Studio in Maputo-Mozambique-Africa.Review the project please

Hello 2 all ya... Im a producer/manager/ex dj/ sound engenhier of a HipHop Label here in Maputo. I own a studio for 2 years now and im about 2 move 2 another one, starting 2 build in 2 days time. Iv been researching 4 information and this forum is just Espetacular !! Based on all i have read and my experience whith the previous studio (based on sponge in the wall) iv come out whith this design together with a arquitect friend of mine. Please take a look and analyse the project and criticise if you please. The first part will be done in 2 days, thats the strutucture part, the block, ciment, and WC... The rest will be done hopefully in the next 2 weeks. In the next messages ill put more information and my doughts. Ill apreciate the time of those who can help me in this project. Thanks Djo

Since the most urgent part is the HEAVY BUILDING (starting in 48hours time), the ciment and blocks, please help me on this questions... Our biggest douth its if we stick with the 20cm wall that we already have just adding absorvers/bass traps/diffusers panels on the walls (the 20cm wall wont let the sound go outside im almost sur,e and the rest will be the acoustic treatment) or if do we need 2 build a fake wall using cotoon wool inside (glass type, i dont now the real name) ? Would the panels be enought or do we need 2 build the fake wall 2 absorve more ? The garage is isolated, dosent have nothing on the outside so even if some vibrations go outside that wont be a problem. Is far away from the street so no car noises will come in. We wont be recording drums, its only VOCALs and maybe a guitar. If we stick whith wall + panels, the right wall of the studio...in red would be built whit 10cm blocks. Thats our main doubt 4 now, and the urgent one. After that i will put the relation of the materials available in my market and some fotos. Ill put fotos of the work being done. Thanks again Djo PS - www.myspace.com/gpromocambique --- some mozambican rap (in portuguese)

These are the materials available in the market. A - buy in the shop (aceptable price) B - can get in a fridge junkyard C - buy in a shop (very expensive) which one is better? Its 2 put on all walls before the bass trap, absorvers and reflectors ? Thats the idea i have... If anyone can help... Djo

the final design...

Aloha Djo, Had to resize yor pics to eliminate scrolling (forum guidelines). Please keep pics down to about 700 pixels wide. Thanks! :wink: Aloha 8)

Ok..sory 4 that...it was worst actually...i had 2 put them smaller but still no enought....ehehhe So...how about some ideas about the material i should use ??ehehee :D thanks djo

Aloha, What exactly is material "B"? Aloha 8)

i took that sample from a `FRIDGE JUNKYARD`. Its the stuff they put on fridges 2 maintain the temperture. Its what goes inside the doors and walls of the refrigerators.. I dont now the name. They said that its a liquid that they put than the liquid reacts and becomes that THING... I think it can work......

Aloha,

which one is better? Its 2 put on all walls before the bass trap, absorvers and reflectors ? Thats the idea i have...

If I understand you correctly, what you are referring to is the insulation used in the absorbing panels, usually of the fiberglas/mineral wool variety. Out here, Owens Corning 703 and Roxul AFB are among the most often used. (2"-3" @ 2.5 pcf) On the other hand, polyurethane foam insulation, while it does insulate against heat/cold, does not have the density/mass needed to insulate against sound transmissions, and will not be effective in absorbing low frequencies. Depending on the availability of this type of products in your area, and making a guessitmate from your choices pictured, I would say 2-3 layers of product 'A' would be a better choice, if the above mentioned products are not available. Obviously, this will increase your cash outlay in the begining, but should produce closer to the desired results. Here's a few pics of some plans for the wall/ceiling treatments. that may be helful. Hope this helps, Aloha 8)

OK... That was my 1st option also, i was only exploring other possibilities. Resuming... I do a false wall all around (following JOHNs design) and put 2 or 3 layers of product A (i still dont now the name in english ! ) :? . Is it fibreglass?? But ok, its material A im sure!! :lol: The diference will be that ill put an extra on same panels, putting the pine wood as mentioned above. Now the doubts... Has i coud understand, the material A will absorv HIGH FREQUENCIES especially. The panels whith mA and pine will absorve MID Freq and the BASS TRAPS (1+1=2... :o ) the lows. Is that correct ? Bass Traps - ...is that space empty ? Iv made a drawing whith the questions... And 4 the ceiling? what absorvers shoulld i use? 2 panels using mA ? Thanks 4 your atention once again Djo :wink: PS - sory 4 my english... :?

