Looking to buy a house with recording/mixing space. Room spec suggestions for a newb?

A

AdairJones

New member
Hello! I am new to this forum and am not much more than an aspiring bedroom musician about ready to move out from his parent's house. The biggest reason for me to buy a house over renting is so that I can have my own recording/mixing space. I know many people would say to buy a house as a home first and as a studio second, but I pretty much plan to spend most of my time in this recording space so it really is my #1 priority!

Anyway, I am mostly a novice and spend most of my musical time writing wih midi instruments. I want to move to recording vocals and live instruments and am looking to buy a home with the most ideal space as I can for for this endeavor.

It is my understanding that a lot of the acoustic elements can be perfected over time with wall diffusers and such, but I was hoping to receive pro tips for what to look for in an ideal recording/mixing space in a home, as I would be devastated to have put all my eggs in the wrong basket of a home considering I will likely have to be happy with it for the long term.

The two room spec recommendations that I understand are pretty agreed upon are that I would want a rectangle-shaped room with ceilings that are at least 8ft high (the higher the better).

Would a finished basement likely be an ideal space? What types of room sizes or features should I look for and which should i avoid?

I would absolute adore and grovel before any and all advice. Besides feeling anxious about the overwhelming home buying process itself, I would hate for my lack of acoustic experience to lead me down the wrong path regarding the biggest inspiration for buying a home in the first place!

Thank you so very much for your time and help! My hat goes off to anyone who has dedicated their life to perfecting such a praiseworthy craft! I hope to make my own humble contributions. Thanks!
 
My one little tidbit of advice: Don't buy a house with neighbors close by. If that's not practical, then consider setting up a studio in a basement.
 
Do you suggest that because basement studios aren't so hot? Or simply for the privacy reasons as well as less chance of a neighbor's gas powered weed whacked bleeding into my records?

I don't know why I thought basement studios were a good idea. Perhaps I am picturing a full basement because of the larger size and because it is somewhat out of the way from the rest of the house.

Thanks for the reply!
 
I suggest it purely for sound isolation reasons. If you don't have neighbors, then they won't disrupt your recordings and they won't complain when you disrupt their sleep. if you have to live near others, then the basement offers reasonable sound isolation with little extra cost.

In my last house, I built the studio in the basement. The family slept on the third floor and they never heard me recording late at night. It worked well.

If you have to sound proof a studio, it can be considerably expensive.
 
Think BIG!
The wavelength of 30Hz is over 11 metres. Then the RECORDING space will need acoustic treatment, reducing working space.

The Control room will probably need even more treatment and you still have to fill it with gear!

Yes, you really need out of the way and fully detached* complete soundproofing is VERY expensive and also eats mightily into workspace once again.

Safety: Even if this is not going to be a commercial concern you need to ensure the electrical supplies and fittings (in what is likely to be a very old property) are up to local regulations since I suppose you will have mates round to jam?

Read through all the literature you can especially back copies (available online) of Sound on Sound.

Basements are, it is true naturally proofed (if the ceiling is solid) but can be difficult to get and keep damp proofed (more cash!)

* My company was looking for properties a year or so ago. Some people are VERY snotty about having "rock" people next door! And, I find myself watching BBC's "Escape to the Country" and am constantly evaluating the places for a dream stoooodio!
Oh! BTW, avoid farms. If the farmer next door decides to do some MIG welding on a harrow you will do no work THAT day!

Dave.
 
The neighbor thing is definitely a factor. Bass/kicks can walk right through most structures. They won't want nor are they required to put up with it. Figure there's a difference between the occasional occurrence and it becoming routine. That's the line I walk. I've spoke to them about when and how far their comfort range extends.
And if you ever go for hire, from what I understand all it takes is one someone sighting 'commercial endeavor in residential zone- however reasonable or not you might think you were being on your end.

Rooms, as big as you can swing. High ceilings def a plus. I'm getting by with a front and 'dining rooms attached with a nice big doorway open between them. Sorta helps break up some of the rooms box effect a little too.
 
As we're talking ideals, some good things:

-Big room(s) with high ceilings. A peaked ceiling (i.e. not parallel with the floor) is a bonus.

-Irregular, non parallel walls.

-A long way from the neighbours

-Studio space in the back away from street noises. (or otherwise if you have quiet street and noisy neighbours!).

-Nobody/nothing noisy above and below Floors and ceiling are the hardest to isolate and treat.

-Modern mains supply with effective earthing

-No plumbing in walls, ceiling or floor around the studio

I'm sure there's others but dinner's ready. Obviously you'll never find everything already there but these are things to watch for.
 
Well, I was thinking of the "whooshing" noise you get through a pipe when somebody runs a tap, but the possibility of banging or bursting are also things to think about I guess.
 
Thank you, everyone! Such outstanding info! I am absorbing all this and taking notes. I just hope that the buyer's agent I choose has the patience to look at a list of some of these biggest wants when they start slinging prospective homes for me to consider.

It seems like the most reasonable choice would be to look for homes with full, finished basements. It seems like everything else can be worked on and adjusted. Within the basement, I will want high ceilings and a preference for a ceiling that is full. Other than sighting and smelling mold in a basement, does anyone know of any other tricks for detecting a basement dampness problem for when I am actually going through and looking at houses?

I was also thinking that a double garage could act as a studio space, but now I am thinking there are so many more associated factors with them: neighbor proximity, street noise, etc.

Thanks again. This whole process is stressful anyway. I've been saving for a decent down payment for years, and now is the time for me to choose a home that will be ideal for my needs. I greatly appreciate the lending of your experience and expertise. I'm sure I will have more questions in time!
 
I'd rather have an unfinished basement. Then you can build it out to suit yourself. Guess you have to be a DIYer. It isn't difficult, but does take some time and money. Oh, but so worth it to do it yourself.

My current studio is in the garage. I built an office out of half the third-car part. My neighbors are close, but they don't hear me jamming. I only record vocals and acoustic guitars with a mic. The rest stays ITB. The guitar goes through a modeler, the bass and keys are DI'd and the drums are virtual. When I mix, I can crank it and not worry about bothering the family or neighbors. I've asked them several times and they said they never hear anything. Cool.
 
It depends on the basement but, on balance, I'd also probably prefer an unfinished basement because of the extra flexibility you'd have in terms of the finishes on the ceiling and walls. The normal plasterboard everywhere approach is exactly what you don't want and needs to be covered up anyway. You may as well save yourself a few inches in every dimension by not having it there as a starting point. My one concern over MOST basements is that the ceiling can get pretty low when finished.

As an aside, just about the best home studio I ever saw (and it wasn't mine!) was done in a garage. The main structure had an open peaked roof and there was sort of a lean to add on at one end with a sloped roof. The irregular construction and a lot of sympathetic acoustic treatment really sounded good, at least to my ears. Of course, the guy had no near neighbours and spent a fortune on his treatment, ventilation and lighting as well as re-wiring the electrics.
 
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