UAN - new Control Room build

[RJHollins]

Ya know ... if my only OTHER brain cell hadn't been fried from two all-niters this week ...

... and maybe listening to Tull's, 'Thick As A Brick' re-master, may also have been a factor

But ... I knew that was the answer .... really I did.

The confusion, on my part, had to do with taping & mud in the inner corners AND where the
ceiling & walls meet. At EACH of those locations I have gaps that are caulk sealed. As Glenn
has instructed, we are to tape and mud those areas. And I'll have them leave the wall base
caulking exposed. It kinda makes sense ... but honestly, I'm trying to learn and
understand all this. And as you pointed out ... get it right the first time !!!

Once again ... HUGE thanks for your guidance, experience .... and PATIENCE !!!
Thanks Max!

[xSpace]

As a matter of reference, for anyone that comes behind me on this, the only layer that gets tape and mud will be the FINAL layer of sheathing.

AND, this is a matter of preference. It is not something that someone says "do this and get that" it is simply to what you are willing to except.

Max recommended earlier a thin trim (now that I know what we are all talking about:)) in the corner. and this could be a wall/wall or wall/ceiling corner that you have installed acoustic caulk in...and then attache the trim to one or the other of the hard boundaries to minimize the vibration from one panel to the other.

There is no hard and fast rule that says you HAVE to use mud and tape on the final layer, that is just a quick read thru.

[xaMdaM]

hehehehe... brother, I know what yer' goin' through... and then some.


Lemme remind you of one thing...


YOU'RE the one who lost your mind and went into this spiral of insanity... no one else pal!! You did this to yourself!! <snork>



I pulled many of those lil' 4 day runs that'll make your "worry button", worry whether you really have a body or a brain... but obviously neither. Hang in there, you'll make it.

In about 12 more weeks you'll find out whether it's all been worth it or not... maybe a tad longer...


Doors are more of a beast than you can imagine. They're still gonna leak. It's whether you can get away with the louder volume not bleeding, or creating feedback when you open a door to the control room.

I can assure you, feedback in a recording session is not only unacceptable, it's dangerous. (Someone can get their eye dotted) So watch your control room volume until you understand the isolation your doors are giving you. I've been amazed at how much gain you can run on many instruments you want to record at room volume. It's a wonderful sound, but brother, you better be quick on the mute or dim when someone opens that tracking room door, because they are potentially blocking a LOT of energy.

Prolly take a coupla' sessions to figure out your maximum gains, but it's not quite rocket surgery...

[RJHollins]

Hey Guys!

Thanks for the post ... which AFTER reading ... maybe I'm only HALF crazy
the other 80% is nuts

I usually just refer to it as my 'passion'.

As for the crazy/nuts part ... its' mostly when I'm not able to comprehend something

To the serious points that xSpace has mentioned ... and in light of pouring through many of
the threads here, along with Rods' book ... I've concluded that the best options are the ones
the you and Glenn [my main designer] have stated for my build. Most CERTAINLY, a very
welcomed, heartfelt appreciation to those that have been down this road before [like
MadMax], and have kindly relayed words of their experience, insights AND encouragement.

Since I've NOT had the chance to screw-up a build like this before ... I don't want to begin
with this one

As MadMax stated ... once I get this room up and running [which to this point has been
PURELY room ISOLATION construction. Without the treatment, its' more or less an acoustic
chamber reverb.... my goal, within the strick limits of this rooms' dimension, is to see how
good I can get it. This is my first laboratory to test this type of design. Combine that with a
forum like this ... with knowledgeable people that try to teach me something. And There is
NO doubt the passion the Mods have for all this.

'Its the little things that can bite you'
... trust me when I say that there are NOT to many
people in my sphere that can intelligently discuss the 'flanking properties of drywall mud'.
[I know ... I should get out more often ... ]

Anyway ... it looks like Monday for mudders ... as most know, when you have a small project
like my build, it's much harder to get a crew to come in on the gig. Well, give me extra time
to ponder.

... AND we got a gig Sat nite
[couple new SteelyDan tracks and a Little Feat cut] ... fun stuff

[RJHollins]

... and the 'education' continues ... also .... Progress report!

So ... I'm about 40 years behind the times ... or so I'm told.

Thusly explaining the confusion around the 'mudding' of da room. Ya see, the house I'm
in has plaster walls. I know this from having to do a repair of a hallway due to a slight
leak when the satellite TV service was install [got rid of that and moved to FIOS].
As I tend to stay far away when drywall mud & dust is going on ... I've been informed
that they no longer mud the entire surface of the drywall They hit the seams,
the corners, and the screws.
Yours truly is asking about mud near the wall base and such .... and they don't even
do it !!!

So, my apologies for all my misunderstanding[s].

The 'progress' end of this ... have a real good 'mudder' working my room
First day ... taped all the seams, and tightened up a few exposed screws, and hit a few
spots with mud. Said, let it dry ... see me next day ... ok. Oh yeah ... told me my
attempt at mudding .... maybe a C- ... maybe ... also, don't bother doing it on the outer
wall ... he'll take care of it. Mentioned that running seams from floor to ceiling should be
avoided ... no biggie, just he has to do additional feathering to smooth it.

