Home Studio Build: Step by Step build by Acoustic Company

[RedMosquito]

Hi all! This is my first post - I hope I'm following all guidelines correctly and that this is the right section where to post this.

I'm planning to post here a step-by-step diary of the work in progress to build a home studio. The studio will be conceived and build by a professional company made of acousticians, designer, etc.

Anyway since a few compromises will have to be accepted during this build, I'd like to have your suggestions to better understand acoustics, and have your help to make some decisions, as ultimately the company will have to design the space also based on my requirements, and having more point of views will perhaps help me to have a better view of the whole project.

DIMENSIONS:

So far, the planned internal studio dimensions after soundproofing, will be in centimeters: Width 386 - Lenght 920 - Height (variable) an average of 290.

GOAL:

Home recording studio where I will work alone most of the time, producing, mixing, recording all by myself. I work as film and television composer full time, so a good listening experience is the most important part, together with having a nice sounding tracking space. Compromise between a good CR sound and Tracking Room sound is a difficult thing to achieve, I know, since the 2 spaces require very different things...but:

- Even if I invest more money to divide this space in two spaces (CR and tracking) to achieve better dimensions ratios, wouldn't the width be too narrow anyway, and spoil any attempt to achieve a CR with proper dimensions?
- Is it still advisable, for any number of reasons, to divide the space in two? Or is it still possible, through acoustic treatment, to achieve different areas of the room with different acoustic properties, one better suited for tracking (live space) and another good for the CR area (dead area) ?
- I generally prefer 1 single big space where to work in, partly because I'm used to that, but also because having to move to the adjacent room each time I want to modify settings on the amps or mic positioning doesn't make much sense - I'm alone in the room 90% of the time. I would split the room in 2 only if having 1 single space of these dimensions would give me untreatable, terrible acoustic problems with modes, poor RT etc...

I attached below a picture of the actual state of the garage (of which I'll use 2/3 od the lenght + drawings of the final internal space of the studio).
The door placement at the bottom is probably wrong - it will placed in the centre, unless it's more important to have diffusors there, than the door. It's a symmetry VS treatable wall compromise I guess.

Other questions:

- Is flush mounting a good way to go in this space? Why yes or not?
- I need natural light to come from the front wall, through a bay window. I really prefer natural sunlight studios. Soundproofind will be achieved by using two bay windows, one in front of another, with a 36cm spacing, and sliding doors on both to enter the studio. I'm planning to have flush mounted monitors on the two sides, unless this extra work (more money to spend) is an effort that wouldn't work or create problems in a studio with the aforementioned dimensions. What do you think?

- Does anybody know of any studio with similar dimensions, that I could look at as a case study, or get ideas from, regarding acoustic treatment?

Thank you all in advance!

[DanDan]

Are your team aware of your public ambitions? A horse designed by committee........... Zebra

[RedMosquito]

Not looking for anyone to decide on their behalf, just for suggestions.

I'm not disclosing publicly any IP, just basic structural dimensions and discussing possible approaches to treat the acoustics.
(And no NDA was signed anyways).

Are your team aware of your public ambitions? A horse designed by committee........... Zebra

[gullfo]

we probably need more details:

1. is this the same as the thread on GS? https://www.gearslutz.com/board/studio- ... neers.html

2. what are your isolation requirements?

3. what type of equipment are you using? headphones? ATC SCM200ASL + subs for full 110db theater level peaks? something in-between?

[RedMosquito]

Hey Glenn,

Yes it's the same thread on Greaslutz, I've been advised there to post here as well, so here I am

Isolation requirements: I don't need to record bands. 90% of the time I work as composer and produce/record/perform by myself. Generally, in this situation a one-room setup works well, since being alone it doesn't make much sense to open/close doors to go in the other room, set microphones, go back to CR, etc...

But, there's the advantage to be able to record the guitar while playing it in the CR and have the sound recorded in the other room, and tracking would not involve hearing my amp a mid-loud volumes while tracking. Less ear fatigue, less ear damage on the long run, etc.

On the other side, my room is small, so it doesn't make much sense to split it in two rooms.

Right now I'm more oriented towards a single-room studio design, but my main concern is if I can mix/master properly in such a "long" room (9,2 meters).

So...if it's possible to control modes and acoustic issues with treatment and have a decent short decay in the room, despite the lenght of it, then I'll probably work in a single-room studio. Writing here helps me to see other point of views. Anyway the doubt about the lenght of the room is one that I'd like to clear (I've never seen professional studios that are so narrow and long, so I'd like to understand to which extent I can use a portion of the room as CR and make it work decently, or more than decently

Regarding headphones, I don't want to use them to mix much often. About tracking, I use DT 770 Pro (80 ohms) when I have to track guitars, to get an idea of where to place microphones. But I am planning to buy another model with more isolation and good for tracking, especially if I'm gonna go with a one-room solution.

Again, most of the time I'll be alone in the room. Tracking/performing/recording guitars, drums, bass, piano and other instruments by myself.

we probably need more details:

1. is this the same as the thread on GS? https://www.gearslutz.com/board/studio- ... neers.html

2. what are your isolation requirements?

3. what type of equipment are you using? headphones? ATC SCM200ASL + subs for full 110db theater level peaks? something in-between?

[gullfo]

so maybe an absorptive folding wall to size the CR area to a better ratio which then folds up on either wall for when you want it opened. if would provide a decent amount of isolation from the amp during tracking as well. thus you get the benefits (but not all) of two rooms and the flexibility to have one or two as desired.

worst case - make an amp iso box to fully contain it and keep the levels down, or use a proper power attenuator on the speakers, a smaller 5W amp for screaming leads (like the pro do ) and an isolation platform for the amps, drums, percussion etc to keep from spreading via structure since you're not going with the floating floor.

[RedMosquito]

so maybe an absorptive folding wall to size the CR area to a better ratio which then folds up on either wall for when you want it opened. if would provide a decent amount of isolation from the amp during tracking as well. thus you get the benefits (but not all) of two rooms and the flexibility to have one or two as desired.

worst case - make an amp iso box to fully contain it and keep the levels down, or use a proper power attenuator on the speakers, a smaller 5W amp for screaming leads (like the pro do ) and an isolation platform for the amps, drums, percussion etc to keep from spreading via structure since you're not going with the floating floor.

thanks for the advice. Absorptive folding walls could be too expensive for now, considering all other building costs. Perhaps I could create double-sided gobos in future, one side absorption, the other side diffusion, and use them where and when needed.

[DanDan]

For big rooms I often recommend creating an absorbent and blocking 'tent. This could be a simple frame holding batts of fibre.
The Sennheiser HD25 has great isolation and a nicely neutral sound.