Meow Mix - Commercial Space Conversion in W MA

Jon, It's looking great......... Rod

looking great, Jon! I'm tempted to come to Western Mass to check it out... LOL If you do make it up to Maine let me know, we can hook up for a studio-builder brew or three.... I'm in southern Maine/greater Portland.....

July 24 --- Ah, the sweet smell of fresh cut lumber wafting through the air, the sounds of the hammer and saw, the scratching of the pencil on the square... now if only I could remember to add 6" when cutting headers! The last two days I've been busy framing the Vocal Booth and today the Drum Booth. Slow going with some erroneous measurements and having to stick build piece by piece since some walls are angled and include windows/doors to boot. Hoping to complete the East and West walls of the Drum Booth tomorrow then have to wait for some staging to do the front wall which is 14' tall. I've settled on swinging doors for the Vocal Booth and Drum Booth which are a bit smaller than orginally thought but I can live with that. I cut all the material for all the headers to come so I have the right measurements and can pop them into place lickity split. I am enjoying the fruits of may labors and the fact that I am saving $80/hour! I definitely need help with lifing walls into place but other than that it's mostly up the ladder... down the ladder... ad infinitum... Will take some pic tomorrow once the walls are complete and I get some paying work done. Namaste,

August 23 --- What a difference a month makes. 30 days and I have the Vocal Booth Framed and started drywalling, 1/2 the Drum Booth framed and progessing on that right now. Drywalled the mailing area wall to 12' and need to add the second layer once I have the $$$ for outside labor with a lift. Whihc brings me to my next observation... When I was an EMT-I back in the 80s we had a saying, "if you don't get to the call alive... you haven't saved anyone." Seem like that saying is a bit prophetic right now. In my efforts to 'do everything myself' due to lack of funds, I have learned the hard way that 'up the ladder, down the ladder = OWY, OWY, OWY. Today I found out after 3 days in bed with a bad cold that I need surgery on my left knee... same as the right 4 years ago. Couldn't come at a worse time. Nasty divorce, no $$$, no one to chauffer me to the surgery/appointments, etc. So, I ask for my 100%... Is there anyone in the MA, CT area who would be willing to assist me with drywalling the Vocal Booth and framing the Drum booth in exchange for studio time gratis once the place is complete sometime in '08? Mostly lifting 12' sheets of drywall and then lifting walls into place/plumb/level. Serious inquiries only please. My space is in Easthampton, MA off I-91. Thanks a bunch. Jon

So sorry to hear about that, Jon. :-( I hope everything goes OK for you. A drywall lifter will be a lifesaver for you and whomever you have assisting you. 4x8 sheets aren't too bad to get onto the lifter by oneself, but the 4x12s definitely will require two people, even with the lifter. --Keith :mrgreen:

Keith: Thanks for the photo of the lifter. For the time being I am only sheetrocking walls on the flat and lifting them into place. Once I start on the Drum Booth the lifter will mandatory. Do the side extensions move out to 12'? Bet you wish your ladder was a tad bit closer to the wall! I have the same problem. Trying to keep up the good intention to get something done every day. Will try to get some temp help tomorrow to get the latest wall into place and plumb/level then move back to the Drum Booth rear wall... then back tothe side walls for the Vocal Booth. If/when I can get a lifter I'll roof the Amp Booth with 5/8" sheetrock and 3/4" t/g Advantech. In goes the floor... call the inspectors and wait... Thanks for your support. Jon

frostgfx wrote:

Do the side extensions move out to 12'?

Yes. Well, not all the way to 12', but enough to accommodate a 12' sheet. That's what it's designed for.

frostgfx wrote:

Bet you wish your ladder was a tad bit closer to the wall! I have the same problem.

