Layout and Design Suggestions

Hello Everyone, I have been allotted this space to build two audio suites for mixing TV commercials and shows plus a voiceover booth and machine room. Currently, I'm in the planning stage. I'm just not sure what is the best layout. The space is on the 2nd floor of a concrete and brick building. One wall has windows (facing a small quiet lane), another is double brick. I have included a floorplan of the whole floor. My area is marked in red. Plus a zoom in and a rough layout that I came up with. The blue square is a column and its position is approximate. All partitions shown in black on the floor plan are sheetrock walls and will be torn down. Floor and ceilings are concrete. Also, construction will probably be done in two phases. Initially, the first control room, booth, machine room and perhaps the shell of the second control room will be built. Don't know if this info is superflous or not. Just figured I'd throw it out there. Eventually, the rooms will be set up for 5.1. The control rooms don't need to be completely quiet (after all, nobody watches TV in complete silence!). I'm planning on keeping the windows. The booth should be reasonably quiet. By the way, I'm not married to the shared booth idea. It just seemed like a good way to save money, space and time. So my questions are: What is the most efficient layout for this space? How can I apply one of John's designs to the space? Is it feasable to build the first control room and booth for $20,000 USD. The measurements are in feet and I quote in US dollars but I am located in Sydney, Australia. I'm a recently transplanted Yank.

Like the old Artarmon studios for Beyond but now in 5:1 - how's this.:D cheers john

John, Thanks so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. You rock! A few questions: What are the tan and green areas made of? I am assuming that the thick black line is a wall. Is the thin black line sound panels? Also, what about celing shape? Should it be sloped? I know that this drawing was for layout purposes but would the booth walls be double stud? (Mass Air Mass) Or am I getting ahead of myself at this point? Is it possible to post the sketchup file as well? And finally, do you think that I'll be able to build one control room, booth and machine room plus the outer walls of the 2nd Control room. For $25,000 AUD. Once again, thanks so much for the awesome design.

joamoa wrote:

John, Thanks so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. You rock! A few questions: What are the tan and green areas made of? I am assuming that the thick black line is a wall. Is the thin black line sound panels? .

The front is a soffit mount for three speakers, the rear is bass trapping as is the rear sections behind the rear speakers.

Also, what about celing shape? Should it be sloped?

probably - I 'm not sure of your ceiling height.

I know that this drawing was for layout purposes but would the booth walls be double stud? (Mass Air Mass) Or am I getting ahead of myself at this point?

Yes - idealy it should be a separate floating room.

Is it possible to post the sketchup file as well?

It isn't a sketchup drawing - it's smartdraw.

And finally, do you think that I'll be able to build one control room, booth and machine room plus the outer walls of the 2nd Control room. For $25,000 AUD.

Hard to say - it depends on the labour cost - if you do most of it yourself you should have no problem but if you have to contract it all out you will be pushing to get it done for that amount.

Once again, thanks so much for the awesome design.

No worries mate :) cheers john

How about the Green area in the booth. Is that Bass Trapping? Also, I had written that the blue square was a column (in the picture description) but for some reason the descriptoons didn't show up. It shouldn't make too much of a difference. I will be able to get back into the space next week, to measure exact ceiling height. Thanks again!

Yeah - sorry - I missed the blue square - but it's cool - here's where it sits in the plan. The green area was a bench for V/O scripts ;) cheers john

Ok, I went in and measured the ceiling today. At the point where I measured it was 2.96 meters or 9.7 feet from the floor to the slab above. I've also decided to put the client's sofa on a 6" riser, so they have a better view of the TV mounted on the wall above the center speaker. Also, I figured out exactly where that column is in the room. It sits partially in the soffit of the left rear surround speaker (of the top studio) and the machine room hallway. Not a problem, we'll work around it. Question is: What should the ceiling be shaped like?

I'd even consider a 12" riser with a step. You are right - they have to look over you to see the monitor - At Beyond mine was 12". cheers john

Hi, I'm in the midst of planning something similar. But a question here is, are there double doors or single doors to each of the rooms? By looking at the jpgs, it seems that there is one door into the sound-lock/airlock area, and then a single door to each rooms. Will there be noise leak issues if say, Control A is mixing (loud for films), and Control B is recording VO from the VO booth, and happens that while the mixing is going on (in A), the client (or someone else) opens the door (from A) and walked out - will the loud noise from A travel into the VO booth via the single door? Thanks & Regards, [Charles]