I've got a weird room, need advice.

[AndrewClaycomb]

I'm building up my home studio which is sharing space with my home theater... sorta. They aren't actually in the same room but they are only separated by half a wall. My question is how would you treat this room? Also is my layout going to work for recording?

Here's my the layout:

My computer/interface is located in the "Game Room" right behind the wall separating the room from the stairs. Otherwise here's the layout so far.

The "Game Room"

Right side of the the "Family Room"

Left side of the "Family Room"

Bedroom #4 is essentially an empty room. There is a small padded chair and a bed (box spring and mattress) sitting directly on the floor without a frame. We call it the guest bedroom, but we don't have guests very often so it's free to use as a tracking room or whatever.

The storage room has 2 cement walls and a cement floor, so I may use it to isolate a guitar amp if a drummer can't play with a metronome.

Also below the stairs there is a small closet that you can walk in, I may turn that into an isolated amp room as well.

Am I in the right direction?

 

[AndrewClaycomb]

Would it be a better idea for me to use the spare bedroom as a control room? I recorded a guitar amp in the tracking room (bedroom #4) and it was so nice to be able to monitor the tracking session on my monitors instead of on headphones like when I tracked drums.

I would have to get an 8 channel microphone cable snake, a couple of long 1/4" to 1/4" cables for my headphone amp, and figure out some sort of way to do talk back.

Or I could do more recording (maybe drums) in that room, and leave my control desk where it is for less money. With the given room dimensions would it be better to record in the room or listen in the room? I have a feeling I'm better off tracking in the big room, but I just want to get some ideas.

 

[pandamonk]

A big control room is good, but symmetry is essential, imo. I'd use the bedroom as control room, big room as live, and the storage as a booth.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I'd use the bedroom as control room, big room as live, and the storage as a booth.

Ditto Pandamonk. Also, I'd build some large mobile gobos for somewhat isolating musicians in the game room.

 

[AndrewClaycomb]

Well you've convinced me to use the bedroom as a control room. I also converted the storage room into an isolation booth. (poor man style)

Any tips on treating the control room? Or tips in how I should do the layout? Ideally my computer would be near the wall facing the large tracking room, (due to cable runs through the wall.)

 

[pandamonk]

Well you've convinced me to use the bedroom as a control room. I also converted the storage room into an isolation booth. (poor man style)

Any tips on treating the control room? Or tips in how I should do the layout? Ideally my computer would be near the wall facing the large tracking room, (due to cable runs through the wall.)

It's best that the speakers fire down the longest dimension. You should straddle the corners with 4-6" bass traps(the door is in one corner, but you can treat the ceiling corners instead, as bass is omnidirectional), treat the first reflection points, side and ceiling, and the back wall with 2" panels. This is the minimum i'd recommend, but you could add more, along the side walls, on the ceiling and behind the speakers, for additional absorption.