Input on Studio Design Needed

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 3:23 pm

Hi,

Below is the layout for my project studio. I will have to remodel the room completely (floors as well as walls), and would like to move my existing studio to that room. The room dimensions are given below, the room ratio certainly isn't perfect (about 1:1.94:2.98), not including the upper wall dimension. I was thinking about isolating the ceiling with fiberglass (it's a basement, and pretty low), and using hardwood floors. Since I will have to do some remodeling anyway (previous water damage), adding another wall may be an option (to have a separate control room - although the latter is not 100% necessary). Any input to enhance that design or other tips on what to pay attention to when remodeling are highly appreciated.

Daniel

Post by **John Sayers** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 4:45 pm

Welcome Daniel - take a look at this plan from the SAE site

http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html

- perhaps a direction you could look at??

cheers
john

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 11:42 pm

Would you recommend paying a lot of attention to the ideal/recommended room dimensions??? When I try optimizing it to get a recommended room ratio, I end up with a fairly small control room plus would need to cut down on the width of the room (and the room is already not very big to start with).

Thanks,
Daniel

Post by **John Sayers** » Sat Jul 05, 2003 9:23 am

For me the ideal room dimensions are the ergonomics, not the modes

:)

cheers
john

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Sat Jul 05, 2003 1:27 pm

Good one John. All too often techie people get us in fear when all you really need is something that works. Regardless of the "techincally perfect room."

If it does not deliver for you it is just a tech response.

I look at charts of perfect frequencies, levels, etc... After 23 years of mxing live and in the studio I have come to realize you do what gives you the desired result, not the technically perfect way.

Bryan Giles

good luck on your room guy. Heck my spot is 13'5 by 10'10 and I received Johns help and I love what I am hearing. I finally have a wyhiwyg room.

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Sun Jul 06, 2003 3:01 am

I agree on ergonomics, but I WANT IT ALL :=) - my current mix area has been compared to a "jet cockpit" - so many things to play with, all within reach of my swivel chair (which, BTW, is a Herman Miller - should have done that 10 years sooner) - and, I don't want to give that efficiency up for acoustics OR aesthetics. I'm hoping that, before I'm through designing, I can come up with a NEW space that DOES have everything.

It's much more difficult to do that when starting with pre-existing conditions, which is why I've been heading toward a new, separate building. When you're faced with a set of existing conditions, you change what you can, live with what you have to, and get on with making music.

Under those conditions, ergonomics would have to take priority as long as it didn't screw up acoustics to the point that you couldn't "learn" the room... Steve

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Sun Jul 06, 2003 5:54 am

Hey Steve, that was exactly my point. Let us not get so bogged down with tech data and such. But let us make that data work for us and give us something that works well regardless of the IDEAL technical situation.

You could build me the "perfect" room, but if it does not function well I hate it. Now if you could build that "perfect" room with the "perfect" ergonomics, now you are doing something.

SO rather than bury a person in tech data, I'd rather show them how their "existing, available space" can be used to make a very functional ergonomic studio.

I, for one am very happy I found this site by accident. I have built 4 studios prior to the one I am doing now and was always dissatisified becasue of the room modes.

Someone has taken the time to simplify that data and show us how to do it with minimum acoustic anamolies. (spelling????) I have learned to do the same when teaching people how to "listen" with regards to mixing.

I, for one am very grateful for John.

Bryan Giles

Oh Yeah... Another agreement with you.....

AS soon as I get the land secured, I am gonna get one of those "perfect acoustic and perfect Ergonmic" Studios Built. Just gotta deal with a dumb city.