Control room layout - general question

[axemanchris]

Hey all;

I’m pondering a new studio build, but it is all hypothetical at this point - at least a couple of years away. I’m thinking about a double garage with a control room and a live room - maybe a booth.

I’d like to be able to see from the control room into the live room. I tend to see only an either/or when I browse images of other studios.

It seems that *either* people have consoles with teeny computer monitors / screens and a window to the live room, OR a DAW-based setup with one or two large video monitors and a video monitor / camera interface between the control room and the live room.

What I’m pondering is having a DAW-based setup with one or two video monitors (currently getting by just fine with one 32” 2550x1440 monitor) and a window to see in to the live room.

Then I visualize trying to look over - or past - my monitor somehow to look through the window.

Then I visualize maybe having the computer screen facing perpendicular to the window.... but then there goes symmetry, and having the window as a big reflective surface along my right or left side as I’m trying to mix.

Then I visualize having the computer screen and window facing each other - turn my chair to see into the control room - turn it back to see my video monitor. Symmetry is roughly there, but then I have a big reflective surface in the window right behind my mix position.

This seems so shockingly simple, but yet.... it just doesn’t seem to be.

What do people do that works well?

The only thing I have seen that might work is having the monitors set just on the other side of an otherwise fairly shallow desk on stands that allow them to be presented at a fairly low profile and at maybe a 60 degree angle.... but then... visibility?

Thanks!
Chris

[Gregwor]

Chris,

With screens getting bigger and bigger, I think the best solution is to use a custom designed/built desk that has your screens sunk into it enough that they don't block your view through the window. Personally, I'm over outboard gear (other than preamps) so my plan is to have racks down the front of both sides of the desk for essentials. A small area on top of the desk to place a keyboard (piano), then have a tray below for keyboard and mouse. Insulation on the backside (and maybe the sides) of the desk should prevent any acoustic issues the desk may have caused.

For producers or clients I plan to have a desk behind me where they can have a smaller screen that is mirror imaged off of one of mine. This will be portable but it will probably have insulation somehow fixed to the backside of it as well.

The only other great solution would be to design your RFZ control room such that there is glass on one or both sides of you to look through. The glass would function as your soffit wings and not cause any issues acoustically. You would however have to turn your head to see the live room or booth.

Greg

[axemanchris]

Hey - thanks for your reply!

Reading your two options, I think I like the first one better. It is - in fact - a move I’ve been thinking of making in my current control room in my studio space. I have a few rack pieces, but they’re basically just all preamps and a headphone amp. They don’t need to be on top of my desk. A side-car rack would easily fit it all, along with a much smaller desk might actually be better as it is in my current small space. (Control room is about 8x11x7).

With regards to the second option, do you mean something like this?

https://images.app.goo.gl/Z2xDWjqBNmxwxHvC9

I haven’t yet decided if soffit mounting my monitors (HS8’s) is going to be the way to go in the future or not. They are currently sitting on homemade stands (cinder block and semi-rigid fibreglass construction), so they’re not on my desktop.

Thanks again!
Chris

[Gregwor]

Chris, exactly!

Greg