I need help with a design concept

[javamad]

Hi All,

I have the opportunity to get/rent an empty industrial unit near my home. I am currently set up for mixing in a tiny spare room and I am having all sorts of issues with the bass and reflections etc. I am moving house in a couple of months and I have had the inspiration(!) to take a look at renting a smaller house and use some of the left over funds towards a cheap unit. Luckily for me there is a light industry park nearby and a few small-ish units available. I am attaching a photo of one unit. It is 71 square meters and completely new build.

For the moment I will be mixing 90% of the time ... as I am not connected yet to the local scene but that will change over the next year or so I expect.

I am estimating its around 7 meters wide and 10 meters long. The total area is 71m2

My hair-brained idea is to start small and build a mix area using as little materials as possible and then over some months get some work and use that money to add partitioning, etc.

I am attaching 2 simple plans of what I have come up with. One idea is to build a control room first. Then as I get some more funds I will build out the live room. The second idea is to just drop my mixing gear into the unit with minimal installation.

My Questions:
1. The unit height is over 6 meters I believe, but a typical thin industrial roof. Will I need to build any sound isolation into my partitioning of the control room to get low ambient noise?
2. If (for cost reasons) I was to start by just placing my mix set up in the center of the unit, with no partitions at all, would the walls be far enough away to have a no reflection zone at reasonable volumes? Would some standalone broadband absorbers around me work?(see second plan drawing)


Thanks for any advice/help.

[Soundman2020]

Hi there "javamad", and Welcome!

I am attaching a photo of one unit. It is 71 square meters and completely new build.

That would be a fantastic space for a studio!

My hair-brained idea is to start small and build a mix area using as little materials as possible

I would start out by first checking the sound levels inside. "light industry park" to me implies noise: At the very least, cars and trucks arriving/leaving, plus weather noises, such as rain, wind, hail, thunder, etc., plus people talking outside, radios, phones, aircraft flying over... all of that can trash your mixing sessions, firstly due to distraction, and secondly due to masking the subtle sounds that you are trying to hear in your mixes.

In other words, I would suggest that you think about isolation.

One idea is to build a control room first. Then as I get some more funds I will build out the live room.

That makes sense, as it would allow you to both isolate and treat your room at the same time.

The second idea is to just drop my mixing gear into the unit with minimal installation.

Perhaps not such a good idea... That room is over 70m2. ITU specs for critical listening rooms suggest a size of not less than 20m2 and not more than 60m2. They also suggest that a certain range for the overall decay time for the room, based around a reference volume of 100 m3. Your volume is over 400 m3. Getting the correct reverb time in such a large space is going to require some interesting acoustic treatment!

In other words, that room is probably too large to use as a control room.

Will I need to build any sound isolation into my partitioning of the control room to get low ambient noise?

Absolutely, totally, completely, and definitely! The control room will need to isolate your room from the outside world, and also from the future live room. Both rooms must be designed together now to achieve that, even if you only build one of them.

2. If (for cost reasons) I was to start by just placing my mix set up in the center of the unit, with no partitions at all, would the walls be far enough away to have a no reflection zone

No. The volume is just too great, that is a highly reverberant space anyway (all surfaces are hard, solid, smooth and reflective), and even though you might not have high levels of first reflections, the overall reverberant field will be overpowering, with very long decay times. Treating that room as a control room would be complicated, and expensive. It would be possible, yes, but the cost and complexity are not justifiable.

Would some standalone broadband absorbers around me work?

Nope! Sorry.

Your first option is a much better solution: Design and build a proper control room with suitable isolation and treatment, and design it along with the live room at the same time, even if the live room won't be built for now.


- Stuart -

[javamad]

Thanks for the reply Stuart.

I am having difficulty getting a suitable industrial unit. The one I posted a picture of is not available anymore so I am scouring Dublin for units.

I have taken on board the comment about the noise levels in an industrial park and you are right .. I will have to fully enclose the control room and the live room. I just hope I can get enough cash together to do a really high ceiling in the live area to get a great live/drum room

I also toyed briefly with the idea of setting up shop in a room at a local rehearsal studio but I went to see several and in one I measured 82db noise bleed (on a phone app ) from the room next door with only a bass guitar playing! I liked the idea of benefitting from their security and installation but wow those walls are thin


Once I find a place ... and I am determined to do so .. I will post back a design. Meanwhile I will be scouring the forum looking for ideas.

[Soundman2020]

Pity you couldn't get that initial space. It would have been great.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your thread, as soon as you find the right location.


- Stuart -

[javamad]

Hi,

Yes, the initial space photo had me really excited but I have found something even better! A detached 1000 ft unit with lower height (around 4m) but no neighbours.

Also, talking about the project with some old band buddies of mine has revealed that there are now 3 of us interested in this ... so I may not have to start completely on the cheap!

Once we get the lease negotiated, expect to see a design and construction thread!

[Soundman2020]

Sounding hopeful!!

- Stuart -