John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello there, First off let me say I am a newbie to the idea of room ratio's when looking at a studio build. I've read up a bit but don't fully understand how to apply them in the real world.

Basically I want a mixing space at home and want to build off the end of my driveway, something that will essentially look like a finished garage. I can build up to 480 sq feet based on local bylaws but I have a small yard and would like to keep some of it.

That said if I go over say 15-16 ft in WIDTH I will start to lose my backyard entranceway off the driveway which I'd like to keep. I feel I should get up to somewhere near 380-400 sq feet total to comfortably make a nice little mixing room for myself. I can build UP to 14ft to the midway point of the roof pitch.

So essentially I am fishing for what anyone thinks I could do ratio wise, space wise. If I go 14x26 I get 364 sq ft, but is that maybe a bit narrow? If I build back further off the driveway (past my yard entrance) I could go something more like 16x24=384 sq ft. I know bigger may be better, but what benefits would I get from say 20 extra ft?

Hi there "cactusslim", and welcome!

So essentially I am fishing for what anyone thinks I could do ratio wise, space wise

It depends on what your goals and budget are! I know that's not very helpful, but the starting point should be there.

Basically I want a mixing space

So this is going to be a single-room? Just a control room? No live room, vocal booth, iso booth, or any other rooms at all? Not even a bathroom, or storage closet? And the BIG question: how much isolation do you need for your room, in terms of decibels?

I can build up to 480 sq feet based on local bylaws but I have a small yard and would like to keep some of it.

EBU specifications state that the minimum floor area for a high-quality control room is about 320 ft2. However, ITU specs say about 215 ft2 is the minimum. So you certainly have enough space to fit in with either of those.

However, it isn't just floor area that matters: the total room volume is important, so ceiling height is also a big factor: How high are you planning to have your ceilings?

Also: Please read the forum rules for posting (click here). You seem to be missing a couple of things!

- Stuart -