Today he came in and shaved the two kick-out corners ... which I got in there and re-caulked it
before he glued the bullnose corners on. I must say, I thought the bullnose looked SO WIDE
that I was trying to find a different style. But AFTER he 'snugged' them into place ... the
edges are just what I hoped ... nicely rounded .

Then he went in and layered about a 2' stripe of mud over the previously taped areas.
I'll see where we are at then, but he said that he needs a total of 4 sessions for the room.
Session 3 is tomorrow ... Surprisingly, the areas he's done has brighten up the room. I'm
keeping this in mind for the painting.

For the paint 'primer', it was mentioned to look at a produce called 'Killz' . It's a mildew resist primer ... they can even tint it. So, the moment
we get the go on mud dried and ready, the painters are set to spray

For a 'final' color ... I'm really thinking a staying with a very light [even plain white] flat, or
maybe eggshell finish. By the time ALL the possible acoustic treatment go in, I'm NOT sure
how much of the walls & ceilings will be visible ... and I need to keep lighting in mind [heat].

Anyway ... getting some pics together ... should get them up in the next day or so.

OH ... had a problem with the DONATE button ... new browser here, maybe something on
my side ... will try again.

Big THANKS!

[gullfo]

cool! killz works pretty well. depending on the cloth etc you might find a deeper color works if the cloth provides the contrast or blending you desire. painting any framing which has cloth directly on it to match the cloth helps to hide it.

[RJHollins]

Hi Guys!

Still having issues with the DONATE button

[RJHollins]

Progress Report ...

When we last left, we were prepping for da mud. And it happened !

I was able to snap off a few photos, but I must say ... all honors to the guys that do
mudding as a profession !

It was a 4 day process

First was a basic tape/mud session ... took a couple hours.
Next day, was mudding the tape seams about 1-2 ft wide.
Day 3 was more mudding.
Day 4 .... sanding.
for me day 5 & 6 have been VACUUMING !

Between the the heat AND humidity of the mud process, followed by the clean-up, all
I can say is GLAD this part is done. We've ONLY done the inside of the CR, so
we'll have a repeat show in the near

Here are a few fast pix I grabbed ... nothing exciting to see, but to add documentation

PL_PID_1000000374.jpg

We went with the 'bullnose' corners.

PL_PID_1000000384.jpg

Grabbed a room shot.

PL_PID_1000000385.jpg

PL_PID_1000000386.jpg

Like I said, nothing that great to look at, BUT ... my 'mudder' did a very nice job for me, and
wants to do the outer wall when ready.

Cleaning up the room, getting ready for the next step. In the process, I noticed a couple
of areas of gaps in the caulk at the floor/wall area Maybe due to the wild temp
humidity changes that happened, but whatever the reason, I was back in there with the
caulk gun! [note: maybe it has been a GOOD thing that this build has been moving slowly,
as it allows for catching things like this BEFORE it's to late]

Monday afternoon is the scheduled 'Michaelangelo School of Art' class ... a study of color.

PL_PID_1000000393.jpg

Slight change in material plans ... they decided on 'The Gripper'. who knew ... seems a
preferred favorite amongst the upper echelon ... so we splurged. It IS the 'primer'

Along with all this past fun ... been hitting the stores for everything from fabrics to air
conditioning/venting ... oh, lest we overlook flooring.

Oh yeah ... still trying to put a color scheme together ...

That's all the news that fit to print !!!

Thanks

[RJHollins]

Progress Report.

First ... the DONATE button is back working ...
***********************

'In a White Room ... with no treatment' ....

The first coat of primer went on the walls and ceiling.

This 'Gripper' paint ... now I know why they call it that. It DOES have some gription
It does go on nice ... minimal splatter ... but it DOES have an odor

Anyway ... although the pix don't show it, the room has, visually, brightened up ! I need to
keep this in mind for the final base color for the room.

Today am looking to get a 2nd primer coat on. This 'blue board' type-X drywall is still
slightly visible, so we want to have a solid primer base on there [especially if I have to stay
in the lighter color family for the final coats.

Couple pix:

PL_PID_1000000399.jpg

PL_PID_1000000400.jpg

PL_PID_1000000401.jpg

Thanks!

[gullfo]

if you went with white on white treatments you could have your own personal crazy room to recover in

[RJHollins]

if you went with white on white treatments you could have your own personal crazy room to recover in

hmmm ... this COULD be a multi-purpose room after all !!

more progress today ...

Well ... I thought we were doing a 2nd coat of primer ... but apparently, I'M the only one
who thought that. Anyone I mentioned it too gave me the same kinda look ... like,
'you crazy-boy' probably ...

Anyway ... my brother showed up for 2nd round of painting ... and he TOO said ... 'you crazy',
so there you have it. So, a mad dash to the Depot and grabbed 3 gals of Gliddens'
best stuff. Although the primer white was ... bright .... it was a bit much for my karmic
soul , so my color choice for the room was to lean toward the light side [Luke].