Yeah, it was kind of a pain at times, but that's a pretty old photo -- my inner leaf framing is done now. :-) --Keith :mrgreen:

August 27th --- PROGRESS!!! Finally buckled down, turned anal and cleaned my space, organized every piece of lumber of all sizes (proved very useful today) and took inventory of projects to work on going forward. The Drum Booth is waiting for help to erect the West wall along with the North wall of the Vocal booth. I've cut all the lumber for the Wall in front of the Amp Booth for framing once the Drum Booth walls are erect. Next will be the front wall of the Drum Booth, then the wall in front of the Drum Booth. Would really like to get the electrical inspector back in so I can insulate and close in the Chill Area and Ramp down to the Control Room area. That would be real progress! My knee is still a bother and need to have surgery --- in the mean time got a steriod injection to hold me over. Will have some pics later this week once the walls are erected and I have some space to frame shots. Namaste, Jon

October 7 --- After many weeks away from the studio build due to divorce, health issues and lack of funds/energy... I am back at work on Meow Mix. Today I finally finished framing the Vocal Booth walls and caulking the North and West walls and the corner joints of the framing. Tomorrow, I 'll start rocking the South and East walls. In the intervening weeks, my framer has gotten so busy he can't come back til '08... so I am looking for another framer that has specific skills necessary for the Control Room framing. If anybody has suggestions for contractors in MA or Northern CT, Southern VT. I'd appreciate any contacts. MY HVAC contractor should be here in Early November to run ducting, and water lines for the HVAC systems. It will be nice to at least have some fresh air circulating in the space... since I can't put in the main unit until the building owner demos the space behind me... and that's a 'cash flow issue'... yada yada yada... Once I get caught up on bills and such, I will have the electricians back for more rough-in work, inspections for the Building and Electrical systems and a visit from my architect to check on work to date. Once those are complete, I can finish the Amp Booth, insulate and rock all the Ramp and Chill Room walls, 3/4 of the Drum Booth, the Vocal Booth and get started on the perimeter 2x6 walls of the Live Area.

frostgfx wrote:

October 7 --- After many weeks away from the studio build due to divorce, health issues and lack of funds/energy... I am back at work on Meow Mix. Today I finally finished framing the Vocal Booth walls and caulking the North and West walls and the corner joints of the framing. Tomorrow, I 'll start rocking the South and East walls. In the intervening weeks, my framer has gotten so busy he can't come back til '08... so I am looking for another framer that has specific skills necessary for the Control Room framing. If anybody has suggestions for contractors in MA or Northern CT, Southern VT. I'd appreciate any contacts. MY HVAC contractor should be here in Early November to run ducting, and water lines for the HVAC systems. It will be nice to at least have some fresh air circulating in the space... since I can't put in the main unit until the building owner demos the space behind me... and that's a 'cash flow issue'... yada yada yada... Once I get caught up on bills and such, I will have the electricians back for more rough-in work, inspections for the Building and Electrical systems and a visit from my architect to check on work to date. Once those are complete, I can finish the Amp Booth, insulate and rock all the Ramp and Chill Room walls, 3/4 of the Drum Booth, the Vocal Booth and get started on the perimeter 2x6 walls of the Live Area.

