building a new studio

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0hz

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Hi

I'm thinking about building an extension on the house to provide space for a studio. I just measured up and I think the size will be
end up around 14'6" x 10' but I might want to put a washroom in which would reduce the 14'6" buy a few feet. Is this enough for a home studio project, mainly used for creating electronica and hip hop, also to put in a vocal booth.
Also is it best to make a completely rectanglular shape or would it be ok to make say an L shape.

Just how soundproof is it possible to make it using the right building materials.

Cheers

0hz
 
Now thats what I call a good link, many many thanks I've spent ages trying to find some good info. I also just started looking at http://www.johnlsayers.com and was very impressed.

I will be doin a lot of reading !
 
You can have an extra 23 dB of reduction when using the same materials in the proper way, as you can see here: http://www.recording.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=34;t=000736

Do as much research as you can before you start building your studio.

There's an great deal of valuable info about constructing soundproof studios on the web, you only have to search and ask for in the right places.

There are heavy weight professionals there who are happy to help you.

One of the best forums about acoustics and studio construction is at RO (recording.org) go to Ethan Winer's forum and ask ask ask!

Succes!
 
Cheers Blue,
I love your studio. I'm looking at my project as starting point, did you have a studio before?

Thanx
 
Han thanks for the info I've have just registered at RO.

cheers

0hz
 
0hz said:
Cheers Blue,
I love your studio. I'm looking at my project as starting point, did you have a studio before?

Thanx
Thanks!

I'm not sure I understand your question, though....
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Thanks!

I'm not sure I understand your question, though....
He means (I think) Is this your first studio, or did you have one before the one your in now. :cool:
 
Yep thats what I mean. Just wondered if you started out from a bedroom or small studio to the one you have now.

cheers

0hz
 
Ah... silly me - should've figured...!

I started from a much smaller post-production-type place (a couple of rooms in my house with sound treatment)... wasn't too useful for tracking except for voice-overs, the odd vocal, and or DI parts.
 
Re: Ah... silly me - should've figured...!

Blue Bear Sound said:
I started from a much smaller post-production-type place (a couple of rooms in my house with sound treatment

isn't that what you have now?? ...a couple rooms in your house with sound treatment??

On this subject...kinda....

It baffles me how sometimes people think they need the worlds best environment to record in to get good final results. Especially with close mic'ing, so much of the room[sound] is negated that acoustical treatments don't really play into things that much. I could site several examples of high end situations that would reinforce this idea....control room only style studios...recording outside, etc... Also, I think many home recordists can take their "bad" areas and just use them to their advantages....kinda like with mics. Just a little creativity needs to happen.

John DID design you a nice place however. Looks comfy, for sure....
 
quote mixmkr

isn't that what you have now?? ...a couple rooms in your house with sound treatment??

I wouldn't say the you could call it that, I would expect that although technically correct there is more to it, creating an enviroment where people feel comfortable and happy would hopefully gain maximum potential for the people using it.
I have a dream to build a studio in a place where people could come and enjoy the experience and remoteness of the location. Yes technically it would be rooms with treatment, I guess if its remote enough it wouldn't need much treatment !, ah but thats a long way off.

Anyone know any unusual places where studios have been built ?
 
>>>Anyone know any unusual places where studios have been built ?>>>

in a small 'sleepy' town, about 100 miles south of me, there is an area of about 6 city blocks, where just about EVERY house has been converted into a studio. You walk into their living rooms, and many of them have been gorgeously transformed into "beautiful" tracking rooms with control rooms viewing in thru the bedroom walls that have long gone and have been replaced with large windows. They even call it Music Row and have gone as far as constructing new buildings on the corners of the blocks, naming the buildings after TV sets...like Sony, etc. On the outskirts of such said city, there are literally hundreds of home studios that have that "magic" look once you walk thru their front doors. ....and they even have basements that aren't converted...they did it all UPSTAIRS!!

Some of the nicest ones ARE in the remote areas, surrounding the city, located on nice farms, with enough parking for a couple tour busses or three. They might even boast a couple of Studers or even a SSL.... and all in your living room! Shit, one of them even calls itself the "Castle"! One is also in the [Sound] Kitchen...and they have about 4 studios in that complex!!

oh...I live up north in Kentucky... this is just south of me down the road a peace.
 
0hz said:
quote mixmkr

isn't that what you have now?? ...a couple rooms in your house with sound treatment??

I wouldn't say the you could call it that, I would expect that although technically correct there is more to it, creating an enviroment where people feel comfortable and happy would hopefully gain maximum potential for the people using it.
Aren't you lucky for someone quoting you, mixmkr? Otherwise I might've not seen this "gem" of a comment of yours, since you're on my ignore list..... :rolleyes:

I'll clarify for Ohz's sake... what I had before were treated rooms in a house. What I have now is an acoustically-correct, sound-proof, fully-functioning studio suitable for all facets of commercial recording from tracking to mixing & post-production. I have 3 different ambient environments for recording - one dark/dry, one bright/live, the other neutral, plus a very comfortably-sized & good-sounding control room - in all about 900 sq ft of space. On top of that, it has a very attractive look & feel that clients so far LOVE to work in.

