SIMO Studio - Construction Phase

[m4cot82]

Top man! thanks for such a quick response!
Much appreciated.

Regards
Marc

[simo]

Hey guys,

Just ordered the laminated glasses…so, I'm preparing the hardwood Stops and have a question:

Q) Is there a procedure you would recommend to secure the inner stops to the frame when the outer stop + glass pane is up?

I was thinking to screw them to the frame, pre-drill the holes for the screws to minimize the risk of splitting the wood… but won't I still risk to crack the glass while drilling?

or would it be safer to nail them down, perhaps not using the hammer (again to avoid damaging the glass) but hiring a nail-gun instead?


Have you got any tip to share?

Many Thanks

Simo

[John Sayers]

This is how I am mounting glass windows in the Dubai studio.

window.JPG

window_1.JPG

cheers
john

[simo]

Neat !

Thanks for sharing John

[simo]

April '14 Update part-1


Hello everyone,

Hope you are well and had a nice Easter !

It's time for an update, as I've been quite for a while, but still followed the forum with interest.


To visually close the gap between glass panes, first I tried to used the cloth-covered soft fibreboard cut to size, but I couldn't achieve a satisfying result.
Or they were too tight risking to bridge the two rooms, or they were too slack making me uncomfortable with the idea of them collapsing over time whilst still be trapped between the glass… uhmmm, I don't feel I want to risk that or to describe better the situation I don't feel after all this time I've got enough strength left to survive such a view
Thus, I decided to close the gap with just a black cloth stapled to the frame.
So the order was:
- soft insulation to fill the gap
- thin layer of batten to help keeping the insulation particles and dust at bay
- cheep thin black cloth with the only function to prevent the insulation to show through the finishing (nicer) black cloth
- silica crystals to help minimise (and hopefully avoid) condensation
- finishing black cloth (obtained from left overs of the same cloth used on the walls)
- small strip of timber painted in black to hide the staples all around.

IMG_3284.jpg

As I made the window frames not wide enough to have the inner stops of a decent size (inexperience showing again ), I decided to use a piece of timber to extend the frame.

IMG_3397.jpg

This won't be visible as the inner stops and the wood trims will cover it completely.

So, it's time to install the glass !! …couldn't find any other excuse to postpone it any longer
I started by placing the neoprene setting blocks at the bottom of the frame (below the glass), used to shim the glass and settle it centred in the frame.
After temporarily trying it with the glass pane in position it's a good idea to mark their locations.

IMG_3450.jpg

Then I installed the butyl tape on the four inside hardwood stops, and reset the setting blocks in their marked locations.

IMG_3451.jpg

(I know, I know…I WILL eventually put a less shitty looking fence outside …I'm working on it !! )

I placed the glass in position, pressed hard against the butyl tape and as I'm working on my own I used a temporary stop each side towards the top to help support it while working.

IMG_3453.jpg

I then caulked fully the 2-3mm gap between glass and frame with the glazing silicone at the top and bottom, with the butyl tape squashed between the glass and the inner stop acting as a backer rod giving a good seal.
I installed the butyl tape on the top and bottom outside stops (on the sides facing the glass), and pressed them hard against the glass and screwed them to the frame.

IMG_3596.jpg

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I removed the temporary stops and repeated the exact process for the left and right outside stops

IMG_3430.jpg

And here are the windows finished (finally…another big weight gone !) :

Between rooms (control room - side)

IMG_3698.jpg

Control room front (window finally cleaned John ) :

IMG_3705.jpg

Live room:

IMG_3703.jpg

[simo]

April '14 Update part-2


I made the cover for the mic lines panel using the veneered MDF leftovers from the speaker soffit finish layer, and 5mm oak trims at the edges:

mic wall box cover.jpg

IMG_3294.jpg

IMG_3307.jpg

Then I made a box for the speakers' amps.
These can either stand on the floor, or be racked up behind/below the desk (still deciding, as I haven't made up my mind how to go with the desk yet ):