Jon, nice to see things getting back on track for you - congrats. Rod

October 24 --- Last two weeks have seen real progress. Vocal Booth is all framed and almost finished with drywall. Drum Booth is 3 out of 4 walls framed; Control Room Perimeter walls are framed Mailing area is drywalled and painted (Mellow Yellow) and the acoustic ceiling guys come next week to install the grid and then the electrician comes to hook up the lights... He'll also be roughing in the receptacles for the Vocal Booth, Drum Booth and a couple of other areas. Once the electrician is finished with his stuff, the Electrical and Building Inspectors come to check on things to date. If all goes well, I'll be insulating and sheetrocking a bunch of walls not related to the Studio rooms proper. THe ceiling guys will come back to install the acoustic ceiling in the Ramp and Chill Room areas. Tomorrow I meet with my attorney to finalize my divorce... after 16 grueling months including 5 days in the looney bin... The upside is that I can afford to get the studio rolling and hope to have the framing completed by year end with most sheetrocking and flooring installed. November and December will be completing the framing and rough wiring and sheetrocking all over the place. I do what I can, and bring in the experts to complete the job ready for painting. January/February will be running wiring snakes to Patchbays and the Spire Rack for outboard equipment. Once the conduits have been run in the floor, the Live Area floor will be constructed March should see painting and finish trim installation. Shooting for April 1, 2008 Grand Opening, though I hope to have some lucky souls come by to put the systems through their paces... hint hint... Here are some pic of progress from Sept and Oct. to date. First shot is of the East side of the Vocal Booth showing the two walls between the VB and CR. Second shot is of Perimeter walls of the CR which will be insulated with rockwool and one layer of 5/8" Firecheck drywall. There are other walls in front that will contain the 5.1 surround speakers and the couch area with a large diffuser in the corner. The interesting thing is that the ceiling joists are cantilevered over a beam for the L C R dpeakers to be soffit mounted and angled down to the sweet spot at the console (Yamaha DM2000). There will be a double wall system with glass. The whole front wall system is built of 2x6s. Third shot is of Drum Booth framing of three walls with twine to hold two layers of Rockwool from falling out the back of the wall. The whole Drum Booth gets 2 layers of Firecheck 5.8" and two layers of Rockwool. Fourth shot is of Vocal Booth rough framing and sealing of the 'inside out' sheetrock walls. Fifth shot is of another angle of the Drum Booth framing and the window area of the Amp Booth/Drum Booth. Those are LVL beams for the CR and the Live Area support... each about 400# a piece! Sixth Shot is of the Mailing area sheetrocking - 1st layer. I had a company come in to finish the first layer and add the second layer to the Studio Joining wall. Today I painted the walls Mellow Yellow... Seventh and eighth shots are of the paint job and the drywall crew finishing the second layer of 5/8" Firecheck. Namaste, Jon

More Pics from the last week...

GREAT.... no, really a bit TOO great :) could you please resize them big ones to max 700pix wide? thanx thanx for sharing!

October 26, 2007 --- What a difference a couple of days can make... Yesterday I got divorced! Got to finally move a bunch of my stuff from the old house (after 15 months held hostage) into my apartment and the studio space. Today, I and my helper Dennis, spent the whole day clearing out a bunch of stuff for my mailing section... into an empty space outside my space... (extra rent for a month)... Cleaned, vacuumed, organized again, piles of wood and plywood. Left the drywall piles for Monday when the ceiling installers come. Started construction on the perimeter Wall for the Amp booth and got the Vocal booth inner wall taped and mudded for the second layer of rock to go up tomorrow morning. The electricians are coming if it is still raining to rough in a bunch of stuff, so I can get my inspections and move on the insulating and drywalling of the Ramp area, Chill Room, Vocal Booth... Drum booth to come in a couple of weeks. I hope to be able to install the ceiling (5/8" Firecheck/3/4" Advantech to the Amp Booth and install the floor vapor barrier, underlayment and call the installer for the Ash flooring. Then the only thing left are the cloth panels and the double swinging doors. Monday The HVAC guy comes at 10am to check out my progress and have his sheetmetal guy get to work on the main ducting and whatever else he can get hung before ceilings go in... Also on Monday my Pella Rep comes to check my ROs and place my order for all the sliders and swing doors. 4 week lead time on those. Just about right for all the walls/ceilings to be complete for door installation in some of the rooms. Redco Audio is providing my audio snakes/cabling/patchbays & patch cords, so have to finalize the snakes for the Vocal Booth, Drum Booth and Live Area panels. I am still stymied about a Custom console for my DM 2000 mixing consoles and Rack/Patchbay layout. I have looked at Argosy, Custom Design, and a fellow from FL. Here is my concern... The Front window wall is a three panel affair which comes out to about 11' width from left edge to right edge. I am flying my 5.1 LCR Mains above the glass. I will have about 18" from the glass to the colsole rear for acces to cabling and such, a console depth of about 50"; my chair or two and behind that is an Argosy Spire 9144 4 Bay 56sp outboard rack. Behind that is an area for a couch that sits 8" higher than level floor. Ideally, I'd like to DM2000 to be in the middle of the console with 19" racks (6sp. high horizontal) and 10 to 12sp vertical mounting rack space and some small 'producer's space on either side with a keyboard/mouse shelf slide under the center. I have 2 24" flat panel displays to sit on the top shelf of the console along with Yamaha HS80 Nearfields. The Right Side Vertical Rack space would be for Patchbays (5-6 2 Space EDAC connection patchbays. Not certain what will go on the left rack space as yet. It would be nice to angle the console to match the angle of the inner window wall and sit about 18-24" from the window wall for access to cabling and such. Would prefer a steel/hardwood design rather than melamine or crappier stuff with a veneer over it. I am a fan or Mission Oak... Does anyone have suggestions for sources of custom console design? Peferably close to Western MA. Will have some constuction pics on Tuesday after a ton of work gets completed and I can call the inspectors to come later in the week.! Hope everyone in studio build land has a productive weekend... Go Red Sox! Namaste, Jon