Hi Djo, hope you're well. Firstly, I'm new here too so not really qualified to comment on design, However I just wanted to point something out to you which seems a little missleading. I'm assuming that Arquisign is a company that have designed this for you. If you look closely at the plan views you have, the dotted lines are my concern. If these are intended to indicate the 'sweet spot' in your room then they are slightly out. Basically if you draw a 90 degree angle from the centre of each bass trap (marked in yellow on the drawing), the point at which those dotted lines intersect will be way south of where they are currently shown - approximately just below the word 'control room' on the drawing. This would render the couch unusable, and/or your mix position (as shown) with a false impression of the sound. Could I suggest you check this, since if my assumtions are correct, you'll need to angle the bass traps/soffits inwards to put the 'sweet spot' above the current position of the chair. Not trying to be negative my friend, just would n't want to see an unfortunate mistake. (If I've got the wrong idea - please excuse me.) Regards, Lou.

Lou... Thanks allot 4 your advice!! That was something we didnt stop 2 think about it. We just made a quick sketch so you guys could coment and we could start building this weekend. So the details we would do it later...Unfurnatly my friend didnt finished yet. We were going 2 work out the angles, mesuares and all the details. Hopefully today. You advice is very important! Thanks 4 stoping 2 comment. Ill try 2 improve following your advice but if you could do a sketch it would help. Of the bass traps angles our wall angles and all that. Once again....THANK YOU AS soon as possible ill put the final design... Regards Djo

Aloha, Here are a few bits of information I’ve collected along the way… • Soffits angled 30 deg. in from a flat wall result in speaker baffles being perpendicular to the two legs of equilateral triangle comprised of two speaker centers and a point about 10" behind your head • The baffle extension (the face of the soffit) should be as large as you can make it, up to about 45" in each direction from the woofer in a system with a LF cutoff of around 45 Hz - There's a formula based on LF cutoff that ensures full 2 pi response for the woofer if the baffle is at least the size obtained in the formula's solution - • Monitors should NOT sit on the console but behind, placed on heavy decoupled stands - console placement causes early reflection problems in most cases, unless the console is slanted down in front a LOT. • Distance to wall behind speakers will change response drastically - there is a wall bounce calculator on the Acoustics forum that's fun to play with (needs Excel) • Moving either speakers or your head by as little as an inch or two can sometimes make drastic changes in response, due to modal peaks and dips. • Left/right room symmetry (at least within a foot or two of ear height) is important for good stereo imaging. • Roughly 38% of total room length from the front wall • Equilateral triangle formed by left, right mix position • Monitor angles 60 degrees • Monitor height – woofer at ear level (avoid mid point of floor to ceiling measurement – either sit higher or lower if necessary) • Angled side absorption panels – left/right of mix position • Side walls 6-12 degrees • Ceiling 12 degree slope Out of curiousity, were you planning to soffit mount your monitors? If so, you will want to use a hard, dense material for the bezels - as in 2 layers of mdf or 3/4" plywood, which ever is available. Hope this helps, Aloha 8)

Nicely done my friend! Aloha! 8)

`` If so, you will want to use a hard, dense material for the bezels ´´ - please explain the meaning of bezels (i should tell you that my language is portuguese...) :? . Ill read carefully all the info you posted.... thanks again... im running 2 buy building material....later Djo

Aloha,

A bezel is a rim or frame that encompasses an object. - Barefoot http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=718

Aloha 8)

I was kind of scared 2 put the speakers inside....but after that post..... i have every detail necessary..once again,thanks. Theres no skool of Audio in my country, or studio design or nothing like it. This forum is simply brilliant and i have 2 congratulate you guys all 4 this idea and all the support you give 2 all the forum users. You really make a diference.... Its seams obvious, but ill ask.... the speakers will be inserted in the BASS TRAP Panel, is that correct ? the ones in the corners... i hope im cleard about that. This will be a very expensive studio 4 me, but im really entusiastic about the final product..... Thank you all Djo PS - the speakers in the pic are badly designd, the intention was 2 mark the spot were they will stayl...is it correct ? but if so, the panels would have 2 be bigger isent it ?

This was our first design. Just wanted 2 make shure that we did good on changing it... Did we ?

THe walls in red (in the plant) will be build in 10cm blocks (made whith sand+ciment). In JOHNs sketch, we planed them win PINE.... But here the wood is much more expensive then Blocks. So, doing it in Bricks, what changes do i have 2 make in the acoustic treatment ? ANy ideas ?? THanks Djo

