Project/home studio from scratch

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peteuk90

New member
Hi there,

I am building a studio in my back garden!! It is basically 2 rooms. A live room and a mixing room. My real concern is in the mixing room. I have read the forums and understand that hearing the mix properly is VERY important. I have recorded stuff in my bedroom and thought it sounded great, as soon as I got in my car it sounded flawed to say the least... acoustics, bass traps etc

Getting back to my studio, the mixing room is very small. probably 3 metres width by 2 metres depth. (It has to be because of the building. How would you control the sound???

I have no in depth knowledge of bass traps and reflections etc... could some give me "lay mans" tips for this please. The guys who know blind me with science, I totally understand they have studied it and seriously applaud them it's just I am after guidlines and then I will try my trial and error way.

Sorry for you guys who are in the know. I really am in awe of you. (please be gentle with me!!)
 
peteuk90 said:
Getting back to my studio, the mixing room is very small. probably 3 metres width by 2 metres depth. (It has to be because of the building. How would you control the sound???

Sorry for you guys who are in the know. I really am in awe of you. (please be gentle with me!!)
Click to expand...

That's just way too small. Is this an existing building? If so, knock down the wall between the rooms. If not, redesign it.

Post a sketch of the floorplan.
 
What's your budget? What are you actually wanting to know? Sound insulation? Acoustics? I'm building something very similar in size, and I've read a lot about it, so i could try and help.
 
mshilarious said:
That's just way too small. Is this an existing building? If so, knock down the wall between the rooms. If not, redesign it.

Post a sketch of the floorplan.
Click to expand...
If the room is made completely dead, is it still too small?
 
No, but you can't practically make a room that small "completely dead." The amount of bass trapping required would probably fill the whole room... and then some.
 
bleyrad said:
No, but you can't practically make a room that small "completely dead." The amount of bass trapping required would probably fill the whole room... and then some.
Click to expand...
Not planning on bass traps, planning on 4" material covered insulation(rockwool, knauf, whatever) covering all walls and ceiling
 
If you're not planning on bass traps, then you'll have bass problems.
4" material helps a bit, but still doesn't go low enough.

The problems with a room that small:
1) You have to make it completely dead to be useful
2) You can't realistically make it completely dead when you take into account bass frequencies.


The additional problem with #1 is that a totally dead room will always be an awkward room for mixing. Some liveness is a good thing... but in that small of a room, it will always sound bad.
 
What about 4" that has around 1.00 at all levels in the coefficient chart? What about haveing 6" in the corners?
 
Yeah... what is "all levels" though? Usually they stop measuring at 125Hz or higher. Doesn't tell you anything about what is going on below that. The absorption drops off very quickly.

In reality, you could probably get away with it. Will it sound good, probably not, and it'll take a lot of getting used to listening in such a dead room. But maybe it's good enough for your purposes, and more importantly, maybe it's an improvement over what you're doing now.
 
Thanks guys,

The first post had me really worried but again with this forum, people come up with practical solutions. I have a limited budget, not skint but still have to watch the pennies. (or cents!!) I just ned to know what todo.. is ita case of making sure the walls are covered in absorbent materials? How do you make a bass trap? Why do you need one? Any info gratefully recieved.
 
I want it to sound better. Insulated isn't a problem as such as away from the neighbours. Just so, I can mix and it sounds decent on another stereo/car cd etc
 
Ok, well like i discussed with bleyrad earlier, it seems you can't get a good sound with a room that size. The best thing to do is completely dead it, and what you will need for this is lots and lots of 4-6" dense,compressed rigid/semi-rigid insulation, and lots of material. Go for something like rockwool, knauf, IsoWool, 703 etc. What this does is absorb the sound so there are no, or very little reflections. Reflections are ok in a bigger rooms, think a cathedral(all echoy), but in smaller rooms they are bad news. The insulation should do a good job at aborbing, but aren't good to breathe in the fibers, think a loft, and this is why you use material. Build a frame with 2' gaps between wooden joists on walls and ceiling. and fill the gaps with the insulation. When that is all done, staple/ nail material over it. and there you go, a relatively dead room. It takes a lot of getting used to though.
 
ohh and bleyrad, what if i put timber slats with alternating gaps creating a helmholtz effect? And peteuk90 have a look at this site.
 
I am after guidlines and then I will try my trial and error way.
Click to expand...
Trial and error? Why do you need guidlines then? :confused: How would you know if your trial was an error or not? :confused: And how much of your budget can you afford to lose per error? :confused:
fitZ
 
ohh and bleyrad, what if i put timber slats with alternating gaps creating a helmholtz effect?
Click to expand...
Where? Studio? Control room? Booth? Slats create reflections as well as mid/low frequency broadband absorption via the alternating gaps of various widths and a wall stud cavity depth chamber. From my understanding, a true hemholtz absorber is a narrow band "tuned" device aimed at a problem frequency, and can absorb much lower frequency than a typical wall depth slat absorber. Also, absorption as measured in Sabines is relative to the percentage of open slat area of the face. At least if I understand this correctly. Which seems to suggest that used in the wrong places, could actually create more problems, such as early reflections from sidewalls adjacent to an engineering position. But thats my personal observation. And not to say anything negative. Frankly, I think they look great, and if they're good enouch for John Sayers, thats good enough for me. :D I plan on doing the same in my one room studio. Here is a longitudinal section/ elevation of my current design. This is based on an a modified LEDE
concept. The front part of the room is fabric coverd 4" 703, with a "cloud/louver adjustable "slat absorber"/lighting module. The rear sidewalls are slat absorbers. The raised cieling area in ther rear is a bass trap/diffuser and the rear wall is a soffeted tape machine closet for 2- 16 trk decks and a mastering deck. Absorbers are above and at the ends of this closet. Anyway, take a look. This is by NO MEANS the a finished design. :D

fitZ
 

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Pete,

> I have no in depth knowledge of bass traps and reflections etc... could some give me "lay mans" tips for this please. <

Start here:

www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

It's a fair amount to read, but when you're done you'll know a lot more about how to treat a room - and why.

--Ethan
 
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