Jon, congrats - I know it's been a long time coming. Now you can put it behind you and get on with a better life........... Sincerely, Rod

Yes - Jon has cheered up and is up and at it. :D Yesterday we finally resolved the console layout for the DM2000. Here's where the design has come to. 12meg wmv file cheers john

Nov 1 --- Well, there you have it... my whole retirement savings going into a life long dream... at least I can bed down in the Amp Booth with the floating floor! But seriously, John has been busting arse with the details and working out the color scheme and cloth/wood/paint finishes. Tonite he solved a huge issue with how to maximize the CR space for the Yamaha DM2000 console and 2 24" monitors and still be able to see into the studio proper.... and gave me loads of rack space on the right side to boot! Yesterday I framed out the Live Area/Vocal Booth wall which went well until my electrician pointed out that something was 2" off... actually it was only 1.5" (an extra stud)... rip out the top plate/new top plate... rip out the bottom plate... new bottom plate... whalla. Now I need 5 really strong fellows to heft the wall up, missing the sprinkler drops and move it into final position... Lunch is on me. Any takers? Thursday I need to get some mailings done and then move the glu-lam beams somehow out of my space temporarily so I can frame up the Drum Booth front walls. Once they are complete, the electrician can finish roughing in his receptacles and such. Would really like to have a rough electrical/framing inspection done within a weeks time so I can insulate/drywall a bunch of space and make room for the ceiling joists... 50 bundles of Thermafiber in the walls is better than 50 bundles taking up valuable floor space! There is a chance the Amp Booth will be complete within the month with all finishes in place as a prototype for the other rooms... This is another place where John S. has come up with creative solutions to seemingly complex issues. I've started making some purchases on line for some of my kit... preamps, software, etc. UAudio is having some good deals (rebates) through the end of the year and I plan to have a bunch of their hard/software in place. I also had a rather worrisome situation with American Music Supply. I was going to order an Lex PCM 81 & 91 from them and they sent me an e-mail that I had to call their Credit department, who wanted me to have a conference call with my bank to verify my account... SOUNDS FISHY! Told them to take a hike and I am going to call my CC company to see if this is legit practice. Never had to do this... ever. Now that the colder weather has set in, I'm looking forward to working more comfortably in the studio space and seeing things progress more and more each day. What difference some drywall and insulation can make.... 4 second reverb decay... now down to about 1.3 sec. Best of luck to everyone on the forum with their build outs. Always willing to chat/visit others who are slogging through the process. Namaste, Jon

Hi Jon – Mate, I’ve been meaning to reply to your awesome thread for weeks, but, to be perfectly honest, have been a bit rapped up in my own little project! :oops: By way of cheering you up still further – wait for it, you’ll love this one: You wrote:

What a difference a couple of days can make... Yesterday I got divorced!

