Hi All,
I've been checking out this forum for about 6 months now, it's great and I've learned a lot, thanks John. Moving into a new house in a couple of weeks and here's my plans for a project studio. I plan to be bringing in clients, so I need it to be as pro as possible. I'll do as much of the work myself as I can, and I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reading and asking questions as I go. But for now I just wanted a few comments on my design, does everything look ok? I based the size on the 1.60:2.33:1 golden ratio, or 12.80ft(d):18.64ft(w):8ft(h) for this control room. I based the shape on the room where I work at (Patchwerk Studios, link below) it's a great sounding mix room built in 2001 by Russ Burger, although much bigger than this (and $5mil). I tried to use the same basic design for RFZ purposes. The entire space is basicly 20.5ft x33.5ft (ruff measurements, I don't move in for another week.) Also, can I replace the load bearing walls with beams and posts for support (see the 4 yellow circles) and would this spacing work, or would they need to be more towards the center of the room?
Let me know what you guys think.
Steve
PS. why is this post so wide? Is there something I can do to make it narrow for easier reading?
New Project Studio Design
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Audio Elements
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dymaxian
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Greetings and welcome!
That looks like it'll be a nice space for you. Only 2 things I can think of at this point...
The RFZ idea behind control room design is pretty much centered around having soffit-mounted speakers. I see your nearfields there- if those are the only speakers, and you don't have mains built into the walls, then don't sweat the RFZ part. Just make sure you don't have any 1st-generation reflections going from the speakers right into the listening position. But then again, just because I don't see soffit-mounted mains doesn't mean they aren't there.
Second- as far as moving bearing walls for posts-and-beams; I strongly suggest that you hire a local architect/engineer to take a look at this and have a pro builder do the construction there. Don't take chances with the stuff that holds your house up. You don't want your living room to land in your tracking room someday...
And be careful of your ceiling shape around whatever beam ends up going thru there. Without tearing up the floor above to make a flush-mounted beam (between floor joists as opposed to being under them) you'll be losing some headroom there. Just guessing from that span, but I'd assume you'll lose at least a foot at that point.
If you angle or drop the ceiling to clear that beam, you have enough space in that control room to mirror-image the ceilnig shape on the other side. There's lots of things you could do up there.
Just make sure it's solid.
Hope this helps!
Kase
www.minemusic.net
That looks like it'll be a nice space for you. Only 2 things I can think of at this point...
The RFZ idea behind control room design is pretty much centered around having soffit-mounted speakers. I see your nearfields there- if those are the only speakers, and you don't have mains built into the walls, then don't sweat the RFZ part. Just make sure you don't have any 1st-generation reflections going from the speakers right into the listening position. But then again, just because I don't see soffit-mounted mains doesn't mean they aren't there.
Second- as far as moving bearing walls for posts-and-beams; I strongly suggest that you hire a local architect/engineer to take a look at this and have a pro builder do the construction there. Don't take chances with the stuff that holds your house up. You don't want your living room to land in your tracking room someday...
And be careful of your ceiling shape around whatever beam ends up going thru there. Without tearing up the floor above to make a flush-mounted beam (between floor joists as opposed to being under them) you'll be losing some headroom there. Just guessing from that span, but I'd assume you'll lose at least a foot at that point.
If you angle or drop the ceiling to clear that beam, you have enough space in that control room to mirror-image the ceilnig shape on the other side. There's lots of things you could do up there.
Just make sure it's solid.
Hope this helps!
Kase
www.minemusic.net
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Audio Elements
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Hi Kase,
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, the white boxes are soffits for the mains, I just didn't draw the mains in.
As far as the beams, that is one thing I wasn't planning on doing myself.
The ceiling is currently 8ft high, but I was also thinking about seeing if I could get some extra hight as well and put the beams up there....it's kind of strange and hard to explain, but the 2nd floor was an addition on top of a ranch, and I think this space actually used to be carport, before a number of renovations over the years. There seems to be a bit of space between the 2nd level floor and the main level ceiling. They actually call it a 1 1/2 level, and I may be able to cathedral the area above the live room ans well as part of the area above the control room. This is a ruff sketch from pictures I have and walking through the inspection. The 2 triangle spaces I may be able to use.
