New Studio Double Garage

Sorry about the delay in putting up some more bits n pieces. And I pit this in the wrong place sorry again... I have been recording bands for the past 20 years and it has only been the past 5 with the inception of great computer DAW’s that I have been recording at home. My current set up is a converted loft space 10ft by 11 ft room to be honest that’s a bit generous as the stairs that lead upto the loft take up a bit of space. I am completing about a project a month this takes the form of recording the basic tracks on location then tidying up and recording vocals back at home. I also teach bass guitar and guitar in the same space. This is not my first build. This will be about number 15. Some big some small all reasonably successful some commercial some home studios some on a way to tight budget and some that have loads of cash thrown at. I am due to move into a new house the plan being to set up a more accessible studio there. My new studio is currently a double garage. I would like the new studio to accommodate recording of a full band I am undecided as to a layout. I did some roughs in sketch up and there was really no room I am open to ideas though…. I do like the idea of a separate control room and performance area, however I am realistic and know that space is tight. The basic room dimensions are internally is 4.880M across 2.3M High and 4.6M deep a rough sketch up is below above the room is a bed room however I will not be rehearsing late or recording a volume late. And no one will be sleeping in there anyway maybe the cat…. I do plan to measure the spl level outside the room with no sound proofing to get a rough idea of how much noise I need to cut out. The dimensions are internal and take into consideration the front roller door and about 300mm for the internal wall. Access is from the internal kitchen and obviously the front door which I intend to put in either a sliding patio door this would make getting equipment in and out easier or a double door. The door at the side is for access to the house. The windows are single glazed I know these will need replacing I would like a vocal/isolation booth to be able to get a drum kit in would be great. I appreciate the laws of symmetry in studios and am prepared to give and take a bit with ideas. The work will be completed by myself and a couple of pro tradesmen. Thoughts and ideas layout etc welcome…. Photos to follow.

Hi Steve, have you checked out some of John's designs on the SAE site? he has a couple of stock garage sized studios that may be a good basis for your new one.

Cheers Glen Some cool designs. I could do with knowing dimensions etc. I have bought Rod Gervais' book, Home Recording Studio: Build It like the Pros it rocks a big one. Loads of great ideas, however as I got to the chapeter on putting it all together I noticed Rod said He had an all in one studio himslef but with no dimensions. I like the idea of two rooms but i feel space may not be on my side. I am continuing to readthrough all the builds that may suit my needs I defo need a room for vocals/acoustic instruments it would be nice If I could fit a drum kit in there. I am getting my head around sketch up bit more so will post up a better diagram. I am struggling to load up normal pictures though. Not a good start when I wanted to put up my build in progress ha ha.. Many thanks fro your speedy reply Steve

i think if you're recording bands, you should probably split it. this way while the band is working things out you can hit mute and get some peace :wink: if you primarily record everything yourself or just prefer open space, then a single room is probably best. here's one idea if you split it. it does seem pretty tight overall.

Thanks for the speedy reply... Cool tunes by the way. The more I think about this. The more I am leaning to the the idea of one big room with a vocal booth. I do loads of voiceovers (not me by the way)and recording overdubed guitar and it would be great to get back to using big valve amps n the like. If I could fit a kit in that would be great as well but I am having a feeling it may take up to much room to get a kit in there.... I figure there is not really enough space to do the two rooms as I have just tried visualising the space with CD boxes (Very High Tech I Know ha ha). I would like to keep the daylight in the room as well. Now I have decided on which way to go as far as rooms goes I need to workout the bestway of positioning the equipment. I am aware if symetry so I guess where I put the iso booth would be important. Any thoughts?? The build will start soon well as soon as we are in. I have hada good rake about the site but cannot find an all in one studio. Thanks again just finished nice little retro sequencer based tune juast needs some bass guitar textures on it.. will be putting it up on myspace before the endof the week

you might opt for a larger room then and a decent vox booth. this way if you need isolation for the vox you can get it and the rest of the work can be done in the open space and with gobos as needed.