Man, I can soooooo relate to that, but can also say, If yours took less than five and a half years to complete, cost you less than £140,000.00 ($280,000.00 - That's what the ex got out of the deal), and you have seen your young kids in the last two and a half years, then you did considerably better than me. Specifics are personal, not fishing, as I said just trying to make you feel a bit better about your situation, 'cos I've been there too. It seems that the legal system is totally screwed in this area worldwide. :roll: Now, here’s the really good bit, no matter what happens from now on, you’ve already moved so far forward it’s almost frightening, all the ridiculous crap that you will have doubtless had to put up with for God knows how long has only made you stronger and more determined as a person, and furthermore, with two of the ‘biggest guns’ up here right with you, your dream will very soon be a reality, and you are the one making that happen. :) Your doing a great job Sir, and Mr Sayers’ walkthrough is typically mind-blowing (especially the ‘Air 20 system’ that I also intend to install!) :wink: :wink: My hat is very definitely off to you, many congrats on your freedom, and of course your awesome project. Keep ‘em coming Buddy, :wink: Kindest regards, Lou. 8)

Nov 1 --- Thanks Lou for your support and kind words... I did fair better since we didn't have kids and it took 'only' 15.5 months... of shear mortal hell! You are correct that once the agreement was signed, I could 'breathe' for the first time in a very long time. I am forging ahead with getting my life in order, working in earnest on the buildout (alone mostly) and enjoying my dear friend Rose who has been supporting me emotionally and ^%(^(&... you know. Today was a great day in deed. Yesterday was a 20 hour day... today was only 10... but that time was well spent. The Live Area wall for the Vocal Booth was erected with the help of a rented chain fall (hoist) and my neighbors through the solid block wall. Now I only have the front double wall for the Drum Booth to frame out... The electrical inspector is coming tomorrow afternoon and with luck I will be spending many a long day insulating the Vocal Booth and the rear CR walls which have no wiring in them. The Ramp and Chill Area can be partially insulated and drywalled. and I plan to put in the sleepers for the flooring of that area as well. I am doing some things a bit out of order since I am working alone and want to get some rooms completed before others so I can get some customers in and make some scrub! All the fine work of John S is paying off already in inspiration and mostly perspiration! With each new wall that goes up the place looks more and more like I envisioned about a year ago this time. Now that all the walls around the CR perimeter are up, I can focus on the front walls which are double 2x6s with plenty of space between the glass... I can really only put in the sole plates and build the knee walls to the bottom of the glass. I'll have the guys with the laser levels build the rest of the CR thank you! HVAC is being roughed in a two weeks or so and then I have a Design/build firm coming Tuesday to go over what is needed to frame the CR and build the ceiling structures/acoustic panels in the ceiling of the Live Area. Once they do their part, the electricians will be back, along with the door installers, the glazier, finish carpenter/cabinet maker and painter. If all goes as planned, Meow Mix will be open for business in March '08! Does anyone else on the forum have experience/opinions/issues with Dynaudio AIR 20s in a 5.1 system? This is the system I am proposing, but have not yet had a chance to demo them live. My rep is working on a local demo though. I am also focusing on systems integration and scaling back on my kit list since the build out is going to cost way more than initally planned... always happens. Glad I spent my money last year on my mic closet and such, since the prices were good. Now the market has tanked and I couldn't afford the selection I have in house. The next item to focus on is integrating a TC Electronics System 6000 Reverb to the Yamaha DM2000 console. Fortunately the previous owner of the console had a 6000 so perhaps he can shed some light on what routes to where for the the most functionality with 5.1 surround. I do know that the connections are AES/EBU though. I am running MOTU 2408 MKIII interface(s) ADAT out of the DM2000 into my MAC Pro. I plan to have another interface which is solely patchable for direct connections, (i.e. Tube Mic - Avalon 737SP - Distressor - Cubase/Nuendo 4.) Cue Monitoring - Aviom system with 5 personal mixers channel-patched either from the Console or the MAC Pro D/A Converter. On to Patchbays... ADC EDAC 3-pin 96 TT plug style... anyone have experience working with EDAC pins? Would like to learn how to prep them so I could help out with the patchbay wiring. Having a ball listing every stinking connection and whether it will be non, half or full normalled... Perhaps Aaron or someone else on forum can help out with this part of the process. PM me and I can send you my spreadsheet listing equipment, connection types and planned routing. Last on the kit list is UAudio hardware/software - Extreme Pack and the IT Total Studio Bundle. Been looking for 'demo' versions of my kit list since I have saved several hundred dollars so far watching for demo postings on Sweetwater, Musicians Friend, ZZounds, and a place called Florida Music. Still trying to shrink my photos without Photoshop since it refuses to load for an unknown reason these days. Take care, be well and remember to double check for squareness when framing a 15' x 11' wall...oops... Namaste, Jon

