John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Ahoy Lads, from Up Over as opposed to Down Under! Yes, I am from the other top of the world, Alaska. I neded your expertise and guidance. I am working in a commercial recording studio, recording mostly for businesses. I need to radically redesign this control room. Having followed this site for the past three months, I am now ready to jump in head first!
1. As you can see from the included picture, I have a small voice over studio. It has a celing height of 8 feet. I built this studio entirely from the plans and info here at the SAE site, although it was John Sayers site at that time... the studio is well clothed in sound panels from Acoustical Sciences Corporation, www.tubetrap.com. I have 12 sound panels and 10 tube traps.
2. The control room has an 8 foot 6" drop ceiling. The windows present a challenge to treat. The view is breathtaking of the Chugach Mountains but, that does not translate well to audio CD! The studio window is almost parallel to one of the outside facing windows.
3. I thought about soffit mounting a pair of Alesis Monitor 2's and utilizing the Mackie HR824's as nearfields.
4. I also plan to complete the wall from the corner of the studio to the otherside of the control room, approximately 8 feet and place an entrance door there for access.

Please funnel any ideas you may have so I may proceed in confidence! I have followed this site for several months now, and value your ideas and straightforward advise!
Thanks Lads, Michael McGaughey

Hey son - you forgot to post the pic

cheers
john

Is this working?

Hey, Soffit mount them both, lay the Mackies on your side and you will have room for the Monitor two's. Above the mackies in an angled Soffit.

Wish I still had Mine, Lost them last year.

Acoustical drape is my only suggestion for the windows.

Knightfly has some really great ideas. Any Photos?

Bryan Giles

Thanks for the quick answers, I need to add additional information to my first requests.
* The control room has carpet that I plan to replace with a hardwood floor. The new floor will encompass mainly the mixing area; desk, recorders & effects racks, and the love seat.
* The ceiling is made up of acoustical tiles.
* This studio is located on the second floor and actually acts as a ceiling for the covered outdoor employee parking area for the building. I am not concerned about noise transferring out of the studio, having been there for three years now it is not a problem as most of the sound stays inside our walls.
* I was planning to build slat walls to cover the three windows thereby masking any potentil for reflected waves and flutter echos. I am wondering if the same treatment should also be given to the opposite side? Reason tells me yes, so how do I work around the studio window with the slat wall?
* Finally, I do plan to complete the wall (if necessary) from the edge of the studio to the back wall and include an entry door.
I hope this more than clarifys my initial requests. My ultimate desire is to create as perfect a mixing/listening environment as possible. I want to capture to CD/DVD/tape so that the final productions will sound the same when replayed in a variety of environments and equipment. So far, our previous recordings worked well but at best, we were using special tricks to obtain the results...knowing the existing room has shortcomings and what we heard in it was not accurate enough!
Thanks, Michael McGaughey

Basically you are "converting this room to a studio or just adding treatments?

I am asking cuz if it were me, I'd build a wall to cover the window wall and build out a slatted wall on either side of the room.

Bryan

Yes, that is it exactly, I now have the time to make sensible conversions to the existing room. I have given thought to building a wall to cover the three windows, that makes the most sense. I have a smartdraw 6.0 trial copy am wondering now, how do I find the symbols you are using in your drawings? Have you made them yourselves? Thanks, Michael