John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello guys,

I am grateful to have a place where I can share my setup and possibly get some ideas and help on my room situation.

First i must say as the title reads broke guys budget here. I am going to attach three pics two from opposing corners and one sketch I did with dimensions of the room. I did this because its not rectangular.

Here are my uses for the room. Small recording projects ranging from full five piece band to band practice in the same room. Currently I also am stuck mixing in this same room. I know sucks not going to get a great result. Let me say I have been doing projects out of this environmental for about three years and I just want to try and improve on its design.

Construction, walls 3/8" drywall, concrete floor with carpet no padding.

As you can see the drums are in the corner of the room. Really the best place for my multi situations.

My Plans to get a better sound.. Here among other thoughts is where I could use some help.

Im going to build a semi isolated / floating type hardwood 7' x 7' floor for the drums to sit on. Minimum carpet just to hold drums in place. Drum riser

""" My questions are of what should I do with the walls surrounding the drum kit in the corner. Should I try and trap all of the sound with absorbency or have some reflections there.

I do notice as of now without the wood flooring as I spoke of above everything I record out the drums sound dead and thin. I know there are some major weaknesses here in my room. Just looking for any help I can get.


Thanks in advance to those who would read this and attempt to help me on this idea.

Here is the other dimensions picture

Hi "freddiefunk", and welcome to the forum!

Small recording projects ranging from full five piece band to band practice in the same room. Currently I also am stuck mixing in this same room. I know sucks not going to get a great result.

Not a problem, actually! Some folks choose to do that: a single room for both tracking and mixing. It can be done, successfully. The basic idea is to design it as a control room with extra space in the back for tracking / rehearsal.

Construction, walls 3/8" drywall, concrete floor with carpet no padding.

Bad. God. Bad. Meaning the 3/8" drywall is useless and will have to go (and be replaced with 5/8" drywall) the concrete floor is excellent, and the carpet is also useless and will have to go. Carpet is pretty lousy for acoustics (contrary to popular belief).

Im going to build a semi isolated / floating type hardwood 7' x 7' floor for the drums to sit on. Minimum carpet just to hold drums in place. Drum riser

Bad idea if you build it as a floated floor, for all these reasons:
http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... f=2&t=8173

However, if you build it as a proper drum riser, then yes, that would be good. But not as floating floor. That would be like setting up your drum set on top of another drum...

Having said that, why do you need a riser at all? It will reduce your ceiling height, and ceiling height is critical to good drum sounds. Unless you have a major problem with impact noise in ht building structure, then you are much better off without a riser. Just set up the drums on the floor, and isolate / treat the rest of the room correctly.

My questions are of what should I do with the walls surrounding the drum kit in the corner. Should I try and trap all of the sound with absorbency or have some reflections there.

You cannot trap sound with absorption: that is not what it does. (contrary to popular belief).

Think of it this way: In your kitchen, a sponge is very useful when you happen to spill some water where you didn't want it, but totally useless for stopping the water from coming out the tap. You can have a huge six-inch sponge across the front of the tap, but it will not "trap" the water and stop it coming out. Same with absorption in your room: it cannot "trap" the sound and make it go way. It can simply mop up some sound that went where you didn't want it. Absorption cannot be used to isolate a room (stop sound getting in or out). But it sure can be used to treat a room, acoustically, and make it sound better!

I do notice as of now without the wood flooring as I spoke of above everything I record out the drums sound dead and thin

, well, you DID say that you have carpet on the floor and thin drywall on the walls! That half-height gobo absorber thingy around the drum kit is not helping the sound either! It is not surprising that it sounds dead and thin.

Here is the other dimensions picture

That natural layout would be to have the drums in the area with the ten foot ceiling, and to set up the control room in the area with the 8 foot ceiling.

The one thing you didn't mention, is the most important of all: How much isolation do you need? (in terms of objective, real decibel numbers, not subjective guesses).


- Stuart -