buying a pre-built building to finish as a home studio

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Chipster

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Hey folks,
After having our small home studio in a bedroom, which was 11ft. x 12ft. and could never get sounding quite right, not to mention feeling rather small with all the equipment inside it, we moved it in to the bonus room above our garage. It is a 13.5ft. x26ft. room and we have got it where it sounds quite good and translates rather well. However the ceiling is pitched, and being blind, every time I bend over to close to the wall I'm banging the hell out of my head. I know ... it sounds funny, but believe me I'm tired of having scraped and scabbed places on my head. Of course, some of you are going to say, "Well... don't do that." Funny comments aside. My wife and I have decided to buy a pre-built building to place in the yard and finish it out. So here's my question, is there a room size that is better than another to treat in regard to width to length ratio? Our budget would allow us to purchase a maximum size of a 12x36 or 14x28 building and still have enough left in the budget to finish the inside build out. Although, there's no reason to buy the largest just because we can if a different configuration would serve us better. Currently we use the studio for recording backing tracks for my single act, and my wife uses it for recording audio books. There are two desk, one for my setup and one for hers. I have a keyboard stand with 3 keyboards on it, my guitars, and an electronic drum kit. We've been kind of thinking with the 12'x36' we could create two rooms, one for my work, and a room for hers. However, we have grown fond of the open feel our current room has, and since we rarely have any issues with scheduling our studio time around each other, we are leaning more towards the 14ft. wide. Does anyone have any thoughts, opinions suggestions, or actual real world facts that would support one size or configuration over the other?
 
The 14 by 28 is a good size room.
You don't need to divide up either room, having an electronic kit.
I drew up plans for a similar area of room, but don't know if I'll ever afford it.
My conclusion was that a big squareish area was better than a long slim coridor.
 
What is the building made of? Pre-fabs are often light weight so I assume you're building a separate room inside? If so, just build the walls with angled walls so you avoid parallel surfaces - it makes it sound much tighter and bigger. 95 or 85 degrees seems enough to break the reflections. My studios all have this feature and few people even notice it's not square.
 
FlyingAce has a whole thread on his studio building using a prebuilt affair. His was 10x12ft. Its got a console, plus a full 16track tape deck.

Here's the thread:

flyingace

Thread 'My studio build'

So I started this project last April when I ordered a 10x12’ building to finish out into a studio in our backyard. In august the company had failed for over a month to deliver it, and refunded my money. I ordered a building from EZPortableBuildings out of Kentucky. It was delivered in November. Electric finally went in January and the past few days we got the insulation, ceiling and lighting in. Next the walls go up, Mini Split HVAC and floor. Can’t wait to get it wired up. I’ll continue posting pics as I get it completed.
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spantini said:
Here's some reading on the subject :

www.soundassured.com

The Best Room Shape for a Recording Studio: Learn About Room Shapes an

Do you want to start a recording studio but don't know what room shape to use? Do you have a small space and don't know if it's big enough for a recording studio? In this blog post, we will discuss the best room shapes and sizes for recording studios. We will also provide tips on how to make the...
www.soundassured.com www.soundassured.com
Click to expand...
Oh wow, great stuff right there. thanks for that. answers a lot of my questions.
 
rob aylestone said:
What is the building made of? Pre-fabs are often light weight so I assume you're building a separate room inside? If so, just build the walls with angled walls so you avoid parallel surfaces - it makes it sound much tighter and bigger. 95 or 85 degrees seems enough to break the reflections. My studios all have this feature and few people even notice it's not square.
Click to expand...
The building is a wooden building of course. The siding is LP Smart Side with 2x4 studs on 16oc. I upgraded the flooring package from the normal 5/8 with 16oc joist to a 3/4" with 12"oc joist. I'm also opting for the architectural shingles instead of a metal roof. I'm very lucky in a couple of ways. My next door neighbor is an electrician and out of town a lot. His wife and daughter often dines with my wife and me, and we are always taking over dinner for them when he's at home. He's going to wire the building for me. I buy the materials and he'll wire it for a case of beer. You can't beat that. The neighbor on the other side of him happens to be a commercial drywaller and will help me finish the walls for 2 slaps of my smoke ribs. Again... you can't beat that either. I'm planning to install acoustical drop-in ceiling unless I read some reason I should not. What are your thoughts?
 
