers in that case? (Where/what?)

Something like this perhaps? (I would probably do a cloud over the mix position if your ceiling height allows.)

And how would it in your opinion be different (i.e.better or worse) from the clicktrack layout? (how much better or worse, what to keep in mind, that sort of thing?)

Hard to say whether or not/how much better/worse, given the different size, shape, height, and construction/materials. Aloha 8)