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, the white boxes are soffits for the mains, I just didn't draw the mains in.
As far as the beams, that is one thing I wasn't planning on doing myself.
The ceiling is currently 8ft high, but I was also thinking about seeing if I could get some extra hight as well and put the beams up there....it's kind of strange and hard to explain, but the 2nd floor was an addition on top of a ranch, and I think this space actually used to be carport, before a number of renovations over the years. There seems to be a bit of space between the 2nd level floor and the main level ceiling. They actually call it a 1 1/2 level, and I may be able to cathedral the area above the live room ans well as part of the area above the control room. This is a ruff sketch from pictures I have and walking through the inspection. The 2 triangle spaces I may be able to use.
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John Sayers
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Hi Steve - welcome - you've been a busy boy in those studios you work at. Better get this up quick so you can say Mixed By 
I am interpreting your drawing as there is a walk-in attic above the studio area, correct?? do you anticpate using it? what's the ceiling height ?Could you possibly rip the ceiling of the studio out and use all the height, you won't need any poles then. see attached drawing.
If not I'd imagine you will need steel 'I' beams to span the 20+ feet.
As far as your design is concerned it looks fine except that i'd double the walls between booths and studio. One glass slider will only give you around 33 STC so if you have drums in the main room the booths will get uncomfortable bleed IMO.
cheers
john
I am interpreting your drawing as there is a walk-in attic above the studio area, correct?? do you anticpate using it? what's the ceiling height ?Could you possibly rip the ceiling of the studio out and use all the height, you won't need any poles then. see attached drawing.
If not I'd imagine you will need steel 'I' beams to span the 20+ feet.
As far as your design is concerned it looks fine except that i'd double the walls between booths and studio. One glass slider will only give you around 33 STC so if you have drums in the main room the booths will get uncomfortable bleed IMO.
cheers
john
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Audio Elements
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Hi John,
You are interpreting the drawings correctly, I was saying I could use the area above the studio (as you hilighted) as well as the triangular area in the front above the live room. (As long as there are no difficult support issues with removing those beams.)
I'm still leaning towards the beam & columns idea, unless it becomes too expensive...the problem with leaving the walls is my current control room design becomes pretty akward that way, and would probably have to shrink a good bit, there's no good place to put booths (soffits block view), and the live space is divided into 2 rectangles...I could angle walls but, it just doesn't seem like it's making the best use of the floorspace.
I'll probably pop up the front space above the live room, and leave the attic area alone unless I see another way.
Doubling the wall between booths and live room, ... I guess this means I'll have to double the sliding glass doors as well?? Either 4 doors, or find 2 that are super thick (I've seem the with values up to 41 STC, tho I don't know the prices). What do you think the STC on 2 doors would be?
With my limited budget, I'd probably be happy getting the control room completed nicely and then finish off the live area/booths as funds permit.
Thanks for the input John, I'll keep working at it.
You are interpreting the drawings correctly, I was saying I could use the area above the studio (as you hilighted) as well as the triangular area in the front above the live room. (As long as there are no difficult support issues with removing those beams.)
I'm still leaning towards the beam & columns idea, unless it becomes too expensive...the problem with leaving the walls is my current control room design becomes pretty akward that way, and would probably have to shrink a good bit, there's no good place to put booths (soffits block view), and the live space is divided into 2 rectangles...I could angle walls but, it just doesn't seem like it's making the best use of the floorspace.
I'll probably pop up the front space above the live room, and leave the attic area alone unless I see another way.
Doubling the wall between booths and live room, ... I guess this means I'll have to double the sliding glass doors as well?? Either 4 doors, or find 2 that are super thick (I've seem the with values up to 41 STC, tho I don't know the prices). What do you think the STC on 2 doors would be?
With my limited budget, I'd probably be happy getting the control room completed nicely and then finish off the live area/booths as funds permit.
Thanks for the input John, I'll keep working at it.