Nov 2 --- Spent the day insulating the perimeter walls of the CR which have no electric in them... Finished building the North perimeter wall of the CR over to the west wall. Inside this area will be a Winsted rack with mains balance power conditioners (5) main sync, Word Clock DA x 2, MOTU Interfaces and other things that I don't need access to readily. Electricians came by in the afternoon to finish rough in on my Vocal Booth and Exit Lighting for all the spaces and a few random receptacles. The electrical Inspector came by at 4:30 and passed everything! Now I can insulate the VB, DB, Ramp & Chill Room, drywall the front wall of the Amp Booth. Electricians will have to come back next week to pull the wires for the 5 studio circuits to the Line side of the Winsted rack area and the lighting circuits which wil be on Variac dimmers. Thanks to John S for cutting down the number of fixtures needed. Ordered the balance of mic snakes from Redco Audio. If you need anything connector or wire/cable wise - Ask for Chris Stubbs. Nice guy! My floor installer is going to install Ash 3" plank floor in the Amp Booth in two weeks and I am working on getting the wall frames done and ordering the Guilford of Maine Straw and Burgundy fabric for the frames. Will also be renting a drywall lift to get the Advantech and 5/8" sheetrock on the 'roof' of the Amp booth. This room has a flat roof and only two can lights on a dimmer. Next is the glazier to install 3/8" glass (4'x6') on the Amp Booth wall. I have to check with John S about just what specs I should ask for when placing my order. So the short version is that I hope to have the Amp Booth complete top to bottom by the end of November, and be mostly insulated and partially drywalled in many parts of the studio proper. CR constriuction and ceiling - 'roof' construction will begin early December. I just got a look at my expenses to date... OUCH! Glad I am doing a bunch of the labor and bought the materials when the market was a bit lower. Namaste, Jon

Nov 5 --- Today the Builidng inspector came around and signed off on all my framing to date so I can close in 75% of the studio walls built to date. Spent the day working on the Amp Booth - Sealing light/sound leaks, insulating the rest of the walls, sheetrocking the front wall - first layer and insulating the Ramp wall. I had a helper today so we moved a bunch of materials out of my space to an empty space... so we can move around much easier. Tomorrow I'll finish insulating the Amp Booth ceiling and putting 2mil plastic over all the walls/ceiling. Still have to install the 5/8" rock over the roof decking. The pace of work has sped up exponentially and I've only so many hours in the day I can work... sometime 8-10, sometimes 20... LOL. When my helper kept asking me a question, I kept telling him I couldn't hear him... I guess that's a good sign when you are building a recording studio! Cheers to all... Jon

Nov 9 --- Spent the last couple of days ordering the last of my kit for the studio minus the CR monitoring system. Thursday/Friday and later this morning, I'll have finished the drywall in the Amp Booth, insulated the adjoining wall of the Drum Booth so the carpenter/glazier can fit out the windows and then install the glass. My electrician is coming this morning to install sudio mains power, lighting circuits to the CR wall, HVAC Power feed and lighting fixtures in the mailing area so I can get back to work in an ergonomic way!!!!!!! Monday/Tuesday will see the Vocal Booth get insulated, the subflooring installed with vapor barrier and the wall th the CR sheetrocked with 2 layers. Next Weds. the Ash flooring gets installed, My power systems rack arrives along with my Monster Power Conditioners for the 5 studio circuits. Back to finish the Drum Booth wall framing including the 3 traps John has designed into this room, insulation, 2mil plastic and begin the floating floor system. Hope every one puts this weekend to good use! Namaste, Jon

