T
thefauves1
New member
Hi…my wife and I just purchased a 1903 Victorian House and I plan on turning most of the basement into a project studio. I have had a project studio at my last place, for the last several years, but this one will be way larger.
First off, my goals are to record my two bands and other bands that I like and that are my friends. It will also be used as a live rehearsal space. I will not be a professional studio, meaning, while some cash may change hands, I do not need to make a living wage off of it nor do I plan to pursue this course in the future, although, I do spend the majority of my free time recording, playing and what not (my wife and I are both musicians). I am also not interested in making the perfect recording…more songwriting and documenting…influences, indie pop/garage/noise stuff…ie pavement, guided by voices, bright eyes, pedro the lion, etc.
Here is an example of stuff I did in the past: http://telefonics455.com/audio.html
The rooms are sized as follow 26’ x 13’ for the live room. 13’ x 12’ for the control room. 2' x 8’ for a possible vocal booth. There are also two other rooms available for isolation purposes, although those will double as storage areas and one will have a washer and dryer and laundry stuff.
The rooms are concrete on the exterior walls and brick on the interior. The ceiling are a mess…about 8.5’ high to the floor of the first floor, with rafters being about 7’ high, but with pipes running everywhere, in no discernable pattern. A drop ceiling could only feasibly be put in at the ridiculously low height of about 6’. The floor is also concrete. The basement is dry, although there is some mildew on the wall.
My budget is about $1500. I will have more money to spend on it in the future. Time is a premium. I work a full-time job and play in one full-time, one part-time band, plus need to find time to eat and sleep and what not. My friends and band mates have graciously volunteered to help me work on the space, but in reality no major construction will be taking place.
Here is a plan. Please feel free to add/subtract and let me know what’s wrong/right about it.
1. Clean and drylock paint the walls.
2. Place insulation in the ceiling (702 was recommend to me), silver side down.
3. Place carpeting on the floor.
4. Acoustic foam hanging on halls…(this is where I need the most advice, like where how much, etc). I plan on sticking some directly to the cement and some in wood frames. I plan on purchasing this from foambymail.com unless someone convinces me otherwise.
Unfortunately placing a window between the control room and live room would require knocking down a brick wall (ain’t happening), so a talk back mic will have to do here.
Also, a question about my vocal booth, there is no door on the spot that I selected…it is kind of an open closet. Will a heavy blanket/curtain work for a door (I know it is not ideal)? In my last space, I used to hang blankets from the rafters and make kind of like a vocal tent.
Thanks everyone in advance for your comments.
First off, my goals are to record my two bands and other bands that I like and that are my friends. It will also be used as a live rehearsal space. I will not be a professional studio, meaning, while some cash may change hands, I do not need to make a living wage off of it nor do I plan to pursue this course in the future, although, I do spend the majority of my free time recording, playing and what not (my wife and I are both musicians). I am also not interested in making the perfect recording…more songwriting and documenting…influences, indie pop/garage/noise stuff…ie pavement, guided by voices, bright eyes, pedro the lion, etc.
Here is an example of stuff I did in the past: http://telefonics455.com/audio.html
The rooms are sized as follow 26’ x 13’ for the live room. 13’ x 12’ for the control room. 2' x 8’ for a possible vocal booth. There are also two other rooms available for isolation purposes, although those will double as storage areas and one will have a washer and dryer and laundry stuff.
The rooms are concrete on the exterior walls and brick on the interior. The ceiling are a mess…about 8.5’ high to the floor of the first floor, with rafters being about 7’ high, but with pipes running everywhere, in no discernable pattern. A drop ceiling could only feasibly be put in at the ridiculously low height of about 6’. The floor is also concrete. The basement is dry, although there is some mildew on the wall.
My budget is about $1500. I will have more money to spend on it in the future. Time is a premium. I work a full-time job and play in one full-time, one part-time band, plus need to find time to eat and sleep and what not. My friends and band mates have graciously volunteered to help me work on the space, but in reality no major construction will be taking place.
Here is a plan. Please feel free to add/subtract and let me know what’s wrong/right about it.
1. Clean and drylock paint the walls.
2. Place insulation in the ceiling (702 was recommend to me), silver side down.
3. Place carpeting on the floor.
4. Acoustic foam hanging on halls…(this is where I need the most advice, like where how much, etc). I plan on sticking some directly to the cement and some in wood frames. I plan on purchasing this from foambymail.com unless someone convinces me otherwise.
Unfortunately placing a window between the control room and live room would require knocking down a brick wall (ain’t happening), so a talk back mic will have to do here.
Also, a question about my vocal booth, there is no door on the spot that I selected…it is kind of an open closet. Will a heavy blanket/curtain work for a door (I know it is not ideal)? In my last space, I used to hang blankets from the rafters and make kind of like a vocal tent.
Thanks everyone in advance for your comments.
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