John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello everyone,
I used to have a home studio room that made it from scratch. It’s in my my basement and soon I realized that is humid and as I am unable to dehumidify it I decided to move out. Besides, there are some more cons such as no light in there, no ventilation at all and the most important a long long drywall at the right side. So the decision is definitive.
Some pics of my old studio room so that you understand that I am familiar with acoustic treatment construction (panels, bass traps and stuff).


The new era
Now, I decided to relocate my studio to the upper floor of my home. I am in a far smaller room but a very “gentle” one that inspires me a lot because there’s daylight (one window) and great mountain view. As I m about to start the acoustic treatment from scratch I have the tools, the hands and the patience to do so but I certainly don’t have the knowledge of acoustics. I’ ve read a lot and watched many videos but still I don’t want to randomize the whole construction so I need experienced advices. Exact spot and orientation for the deck, panels position, bass traps position, maybe a diffuser cause room is small and everything else you think. As it is now, I ve noticed many low frequencies and low reflections. Really poor in high ones.

This is the floor plan and 2 elevations :

And some real pics:

I think it’s a good start for a nice conversation.

I look forward to read your posts.
Thank you in advance,
Haris

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

- Stuart -

Stuart,
you think I should re-post it? Or adjust some things in the current thread.
Just to be sure:
Do you mean pics directly posted here?
Edit my profile (did it)
Is generally the post problematic? Not many details?

Really sorry , I didn't want to mishandle

you think I should re-post it? Or adjust some things in the current thread.

It's fine: you can still edit your post to make the changes. There's no need to start a new thread.

Edit my profile (did it)

That was one of the big issues!

Do you mean pics directly posted here?

That's another one, and you still aren't doing it! You have only placed links to the photos, instead of uploading them to the forum itself. There's a reason we ask you to do that: over time, those links can expire, die, change, move, be redirected, or just plain disappear. Here's a link to the perfect example of what can happen: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 11&t=13069 That used to be an interesting thread, but now it is meaningless. The comments are about the photos, but the photos are not there, as they were linked, like yours, instead of being uploaded.

Is generally the post problematic? Not many details?

More details would be good, but I think there's enough there to go on, for now!

Really sorry , I didn't want to mishandle

You are doing great! You are clearly making an effort to get it right, which is all that we ask. Some people don't want to do that, and this is what happens: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 14#p140514 ...

So if you can make sure that all your images are uploaded to the forum, and within the size limits, things should be fine!


- Stuart -

So if you can make sure that all your images are uploaded to the forum, and within the size limits, things should be fine!

I tried to attach the files if that you mean but then you have to scroll way down in order to read the topic. It became sooo long because every attachment keeps an entire row.
If I still resize the photos they will become small and Non detailed.

I ll do whatever you need me to do. Just don't know the proper way.

How can someone still be out of the rules in a place where he came to learn and maybe solve his problem?
Weird to me

Seems we r stucked
don't know if it's the photo's matter (that still need indications to resolve)

I tried to attach the files if that you mean but then you have to scroll way down in order to read the topic. It became sooo long because every attachment keeps an entire row.

There's no problem with that! That's fine. Long posts are not a problem. You can also use the "insert in-line" button to put each image exactly where you want it in the text.

If I still resize the photos they will become small and Non detailed.

Then don't make them too small! Make them around 700 pixels wide. Plenty big enough to see detail, but not so big that people with small screens have to scroll sideways all the time.

As I m about to start the acoustic treatment from scratch I have the tools, the hands and the patience to do so but I certainly don’t have the knowledge of acoustics.

The first thing you should decide is if you need isolation, and if so, how much (how many decibels). Isolation comes first, before treatment.

Exact spot and orientation for the deck,

The best orientation in that room is to have your speakers up against the wall with the window, and your back to the door. Set up your speakers on stands (very heavy, massive stands), 120cm above the floor, 83 cm from the side walls, 10 cm from the front wall. That means they will be 127 cm apart. I'm talking about the acoustic axis of the speakers, not the sides of the cabinet.

Then set up your chair so that your head is 120 cm from the front wall. That's where your ears should be. Now set up your desk in front of that, in a position that is comfortable for you to mix.

Now set up a vertical pole (such as a mic stand) directly in line behind your head, 160cm from the front wall. Carefully aim your speakers exactly at that pole (aim the acoustic axis at the pole).

That's the optimum geometry, theoretically.

... panels position, ...

You will need 10cm thick OC-703 panels between the speakers and the front wall. That's the reason for the 10cm gap I mentioned above. You will also need similar panels at the first reflections points on the side walls, and the ceiling above the desk.

bass traps position,

In all the room corners, vertically, from floor to ceiling. At least 60cm across, but 90 cm would be better. And finally, very thick insulation across the entire back wall, at least 15cm.

maybe a diffuser cause room is small

It's the other way around! Because the room is small you cannot use a diffuser in there. Diffusers can only be used in rooms that are large enough, where you can get a distance of at least 3m between the diffuser and the head of the engineer at the mix position.

I ve noticed many low frequencies and low reflections. Really poor in high ones.

Do you have carpet on the floor? If so, take that out. You will also need to cover the front face of your bass traps with plastic, to help reflect back some of the highs.

- Stuart -

Build big Soffit Style traps at both sides of the window. Probably simplest to do a Top one and a Bottom one. Leave a gap and place the speakers in there.
This has been called Soft Soffit mounting. I would place them virtually touching the Front Wall.
Fill the Back Wall alcove caused by the door with light cheap fibre.
Hang a Cloud of at least 4 regular panel traps, 100mm plus 100mm airgap.
Absorb side reflections with the same.

DD

Bit of a necro DanDan! Hopefully the guy has progressed in the 2 and a half years it's been since his last post

Dan (Nice name btw!)