Nov 13 --- Promises, Promises... I'll get some pics posted later tonite... In the meantime, I've been juggling real work (bulk mailings) with answering the phone non-stop all the while up to my eyeballs in Rockwool... Vocal Booth insulated, subfloor system half done; Drum Booth 3 walls twined/insulated and sheetrock going up later on this morning (after some much needed shuteye.) Somehow I have to get two walls rocked - two layers by Weds. morning when the carpenter comes to finish frame my double window frame between Amp/Drum booths. Ash flooring also being installed in the Amp Booth on Weds. sometime. I finally got an order placed with Interfacefabrics.com, suppliers of fire rated non-dimensional fabrics. I've chosen Deep Burgundy and Straw, paint color for visible drywall is Ivory Tusk. Redco Audio is hard at work on my panels/snakes and patchbays/cables. John S. has been making some changes to the acoustical panels to be hung from the walls. My finish carpenter will be working long hours I think, getting a prototype built (2 actually) and installed in the Amp Booth. By weeks end, I hope to have the Vocal Booth subfloor installed, plastic on all the walls with insulation; have the entire Drum Booth Framing complete sans ceiling joists/roof deck. John has included 3 traps in the Drum Booth, so I'll be busy making silly little walls at odd angles for the traps. Save that for the weekend! Also hope to have made a final decison on 5.1 Surround speaker system. Leaning heavily towards Dynaudio Acoustics AIR 20s... I also have Yamaha HS 80s for near fields. Question: Has anyone on forum had experience with PCIe Expansion Chassis that allow you to have 6-8 additional PCIe slots for a MAC Pro for DSP cards and the like? I am a big fan of UA Audio products and plan to have 3 UAD-1E PCIe DSP cards to power my Extreme Pack of audio plugins. More than likely I'll need more slots down the road, so figured to look into a chassis now. Any thoughts??? If anyone is in the Western MA, CT, VT, southern NH area and wants to wail on your axe (Bass/Guitar) so I can check out the acoustics to date and check for sound leaks, I will gladly buy the beer! Probably sometime in mid-December. PM me if interested. Namaste, Jon

November 23 --- Vocal Booth floor insulated and ready for subflooring/final Ash flooring. Amp Booth ready for glass install and doors. Cloth frames will be next along with Acoustic panels... this will not be complete until sometime in January as my finish carpenter is taking 3 weeks to work on another job... Darn it. Hope to have Vocal Booth doors installed as soon as the ceiling roof deck is installed. Drywall installers need to rock about half the studio proper, then I have to build all kinds of silly walls at crazy angles... before more rock get applied. Started layout of the Control Room front wall sole plates and some other plates for the surround speaker enclosures. Need to run EMT conduit in the floor rather than PVC... commercial building code... rats... How is everyone dealing with the power connections to powered speakers... since you can't hide the receptacle in the void space/soffit? Have a nice weekend... Jon

November 25 --- It's been a busy few days trying to get loads of stuff accomplished so the framers can come on and do their thing... Spent 30 hours +/- over the last 2 days insulating the floor of the Vocal booth, laying the subfloor, building the outer Drum Booth wall and epoxy painting the mailing room floor, not to forget layout of the CR glass wall plates and assorted other CR stuff. My neightbor through the wall (I can't hear them anymore!) are going to build my cloth panels for the Amp Booth and Vocal Booth. Acoustic Panels won't be ready til January sometime I think... In the meantime, I have all of my kit together in cartons, panels, snakes, patchbays, etc. to be picked up this Friday and soon after I hope to get some tracking going with some folks in the same building. Also working on advertising/promotion in advance of opening. Still trying to find a program to downsize my photos so they are less than 500kb... Jon