John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello, I am in the planning phase of converting a spare room into a home studio/drum room and would appreciate the community's feedback. I am looking to spend approximately $300 - $500 on acoustic treatment (acoustic isolation is not a concern) for the time being but am open to suggestions for additions I could make over time (up to an additional $500 - $700).

Please see attachment for room dimensions. Walls are finished sheetrock and 7' 7" tall. Doorways are open and arched so the studio cannot be isolated from the adjoining rooms and I cannot install traditional doors.

I plan to add floor to ceiling bass traps made from 4" OC703 with a 2" - 4" air gap in each corner. Additionally, I intend to install acoustic panels made from 2" OC703 with a 2" air gap at the first reflection points between the monitors and my listening position as well as a cloud made in the same manner above the drum kit. Do these seem like appropriate locations to prioritize? What other locations are likely to benefit the most from absorptive acoustic treatment? Is it worth considering diffusion, or would exclusively absorption be best given the room's small size?

Will the lack of symmetry caused by the 2' 9" door pose a significant issue? Will the inability to isolate the studio from the other rooms pose any issues beyond those related to sound isolation?

When calculating monitor and listening positions, should I consider the room to be 14' long, or 26' 11"?

Kali recommends installing my LP 6s monitors on stands at least 20" from the back wall (represented by the white squares). Do you suggest installing them in soffits in the corners instead and, if so, would you recommend a 60 or 90 degree position?

Thank you in advance!

even though the room is mostly square, you have corners you can treat. first reflection points including the ceiling. you'll have resonances coming off the drums as well as reflections - so maybe invest in some heavy packing blankets to cover it when not in use.
as far as speakers go - skip the soffit mounting for now. however plan on spending time to position the listening location and speakers to get the best response. lookup, study, and use REW to get this done. you'll need a decent omni directional mic and pay attention to the instructions - one speaker at a time etc.
the speaker should be on 60° equilateral triangle (meaning 30° per leg, equal distances). space your speakers approx 6' apart or slightly less. height should on their acoustic centers about 2"-4" above your ears (but not at 50% of the room height). listening position inset from the tip of the triangle by about 12".

gullfo wrote:even though the room is mostly square, you have corners you can treat. first reflection points including the ceiling. you'll have resonances coming off the drums as well as reflections - so maybe invest in some heavy packing blankets to cover it when not in use.
as far as speakers go - skip the soffit mounting for now. however plan on spending time to position the listening location and speakers to get the best response. lookup, study, and use REW to get this done. you'll need a decent omni directional mic and pay attention to the instructions - one speaker at a time etc.
the speaker should be on 60° equilateral triangle (meaning 30° per leg, equal distances). space your speakers approx 6' apart or slightly less. height should on their acoustic centers about 2"-4" above your ears (but not at 50% of the room height). listening position inset from the tip of the triangle by about 12".

Thank you for the advice! I'll start with getting an EMM-6 omni mic and testing the room with REW then start adding in panels to take care of the first reflection points.

What construction method do you recommend for bass traps? From what I've read, most people suggest either 4" OC703 panels straddling the corners or some variation of a superchunk.

If you recommend superchunk, which construction method do you recommend? i.e. OC703 triangles with 34" hypotenuse (4 per sheet), OC703 triangles with 24" hypotenuse (8 per sheet), Rockwool Safensound triangles (same dimension optoins), or 24"x24" fluffy pink insulation

in general - a set of framing in the corner with 24"-30" subsections for pink insulation, and then face with semi-rigid 703. cover with cloth.

I have found the 24" Studiotips Superchunks super disappointing. Conversely the 32" are fabulous.
20" is at the edge of a no fly zone according to Neumman and Genelec. Quite often the best response occurs with the speakers almost touching the Front Wall.
Best to find the optimum speaker and the connected listening position by measurement rather than disputed rules of thumb.