Hi
rob aylestone said:
What is the building made of? Pre-fabs are often light weight so I assume you're building a separate room inside? If so, just build the walls with angled walls so you avoid parallel surfaces - it makes it sound much tighter and bigger. 95 or 85 degrees seems enough to break the reflections. My studios all have this feature and few people even notice it's not square.
Click to expand...
Rob, I get it and that sound advice, no pun intended. Should the walls slant in to the listening position or out? I would think in, but I'm not sure. To clarify, If the side walls at the corners of my listening position are 13ft. 8in. then at the back of the room they should be something like 13ft. 2in. Is that what you are saying? Also, does this apply to the vertical as well?
 
In the current audio studio here i built it is a rotten space, longe but not wide, so the 30ft length is pulled in half way down, so it is slightly less across the middle, but only about 4”. I actually had to do this because of a brick pillar on one side. I actually cheated. I built all the timber framing and kicked in and out, till i was happy. Ive done this a few times on projects now, and works well. One was built with the plasterboard on, in sections, and i was able to actually play music in it, then adjust. That was a real faff, but convinced me just a small adjustment in angles made a big difference.
 
Slouching Raymond said:
The 14 by 28 is a good size room.
You don't need to divide up either room, having an electronic kit.
I drew up plans for a similar area of room, but don't know if I'll ever afford it.
My conclusion was that a big squareish area was better than a long slim coridor.
Click to expand...
Let me ask you, why 14х28 is better, than 14x27, or 13x26 ? What kind of criteria do you evaluate to get the right choice? To my opinion, "a good room size" corresponds to these, which ensure a maximum number of stereo system position (with the point of control listening) among all possible points, where FR has minimum deviations in LF range. And this issue relates to the same low frequency sources and stereo distance between them, which can be varied too. To get these "acoustical room dimensions" you need to simulate the issue by REW, or CaraCAD or any good simulator. Of course, it may to use EQ or DSP for this aim for any set of room dimensions, however no need to say, that such a set is "good".
 

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Unfortunately, these data are not very informative. The room's response to low frequencies is determined not only (and not so much) by the modal distribution, but also by other things: comb filtering, absorption, and the position of the source-listener system. The coincidence of modes or deep dips in the frequency response itself is not a death sentence.
 
basscleaner said:
Let me ask you, why 14х28 is better, than 14x27, or 13x26 ? What kind of criteria do you evaluate to get the right choice? To my opinion, "a good room size" corresponds to these, which ensure a maximum number of stereo system position (with the point of control listening) among all possible points, where FR has minimum deviations in LF range. And this issue relates to the same low frequency sources and stereo distance between them, which can be varied too. To get these "acoustical room dimensions" you need to simulate the issue by REW, or CaraCAD or any good simulator. Of course, it may to use EQ or DSP for this aim for any set of room dimensions, however no need to say, that such a set is "good".
Click to expand...
I do not have a 'nice room'. I wish I did.
Take a look at the 'Show us your studio' thread, to see people's spaces.
I have a drum room 2m by 2.8m, pretty much full of drums, although you can sidle down one side.
I have a second room 2m by 2m, with monitors and recording kit. I have a lot squeezed in there, including 3 keyboards.
It is hard to swing a cat in there. I have to take stuff out to have space for acoustic recording.
A double garage to convert into a studio would be a luxury.
Never mind dBs or reflections, that can all be fixed.
You need to arrange all your stuff, and be able to get round the back of things.
If you have a bunch of musicians over, they all need space, and to be able to see each other, without being up against walls.
That is why I suggest a big squarish room.
 
Chipster said:
Oh wow, great stuff right there. thanks for that. answers a lot of my questions.
Click to expand...
Speaking about "the best room size" you belong to the people, who don't know much about acoustics. We have principal contradiction between any proportions and room response for low frequencies at all. The contradiction is already contained in that proportion is relative term, but any room reaction is absolute. In particular this relates to modal frequencies distribution in any room volume. This is a cause why you can't in symmetric room for symmetric two sources position to get the FR by addition for only one of them. Now, nevertheless, the existence of so-called Room Acoustical Dimensions to be proved and is shown, that this is strict relative term, depending from initial room dimensions, power point coordinates of low frequencies source(s), room shape, furniture, surfaces treatment, but listening point. A deep meaning of the result is that the room dimensions and shape must be friends with LF source(s) in the point of view FR distortions (deviations from target function, depending from the aim of room use). So, customer will be faced with the choice: to use many LF sources with EQ or DSP technique or to use 2.1 system (front speakers and sub) with the possibility to correct your room dimensions and shape. Both methods have your own advantages and disadvantages even in budget cost. That's why to speak about "the best room dimensions" is absolutely not correct. To speak about the best room shape we can only in sense of mid and high frequencies, no more.
 
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