basement design-change of plans

Started by rnewton on 5 August 2006. 8 replies.

Originally posted at johnlsayers.com, topic 6775.

My basement studio design has been changed so I thought I'd start a new post. Here is an sketchup plan. There will now be a wall dividing the room for storage and isolating the A/C and water heater without getting too hot. This is not a real problem space-wise as I am mostly mobile and will not do too many full bands in this space, although it is still a decent size. The "vocal booth" gobo system will be a homemade modular affair with covered fiberglass or foam wedges on casters and have plexi-glass windows set at an angle. The floor is covered in rubber backed carpet squares (low nap). I am planning on hanging clouds over the mix position and booth. The block walls are painted and treated. Please give me advice on treatment and positioning. Construction needs to be started soon. Thanks in advance.
Image not preserved: basement_studio_top.jpg
Here is a view of the booth area. The gobo system will be modular as I've said, and will probably be a set of 3 and 2 instead of what is shown to give the performer access in and out easily. These gobos will be on casters and I will most likely move to spot treat the room for mixing if necessary. The wall treatment will be 3" foam and I'm thinking of mounting it on foamboard and attaching it directly to the painted block walls. Opposing sheetrock wall will be treated with homemade fiberglass absorbers.
Image not preserved: basement_studio_booth.jpg
Here's a sketch of the mix position. Wall treatments are all 3" foam wedge.
Image not preserved: basement_studio_mix.jpg
Forgot a few things from my last design post. The ceiling is at 7'3". Isolation (from the outside/rest of house) is not a big deal as the entire basement is underground and my family doesn't mind a bit of noise (but I do plan on replacing the basement door and other things). And last but not least, my budget is (hopefully) under $500. I am perfectly willing and able to handmake treatments (as you probably could already tell from my plans. Thanks again.
Mind resizing your pix as per the 5th and 7th topics from the top? Thanks... Steve
Fixed. Very sorry. Didn't notice they were so big.
Does anyone think making the stud wall non-parallel to the block wall (which I obviously can't change without making another stud wall) a better idea than just making a parallel wall and treating it?
A few people gave me the advice of switching my mix position and "booth" around. I have also decided on making my own treatment out of 703. This will include all panels shown, the gobo "booth" and a ceiling cloud over both positions. There are tall bass trap panels in all corners & a heavy drape at the entrance (foot of stairs).
Image not preserved: basement_studionewtop.jpg
Image not preserved: basement_studionew.jpg
Well, some things have changed and some more advice is needed. The layout will be essentially the same, but my question with that is; what would be the optimum desk placement?? The changes are the booth treatment will not have the gobo system I had thought of as I won't have the budget to make them for now. I will be using sound blankets across the opening instead (perhaps with a vinyl window installed in one). The panels and other treatment will actually be better than I thought originally as my wife and I have come up with what we think is a good design consisting of a layer of soundboard, an airspace, another layer of soundboard, and fiberglass batts for both the booth walls and probably the bass traps in the corners of the room. Other panels will probably just be single-layer soundboard with fiberglass. There will also be a bent wood reflecter/diffuser/trap in the middle of the back wall panels. Oh yeah. There will also be a loveseat against the back wall and a large chair on the sheetrock wall toward the back corner (making an L with the loveseat).