IMG_3641.jpg

IMG_3642.jpg

Finally I finished the last wall of the live room (and so of the studio)…

Here's the starting point, the second plasterboard layer of the only NOT inside-out wall in the whole studio.
First I primed it and then I stapled a galvanised metal mesh lath to the plasterboard:

IMG_3328.jpg

to give more grip to the concrete layer

IMG_3345.jpg

and this is the wall with the rock cladding in place:

IMG_3684.jpg

I finally added a heavy drape to damp down a bit the reflectiveness of the rock when desired, and also to visually separate the room if needed (for instance if the artist/band rehearses or just chill there while editing/mixing in the control room…just an option that doesn't cost much to add I thought…)

IMG_3687.jpg

IMG_3683.jpg

IMG_3700.jpg

That's all for now.

Ciao

Simo

[Soundman2020]

That looks AWESOME, Simo! Wow. GREAT workmanship. (As always)...

- Stuart -

[Bigsby]

Stunning, Simo--just stunning. Your entire build has been an inspiration to myself and I'm sure many, many others on this forum!!

[simo]

Thanks a lot for the nice words Stuart and Mark, much appreciated !

[DasProductions]

Wow! Beautiful work!

[John Sayers]

Top work Simo as usual, great showcase for other forum members, I salute you.

well done

cheers
john

[simo]

Thanks Jim!

and Thank you John…I'm pleased if my thread could be of help to others, likewise many other builds here have helped me tremendously…I literally couldn't have done it without this gold mine of information that's this forum and your site.
…nonetheless, the tireless assistance to all of us from your right hand Stuart with his never-ending knowledge!

So Thank YOU so much for hosting it !!


Ciao

Simo

[Kevstar]

Wow, wow, wow, wow WOW!! Spectacular, Simo. Your build has been an inspiration and delight to watch, and has just got better and better as time went on. Now all that's left to do is hear it!!?? Please remember us poor mortals when you have some recordings to share, won't you. Will your studio have a name?

Genuine thanks too for all the help you gave me and others. I (we) hope you'll stick around for comment!?

Now, where did I put my caulking gun...?

Good luck for the future.

Kevin

[simo]

Hey Kevin, Thanks a lot for your comments, very kind of you!

I'm doing the "final touches" …polishing the doors (I should have done this long time ago as they are a mess with black fingerprints and all sort of dirt), trims on skirting board, hooks for mic leads, tiling the toilet, etc…

I did a sketch for a desk I was going to have built, but even if I'd love to have it there I am forced to postpone it as the budget has completely gone… and I have to give priority to mics, preamps, etc.
Here is a two versions of the same idea for the desk:

simo desk idea_1.1.jpg

simo desk idea_1.2.jpg

simo desk idea_1.3.jpg

... or:

simo desk idea_0.1.jpg

simo desk idea_0.2.jpg

simo desk idea_0.3.jpg

I "might" try to have a go at building it myself when I have some cash coming in from the studio…in the meantime I'm afraid a normal office-type desk will have to do it for now

The studio will be called "Slipway", and I'm almost done with the website too. (final pics coming soon - hopefully)

Even if it's not finished it yet and I haven't advertised it at all, just through word of mouth I had four small sessions here, nothing big (one Voice Over, one pre-mixing and two editing ones), and luckily the feedback was positive… It's time to actually start advertising it properly and I do hope to make all of this worthwhile!

Of course I'll stick around…I love this Forum and I check it constantly

How is your studio going? and Good luck to you too!

Ciao
Simo

[Kevstar]

Simo, thanks. I don't wanna bog-down your brilliant thread with my woes, but let's just say my family grew by two feet too, so... I'm back on the trail now though but I have had to recalibrate my expectations for such a small domestic space.

Desk(s) looks fab. Obvious thoughts about the top profile shadowing your monitors, but you know that. Was recently blown away by that will.i.am TV documentary where he appeared to have three large (40"+) monitors arranged almost flat in place of his mixing board. He just had his midi keyboard on some kind of trolley beside him which appeared to be tethered to his chair that followed him around as he wheeled about (as we do). If only they made touch screen monitors that size....

You just need to plant some money-trees in your garden now, so you can pop outside and give them a shake as required to buy the gear...

Until then.

Kevin