Thats my plan I have had the oppotunity for another look round the garage and have had some discussions with various trades people. There does not look like a problem leaving the roller shutter door on the front as I was asured I would be able to put in decent door in the space. with the roller door in front. I intend to put up concrete blocks behind the door. The wife will make me paint it white I asume... I was thinking of a double glazed patio door but the guy said go for a double door one open out and one open in. this would help with the isolation of the room. I dont plan to be in and out witrh equipment every day. so this should surfice. I could do with finding a good example of a studio of this size to see where I am plodding. Thanks for the help I will have a go at drawing out an idea for layout with sketchup I am having some teething trouble with it though. Everything occasionally goes black I will have to have a hunt on there forum.

check the garage 1 and garage 2 plans. http://www.saecollege.de/reference_mate ... /Plans.htm

Hi Glen Have you the dimensions for the two pics? On another thought with regard to the magic numbers from mister louden. I have done some calc's and get a room 7ft 6 high by 11 ft 3 wide by 15 ft 10 deep. Where I may be going wrong I fear is the hight of the room I rememeber reading some where it is the height to the bottom of the upstairs floor is the correct? If so its out with the calculator to try again as I have measured to in room celing height. Advice would be great...

if you import the studio floor plan (convert to jpg) into your sketchup file, you can scale it to fit. you can then use the measuring tool to determine sizes and see if the rooms work for you. as far as modes - generally you measure to the first significantly hard boundary - this may be a wall or floor above. however, if you are planning to build a room within a room, then the modes calculations should be based on the interior space. this is true for all rooms within a given design as well as then computing the relationships of things within the rooms such as soffits, furniture, positions of speakers on walls, hard treatments, etc. as they all affect (or are affected by) to some degree the room...

Hi Steve, gullfo is taking good care of you, I have nothing to add. I just wanted to say that when I first glanced at your name, for a brief second I thought you were Steve Hogarth of Marillion.... LOL

Happy new year to all of you fine upstanding chaps and chapesses.. Some ideas needed regarding a couple of bits with the design of new studio i have some pics as well The first pic is of the garage door it is one of those "sing the theme to thunderbirds doors when you open it "I like the idea of the extra security, I know I will have to move the electronics further over though. The next pic is of the waste pipe I asume this could be treated as though it was underground what I mean by that is I can just build around it... Thanks for baring with me as I dont know how to insert text between the pics Next are two windows to brick up or not brick up that is the question... I am not bothered about daylight that much as I have spent years in studios with no natural light and I asume it would be better for the buid if they were bricked up???? The next door also require swaping round so it will open inward so I can then get a double door into the studio. last pic is of the door as you walk in from out side you go past the toilet and meet this door I intend to swap the door round so it open sthe other way make it easier to get in with equipment if not using the front door. I have a rough sketchup idea floating about I will post that up hopefully before any one read this sorry about this but my tea is ready and I best eat as I plan on having more than half a shandy tonight ha ha

maybe this works. close off the garage door. split the room, live room is plenty for vox and maybe a drum kit. access door from outside into the live room. access to plumbing in live room. bass trapping wherever it fits.

Well, jeez Glenn, you are just gettin' too good at this!!!! Nice render. How are you going about those light rendering effects? Kewl fabric textures and stuff. Where are you finding these? -ashley

Hi Glenn Many thanks for the drawings this looks like a plan. I intend to start to clear the area out so I can start the build I intend to do it in bits as my wife has just gone from full time employment to part time employment. Argh.... As I am going to tackle this job a bit at a time I am just sounding some ideas of how to tackle this project, my first thoughts are do the ceiling then the windows and the roller door this is no specific order. I intend to pull down the ceiling and then attach drywall in layers underneath the floor above my new ceiling (as Rod Gervais's book) then in the gap put up a frame so I will have my Mass air Mass structure (That is when I see what the celing beams look like!!) Below that will be the treatment so I might not need the clouds. The wall at the front where the big roller door the gap that is there for the electrics for the roller door rocks a big one great idea I really do appreciate this help. I guess this is also a Mass air Mass wall. I guess I will have to get more knowledge of the type of wall here. I will also give the window design another look. I have seen an excellent window shuttering up thread round about. I want to get the room sound proof so I can start to rehearse with my band so that’s the priority. I am still fumbling round with sketchup so dont hold your breath for any future mega designs your pics are ace..... Again thanks for the help.

Damn, those renders are amazing!! :D :D What are you using? I had a go on kerkythea or whatever it is, but im too lazy to work out how to do it properly. Joe

yea, first i would work on the ceiling isolation and the rollup door replacement. you'll then have a nice single room. if you're budget is low, just get some acoustic treatments going. once you can pick up building, add the dividing wall and more treatments. build it up as you go by improving isolation and treatments.

goo666 wrote:

Damn, those renders are amazing!!

thats why they pay me the big bucks :wink: