Small studio design help

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Wed Jul 23, 2003 2:31 pm

Hello, all: I am designing a basement studio to build, starting in November. I'll be using it for band rehearsal (drums, bass, two guitars, singer), band recording and sound effects/music composition/recording. I'd like to have 1) a decent size control room, 2) a main "live" room, and, hopefully, 3) an iso booth for vocals/sound fx, maybe as an amp room, and occasional drum usage (drums will usually be in the live room). Here is a rough pic of what I have to work with. I won't be using any of the space to the "left" of the stairs. The furniture is all movable (file cabinets, shelves, desk, etc.), and there's a sump pump in the "top right" corner. Ceilings are open floor joists right now at 7'6", with a support (I-beam) and the bottom of HVAC ducts at 6'8" high at some points. I'll follow with a possible starting point, though I'm open to suggestions.

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Wed Jul 23, 2003 2:44 pm

Here are two I've started on, though I'm looking for help in room size/shape:

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 4:37 am

I'd like to make the CR larger, but I'm worried about the support pole and it's associated I-beam, as the I-beam will conduct low freq's via the pole. If I include the space beneath the I-beam, won't I then be including the sound from the spaces around the pole(s)? Is a floating floor the correct solution? I like the design Luke had ("New plans need help") using the corner, and I could probably use a similar design, at least for the control room, but having only worked at established facilities, I've never built them myself, so I'm looking for suggestions.

Thanks,
Greg

Post by **John Sayers** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:57 pm

OK - I'm not sure form your plan where the support pole is - either way you can box around the pole and seal it off so it won't be a problem.

so where's this pole??

cheers
john

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 1:30 am

John,

Thanks for getting back to me. The pole is exactly diagonal from the bottom left corner. In the third pic, it's just outside the 3'3" wall at the top left corner of the CR design. You can see it on the second pic just outside the top left corner of the CR. I'm including two more pics of CR's, as I want to spend the bulk of my investment (time/money) on the CR, as that's where most of my time will be used.

In the new pic with the CR on the bottom left, then support pole is in a terrible spot (top right corner of CR, just to the right of the desk's left corner). If you have any design suggestions, that would be great. This CR location would give me the best potential iso booth and live room.

In the new pic with the CR in the bottom right, the CR can be bigger, and the support pole ends up exactly in the center of the wall between the monitors (just NW of the center of the desk).

Thanks again,

-Greg

Post by **John Sayers** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 11:03 am

could you try something like this??

cheers
john

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 1:33 pm

John,

As others have said, you have a great knack for finding the best solution. That looks really good. My first impression was that I mourned the loss of the smaller iso room, but really, that's an awesome suggested design. I might have to move the back wall of the control room forward a small bit, as there's a sump pump in the back corner (not pictured, but top right). I should have included that in the plans. Will that adversely impact the reflections, etc.? also, would it be bad to extend the recording area to the left?

Thanks so much,

-Greg

Post by **John Sayers** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 3:57 pm

would it be bad to extend the recording area to the left?

not a problem - make two rooms maybe??

cheers
john

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 5:02 pm

Something like this?

Would it be bad to have the larger single room? (I know I indicated disappointment at losing the additional smaller iso room, but a larger live "band" room would be cool, too). I'm open either way, just asking about options, and potential caveats.

Thanks again, John,

-Greg

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 9:56 pm

I have another question...what about visual contact between myself and anyone in the recording room(s)? If the room were only the one in "front" of the CR, then sliding glass doors make sense, but what if there's a longer single room, or if there's a second smaller room instead, maybe extended to the left (see previous couple of pics)? How would I figure windows there? I've seen and heard of some putting the windows under the soffits for the monitors...although I'm not sure, since the soffit in my room could end up being around that support post, which is dead center in the soffit.

Any ideas?

Thanks so much!

-Greg

Post by **John Sayers** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 9:08 am

What access do you have to under the stairs?? You may be able to add a window on the left wall of the control room that gives visual to the studio, via a booth maybe?

cheers
john

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 9:09 pm

John,

The stairs are open underneath right now, so that should work. You mean a window that passes through both walls and a small space built to the left of the CR, right?

Here's my monkey wrench; I alluded to this back at the beginning. Is the large "live" room (even without being divided into two) large enough for a five- or six-piece (drummer, bass, two guitars and singer, perhaps with a keyboardist?)? We have a rehearsal space now, but I don't expect that to last for more than another six months. If this is too much to ask of such a small overall space, I'm OK with that. The only way I can see getting what seems like a large enough rehearsal space is putting the CR in the bottom right corner of the room, but I'll bet that's too small, right? I really like your suggested design, I just wanted to determine if there's a possibility of a rehearsal space as well. As I said, I can live without it, but it's a very "nice-to-have". The space IS mainly intended for recording, composing, and mixing.

Thanks,

-Greg

Post by **John Sayers** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:59 am

Greg - when I was in a band we used to rehearse in the control room - with the drumer in the studio with cans, bass DI, guitar through a stomp box, vocal mike into console, heard through the monitors. We could also hit record if we wanted to hear it back.

If you can, put a vocal booth under the stairs with a window from the control room.

cheers
john

WikidG · Post by **WikidG** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 10:07 pm

John,

That's really cool. Should I leave it with one large room, and put a vocal booth under the stairs, then? Something like this (I wasn't exactly sure how to do the window)?

-Greg

Post by **John Sayers** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 11:53 am

This is what I had in mind. - you can have either a door or a window in either position.

cheers
john

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