Hi guys! My name is Ian, and I'm one of those unfortunately wired people who aren't happy unless they're making music! So! I'm a college kid with a paltry budget and big dreams...whoda thunk right? 
Anyway, I've been snooping around and researching on the net for a couple years now. Starting to get a little more serious with my home recording gig...time for a move 
I currently record in the unfinished basement of a 120 year old house...concrete floors %80 covered in ancient carpet, concrete block walls, creaky wooden floor overhead. This coming spring I have the opportunity to move to the now empty bedroom on the second floor. Before we get to the room, I think the move will be an improvement mainly because of the noise floor. Downstairs I have the washer and dryer, furnace, hot water heater, creaky floor overhead, not to mention the door to the outside is mere feet away. So upstairs = less noise = good.
Now, the room itself...kinda sucks. Its a very small rectangular room, 13ft long, 9ft wide, 8ft high. Hardwood floor, lathe walls with plaster (the last and most solid of the original walls, this is one of the few rooms that haven't been drywalled) and a plaster ceiling. Entry door on one long wall side, on the other side are two windows. One short wall side has a small closet. It's basically a box, the whole room is basically a box. Good thing is there isn't much resonation. Bad thing is...it sounds tiny. I'd post pics or layout but it is currently filled with...stuff...
So assuming I can jam my drumset, guitar amps, desk, computer, all the usual into this room, what is my best shot for treatment? Can I get away with standard corner bass traps and some well placed acoustic panels? Also, what should I do about the hard floor and flat ceiling? Would carpet help any? I know I don't want to completely deaden the room...I had also thought about building several moveable foam panels...say 6-7ft tall and 2-3ft wide...that I could place around whatever I was recording - vocals, acoustic guitar, drumset, etc. Would this maybe be more effective than just wall mounted panels?
So thanks for the great info you guys toss around on these threads, any help is appreciated! And sorry for my first post being kind of thinking "out loud"
Anyway, I've been snooping around and researching on the net for a couple years now. Starting to get a little more serious with my home recording gig...time for a move I currently record in the unfinished basement of a 120 year old house...concrete floors %80 covered in ancient carpet, concrete block walls, creaky wooden floor overhead. This coming spring I have the opportunity to move to the now empty bedroom on the second floor. Before we get to the room, I think the move will be an improvement mainly because of the noise floor. Downstairs I have the washer and dryer, furnace, hot water heater, creaky floor overhead, not to mention the door to the outside is mere feet away. So upstairs = less noise = good.
Now, the room itself...kinda sucks. Its a very small rectangular room, 13ft long, 9ft wide, 8ft high. Hardwood floor, lathe walls with plaster (the last and most solid of the original walls, this is one of the few rooms that haven't been drywalled) and a plaster ceiling. Entry door on one long wall side, on the other side are two windows. One short wall side has a small closet. It's basically a box, the whole room is basically a box. Good thing is there isn't much resonation. Bad thing is...it sounds tiny. I'd post pics or layout but it is currently filled with...stuff...
So assuming I can jam my drumset, guitar amps, desk, computer, all the usual into this room, what is my best shot for treatment? Can I get away with standard corner bass traps and some well placed acoustic panels? Also, what should I do about the hard floor and flat ceiling? Would carpet help any? I know I don't want to completely deaden the room...I had also thought about building several moveable foam panels...say 6-7ft tall and 2-3ft wide...that I could place around whatever I was recording - vocals, acoustic guitar, drumset, etc. Would this maybe be more effective than just wall mounted panels?
So thanks for the great info you guys toss around on these threads, any help is appreciated! And sorry for my first post being kind of thinking "out loud"