Here, too, shows another talent I lack ... and that is room interior decorating and/or colors
The MAIN consideration has to do with the upcoming acoustical treatment that will, no doubt,
dominate the room. Between all the traps and panels [covered in some type of fabric], I
figured to paint the walls and ceilings in a bright neutral finish. When I through the random
dart ... it hit upon 'White Clay'. About as basic of a palette as one could choose, I know ...
but I went with it in a MATT finish. We did the walls and ceilings ... and I have to honestly
say ... it brings a simple, understated, elegance to the room. Its' keeps the room bright, YET
it is easy on the eyes I'll see what I can do with fabric and wood trim for colors.

Again ... looks are important ... but because of the size of the room, I need to see how much
acoustical treatment AND placement that MUST be done ... and THEN go for the visuals.

Really ... I'm thinking that chunky corner traps and wall/ ceiling panels might be left exposed
during this early, initial layout testing.

I DID pick up a few yards of fabric from JoAnns. The name of it is called 'OSNABURG'.
It is 100% cotton, perm press [unbleached]. It seems to allow 'breath' to pass through
nicely, and visually, I can see through it [somewhat]. It reminds of fabrics I've seen in
several studios over the years [NOT that this makes it OK]. If anyone has info to share on
this fabric, I'd sure like to hear about it.

Anyway ... one more painting day coming up [2nd coat] ... and then buy the flooring
material. It's looking like the Armstrong 'CushionStep' is the strong favorite

Pixs coming ...
THANKS!

[xaMdaM]

I DID pick up a few yards of fabric from JoAnns. The name of it is called 'OSNABURG'.
It is 100% cotton, perm press [unbleached]. It seems to allow 'breath' to pass through
nicely, and visually, I can see through it [somewhat]. It reminds of fabrics I've seen in
several studios over the years [NOT that this makes it OK]. If anyone has info to share on
this fabric, I'd sure like to hear about it.

Anyway ... one more painting day coming up [2nd coat] ... and then buy the flooring
material. It's looking like the Armstrong 'CushionStep' is the strong favorite

Pixs coming ...
THANKS!

OOOPS... you really should consider treating that fabric with either a home brew fire retardant or one of the manufactured solutions such as: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1693-AA.shtml

Without that spray, your fire marshal may have a problem with that fabric... and then your insurance company may get involved. As in not covering any disaster, should one occur.

About your flooring decision. Obviously, do what you want, but anything that's capable of being cut, gouged or otherwise ruined with heavy gear rolling over it... WILL!

I would encourage you to reconsider, and go with something that can be fixed or refinished. Roll flooring can only be removed and replaced in full rolls... which will prove to be a major PITA.

My humble $.02 worth.

[RJHollins]

Hi MMax !

Hey ... thanks for the reminder and the link regarding the fire/fabric issue.
I printed out the FIRETECT page to add to my shopping list. If I end up using this
'OSNABURG' fabric [if acoustically acceptable], I'll see if JoAnn's sells the retardant.

yeah ... the flooring and its' endurance. Keeping that in mind for sure !

THANKS!!

[gullfo]

the fabric will probably be fine acoustically. plus with neutral colors you can add colored lighting to change the whole look of the room when desired... on the retardant page: "Does not work well on acrylic, acetate, Nylon or fabrics coated with Teflon, permanent press or other resistant coatings. (A test - if water beads up on a fabric, this product will not be able to penetrate.)" so you'll want to test it...

[xaMdaM]

the fabric will probably be fine acoustically. plus with neutral colors you can add colored lighting to change the whole look of the room when desired... on the retardant page: "Does not work well on acrylic, acetate, Nylon or fabrics coated with Teflon, permanent press or other resistant coatings. (A test - if water beads up on a fabric, this product will not be able to penetrate.)" so you'll want to test it...

Ooops... didn't catch that!!! AND... it's something I hadn't really accounted for that IS seriously important. It's gotta soak in if it's going to work, right?

I know that there are DIY formulas for retardant sprays. IIRC, it's not all that expensive or hard to make. I tried to find the formula on the open web, but I honestly think there should be a thread here and/or at studiotips.com. The thing you might have to do is document the purchases and photograph the process to satisfy your fire marshal. I know it's been a topic before.

In terms of changing colors with lighting. Black actually can be just as effective, if not more so, than white. You wouldn't think so, but white ends up giving you more pastels, where as black gives you richer color saturation.

I used fabric manufactured for the automotive industry. Specifically the fabric used for seats. It meets ASTM standards, and fortunately, my fire marshal accepted the letter from the distributor... as did the fire marshal in Atlanta, and a couple of other cities. Granted, it is somewhat questionable as to it's meeting NFPA standards, but the fact that it met with their approval means that either the fire marshal just wanted documentation, or they are familiar enough with ASTM and NFPA to agree to their use in a commercial facility as a wall covering.