Hi Djo – hope you guys are cool. Ok, as I’ve already said I’m new here too and not really qualified to comment but….. I’ll do my best as the real talent for this game will asleep right now! 8) From your Maputo STUDIO B.jpg it appears that you’ve rotated the whole room 90 degrees to the right. I’ll stick my neck out with what I’ve learned and say ‘spot on – well done’. This will ensure that your sound is travelling down the longest dimension of the room rather than the shortest. (Easier to deal with re room treatments etc). :D You seem to have ended up with 90 degree geometry in your monitoring and ‘sweet spot’, again I’ll stick my neck out and say that whilst this is by no means incorrect, this configuration is usually used when there is much more width available. :) If you look at your jpg (which even with good eyesight is difficult to see!) try to bring the bass traps/soffits closer together, so that you can achieve the 60 degree geometry that Kendale suggested this afternoon. In other words, when you sit in the mix position and look straight at the wall in front, both speakers will be 30 degrees off your line of vision left and right, NOT 45 degrees. Or if it’s easier, the front of Kendale’s speakers (193) jpeg, are 30 degrees off the horizontal dotted line that joins them, and your head completes the perfect equilateral triangle. :D :D Next bit…….Soffit mounting. You mention your English, trust me its fine! English is my first language and I had trouble really understanding this one - honestly. :roll: What concerns me here is your question about speakers being inserted in the bass trap panel. Well yes and no. :shock: Ok don’t panic – now that you’ve seen a picture of a beautifully hand crafted bezel, the speaker you can see in that picture is NOT touching the bezel anywhere! It’s actually sat on a wooden frame, supported by the outer frame. The Dude’s here call it the outer leaf. This is so that the speaker has no means of physical contact with the wall that you see, (ie the ‘bezel’) or if you prefer, the ‘inner leaf’. In short Djo the bezel is a piece of dense sheet wood material with a perfect whole cut into it, through which your speaker can be seen and of course heard. If my English makes sense to you you’ll now know that this procedure requires much skill and attention to detail. This is possibly why so many people chose not to soffit mount, (everything must line up perfectly). I highly recommend that you look at the ‘Kendale’s Studio’ thread on the construction forum, and you’ll see in great detail exactly how that soffit was constructed. Djo – just tried to find that thread for you, but either I’m tired or it’s been moved. You’ll soon know where it is I’m sure, but don’t build those bits until you’ve read it all!! Hope this helps, Kind regards. Lou. 8)

Dear Lou... Thanks again 4 your quick reply. I have taken all info and fotos, design, ever thing available to softfit the speakers. Thats a problem resolved. The thing is...you miss understood the process..heheehe...yes, its MAPUTO B, but it was the first design.Aftewards we changed it... Yes, i agree whith using the longest part of the room, i had read about it, but the problem is that i would have problems whith simetry and the bass traps..one would be in the door !! (when we wanted the speakers near the wyndow faced 2 the end of the room). So we changed 180º but having the console faced 2 the wall, having the boot on the back, isent ``fun`. So, our option was 2 change it, and putting like it is in the first project we presented. Yes, its agains the rulez , were using the smaller distance..but the diference betwen the 2 orientations isent that big i tought.... But now im really considering not doing some of the work tomorrow, the bricks and stuff, and taking a litle more time 2 discuss whith you guys the best option. In the mornig the work will start and i will also talk 2 my partner and try 2 figure another proposal...ill put it here 2morrow so you can help us out. Your information about angles and all that will help us allot 2morrow on doing the `final` project..... See you soon Djo

Aloha, Are you able to post a zip file of your full sized (or at least larger scan) Maputo B studio plans (the original), please? Also, what are your measurements? - L x W x H Aloha 8)

Im putting a PDF....all the measures are inside, except 4 the ceiling.... But were putting a false roof (dont now the name in english) at a height of 2.7m.... See you soon... Djo PS - this forum starts 2 be adictive ! I wake up and first thing is coming 2 see if theres news. I spend some hours now reading and finding more info!! And the more i learn, more doubts come 2 me...eehhee....

Just 2 give you guys a feeling of what is my studio now. Hopefully in few weeks time i can put it on my memory only. Tight isent it ? :P I put carpet on the floor. I used sponge all around (yes, ignorance is the Shit!!) and in the celing. 3cm sponge on the CRoom and 8cm sponge in the boot. Im using a AKG 3000C conected 2 a MAudioPhile 2496 trought a MACKIE 14VLZ PRO... With all the new ideias about acoustic, im wondering how will it sound now (the vocals), recording in the new boot.... Im wayting improvements.... Im ansious 2 hear my mixes and especially my ROLAND GS90 on the new CONTROOL ROOM.....YES ! Based on what you see in the pictures, are the condition that bad that the new studio will improve my gear performance allot ?? Im hoping 4 it... I can see now that almost every rule was break on that studio design (the space available was bad and the knowledge was very weak). Regards... Djo

Aloha, Here's a quick sketch for some ideas on your layout... - flipped control room to have speakers firing down the length of the room - double glass door entry (if available in your area) - side walls @ 12 degrees - soffit bezels @ 30 degrees - mix position @ roughly 38% of the length of the room - iso booth acoustic treatments to follow Depending on the size of your console/workstation and availabilty of glass doors, would this be a viable option for you? Aloha 8)