Goddamn, why isn't there a "big fuckin' yikes" emoticon!!!!!!! Anyways.... if this fuck-head (mixmkr) feels Blue Bear Sound can be summed-up as "...a couple rooms in your house with sound treatment??" then he's really even more of an idiot than I imagined (and I can imagine quite a bit....)

PS - and if you plan on responding, mixmkr - I suggest you get someone to quote you again, because otherwise I won't see it, moron... :rolleyes:
 
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Take a hike blue bear... you're just a punk kid with a $2000 mixing board in their basement like 250,000 other people with the same league stuff. Somehow you think I'm riding your ass, but if you read my comments in this thread, you MIGHT see I said NOTHING derogatory against your setup OR YOU...up until now. Rather, I thought my last sentence in my previous post was fairly obvious to be a nice compliment.... "John DID design you a nice place however. Looks comfy, for sure...." That statement ruff your neck hairs too??

Your abilities to read between the lines are your best ones...certainly not a [self proclaimed]professional attitude that attracts people to your basement tracking empire.

Instead, you come off as some screwball, pompous 35 year old wannabee that thinks he's been around the block more than everyone else. Wake up and realize your abilities and equipment are average. And yeah...I'll sum up your "studio" as a couple of rooms in your house. That seems to be the "culprit statement" that you take offence to. Why would I assume it is more? Isn't that what it is? Did you build an addition or a separate facility?...or even buy or lease a place? I don't think so. It is like MOST everyone else's facility here..... a couple of rooms in their house whether you bought plans or not.

For some reason, you like to make an argument out of nothing, cuss out people, and then proudly announce your intent to ignore them. If you think I slandered you in my recent posts, you need a remedial course in the English language.

oh...your recent sound clips... sure..they were good...but great, I don't think so. You might consider re-doing your vocal tracks as they sounded analogous to singing into a lousy microphone off axis. Some pretty strange vocal sounds in my opinion. Certainly not very natural nor "pop" sounding. But, I guess your ears think it's pro. I happen to disagree. But, since you are one of the "resident pros", I surely must be wrong. But, I just happen to trust my ears more than yours....even if they only have 20 years more experience than yours and a musical education and professional career to back it up.
 
[IGNORE OFF]

mixmkr said:
oh...your recent sound clips... sure..they were good...but great, I don't think so. You might consider re-doing your vocal tracks as they sounded analogous to singing into a lousy microphone off axis.
Hey shit-for-brains... do you even HAVE a clue???? Those are client tracks, not me you dim-witted dolt... (the point being - that's how their vocalist sings, and that's what I captured).... and in any case, did I ever once say I was fucking Al Schmitt?????? :rolleyes:


mixmkr said:
But, I just happen to trust my ears more than yours....even if they only have 20 years more experience than yours and a musical education and professional career to back it up.
I'll put my ears up against yours anytime -- are you still using the same ears that were really impressed with my "mastering" job that rescued your oh-so-mundane train-song mix a few years back? You are so full of shit your eyes are fucking brown, you cretin.......

I don't know what your fucking problem is or what precipated all this, but your opinion about me, my studio, or anything else is about as relevant to me as Father Time is..... which is to say less than nothing.... so thanks for sharing, and please - go fuck yourself - several times..... :rolleyes:


[IGNORE ON]
 
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Blue Bear Sound said:
[IGNORE OFF]

Hey shit-for-brains... do you even HAVE a clue???? Those are client tracks, not me you dim-witted dolt... and in any case, did I ever once say I was fucking Al Schmitt?????? :rolleyes:


I'll put my ears up against yours anytime -- are you still using the same ears that were really impressed with my "mastering" job that rescued your oh-so-mundane train-song mix a few years back? You are so full of shit your eyes are fucking brown, you cretin.......

I don't know what your fucking problem is or what precipated all this, but your opinion about me, my studio, or anything else is about as relevant to me as Father Time is..... which is to say less than nothing.... so thanks for sharing, and please - go fuck yourself - several times..... :rolleyes:


[IGNORE ON]

Spoken like a true professional. ...and you even have to blame it on your client!

And yes...those are the same ears that recorded the train song. I'll own up to that....not your 'mastered version' however. Everyone has a "normalize button" in their software.....or maybe even the Waves package. "Rescued mix".... I don't think so.
 
Re: Re: Ah... silly me - should've figured...!

Mixmkr,

> It baffles me how sometimes people think they need the worlds best environment to record in to get good final results. Especially with close mic'ing, so much of the room[sound] is negated <

Recording and mixing are very different, and acoustic treatment can help both quite a bit. You are correct that close miking can reduce the contribution of room ambience. But it does not solve the severe peaks and dips at low frequencies caused by acoustic interference. And, of course, it's difficult to get a good sound on a string section or other orchestra instruments that way.

In a control room acoustic treatment is even more important, because that's the last chance you have to get the balance and EQ correct. Especially at low frequencies which are the most difficult to judge in an untreated room. Without good bass traps all rooms have a series of many peaks and nulls, and variations of 15 or more dB are typical. Adding proper acoustic treatment also improves clarity at low frequencies so you can better hear the individual notes played by bass instruments.

--Ethan
 
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