John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hi.
Thank you for this great site and for donating your time free of charge.

I'm currently reading/studying/planning. I intend to have no control room; the computer is in the adjacent hall on the other side of a door and I won't have a console - will have to take the project to another studio to mix down. My garage studio will be for tracking only (financial constraint).

Target sound: Vintage Monkeys / Beatles / Stones (?a tall order).
I plan to build a room within the Ex-garage. Sound isolation doesn't matter to me - only recorded sound quality.

Ex-garage space: Dimensions - 209" long, 124" wide, 102" tall

Current materials and current thoughts about surface treatments:

1. floor - large tiles, presumably installed over concrete - this will have to change so I can easily roll things over it and for acoustic reasons. I like wood floors. Current thought is to just put a self install "floating" wood floor over a pad - My fear is that I'm it might not withstand the weight of rolling a spinet piano across it.

2. ceiling - standard ceiling material - ?drywall? - I'll change that so it's angled and to whatever material/contour is most advisable.

3. long wall 1 - Concrete. there will be a framed wall with some material angled away from this. I'm considering having a removable compartment in the built wall to allow unmasking the concrete for a live room effect. An appropriate bass absorber/disperser panel will be constructed and mounted.

4. long wall 2 - Sheet rock - I can't find the studs and I think they're metal. Current plan is same as for long wall 1 save the removable part.

5. short wall 1 - Sheet rock - same plan.

6. short wall 2 - Sheet rock - same plan.

My primary problems (aside from those primarily obvious only to my wife) and current solution thoughts are:

1. The instruments themselves reverberate horribly.
Plan: create an acoustically isolated space from which the instruments can slide out and back like tall file drawers - this space will be about 4 feet tall and run the length of the short wall. The amps will live above it.

2. Space - I have to make one space acoustically appropriate for drums, piano, vocals, guitars, strings, horns.

Plan: create mobile wall treatments that allow the room to convert readily from live to dead and back like Jesus, who was probably a much better carpenter than I am.

I'm obviously completely unqualified to accomplish this task, but am committed to trying regardless of probable failure. I will keep you apprised of progress and welcome expert advice.

Sincerely,
Nat.

just build all your walls and ceilings with 2 layers of 5/8" drywall over RC-1 or RC-2 (assuming your structure can support the weight). keep the concrete floor and stain and polish it. you can add throw rugs as needed. its impervious to things like cars, pianos, etc...

don't bother angling things, and don't put in a bunch of openings except doors and HVAC.

then create a bunch of re-movable absorber panels to hang on the walls and ceiling to adjust the RT60 of the space. for isolation between instruments, build some gobos.

you have a simple space with a bit of isolation and fairly live. the absorbers will handle the reverberation and balance for room modes. if you find you need more than that, you'll still have the option to add additional treatments as needed.

Thank you for your prompt reply. I will take the serial conquering of problems approach that you suggest.

From what I've read so far, I need to measure the room's response to noise challenge, then construct specific absorbers for deviant frequencies. Then again, the George Martin book suggests all I need is ears.

I do need to treat the floor since the grout sections between the tiles precludes smoothly rolling things across the floor.

Thank you for the gobos suggestion. They will undoubtedly factor heavily in the ultimate design.