Design/Lay-out Input

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael Jones
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Michael Jones

Michael Jones

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This is all kind of "pipe dream, pie in the sky" stuff right now, but I'd like to get some input on the lay-out of this commerical facility.
It's about 2,000 sq. ft. total
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Here's the first one:
 

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and here's the second one:
 

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and here's the over-all:
 

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Hi Michael - The idea looks great! My only question is: Do you need two studios plus a surround mixing room and a lounge?

Why not make an "A" studio with a control room and a large live room. And a "B" room with a smaller live room but a control room that can also handle the surround stuff?

Lounges are over rated ... engineers never get to use them. ;)

Cheers
Kevin.
 
I agree with longsought. Here is my take on your design. Not that yours is bad!
 

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My first thought was, wouldn't it be better to have different sized/shaped studio A/B tracking and control rooms?

This way you at least have rooms that sound different...and two different studios to accommodate different needs.

Also, I've always thought that facilities that contain two studios would have to soundproof substantially more just to prevent leakage between tracking rooms - especially if they share a wall. Think about tracking drums in both rooms simultaneously... ;)
 
Dolemite, you beat me to it......lol. I have to agree that two totally different recording environments would be better than two which are virtually identical.

Also, give consideration to being able to load gear into the tracking areas without having to go through the entry/reception area.

:cool:
 
Beezoboy said:
I agree with longsought. Here is my take on your design. Not that yours is bad!
Click to expand...
Yeah, thats not bad. I do like the big tracking room you laid out. That's totally cool!

The first thing I was considering was ease of construction. If the facility is symeterical about the center of the building, it's easier to build. I wonder if studio construction is something your average joe carpenter can handle? I mean, I can just hear him: "None of your walls are square!" To which I would answer "So, none of your's have ever been either!"

I do think there needs to be some separation between the 2 tracking rooms, but I can handle revising that.
Also you deleted my kitchen! Where am I going to make my coffee at? LOL
I think the storage room is too big, maybe that could be another office. and you can't move the mechanical room, it's there and can't be moved. (not without considerable expense anyway.)

It would be nice to have another entry for equipment, and stuff, but it can't be on the sides, this is not a free-standing building, its a space inside of an office/commericial complex. Maybe one at the rear. (musicians are used to using the back door anyway right!)

Thanks all for the suggestions and input. I'll post a revision soon.
 
I don't like how you would have to run through the kitchen to take a crap. I would suggest moving the kitchen and bathroom side to side horizontally rather than vertically so you have equal axess to both. I would also suggest some how squeezing in another because if you really had to go you qould be trippin all over cables and knockin over mics to get to it.
 
the design looks really cool to me, although I wondered if the layout is as functional as it looks... Those corner control rooms look like they are small spaces, and may need a batch of acoustic treatment to make sound good. It seems like a 50x40 facility Should have some larger spaces than most project studios, unless that's what your aiming for. I estimated the control rooms at only about 800 sq ft (w/ 8 foot ceilings) Whether or not you subscribe to the BBC's reports, they recommend 1500Sq' as a minimum for a usable acoustic recording space. ( I'll open the boards to responses about the real world validity of that.. )

I liked the revised studio better.

What about making the "main" control room on the left bigger and having the live room be a shared room for both control rooms Move one iso booth nearer to the 2nd control room so that it would have better visual contact with the 2nd control room, and then, feasibly, either control room could use the live room while the other uses it's respective iso booth. Assuming they are well isolated..

My .02 :-)
 
not being sarcastic, I'd make one nice studio, and raise the rates...especially if you think you are going to be dbl booked alot of the times. Seems like it could get a bit crowded with two rooms going at the same time too.
 
How about making that room I labeled with a question mark a place for your coffee pot?? :) I was going to explain my idea a little more to you yesterday but I was tired. The ISO room is now available for both studios. I mean what are the chances of having two bands with singers recording vocals on the exact same day at the exact same time? And maybe that place next to the bathroom could be the lounge too?? I would personally want it to be as far away as possible from my studio. That way you can have the secratary "babysit" your clients instead of you. Anyway, I actually spent about an hour and a half trying different things and that was the best I was able to do. I really would like to see a closet for both control rooms too.

As far as the "average Joe Carpenter" being able to construct your studio, here is what I think:

Whats the difference between a studio and a house?

--Double walls, drop ceiling, floating floor, insane wiring? Hmmm...an experienced carpenter should have worked with all but double walls and the crazy wires. I think double walls are actually easier because he won't have to worry about load bearing structures as much. I think JOE carpenter should be fine. I would suggest hiring one who will really sit down and listen to all the reasons why he is doing all the crazy things though. I mean what goes in a studio seems like overkill if all you have ever done is built regular homes.

As far as wiring goes, I would think about calling a sound company to do it for you, or get a really top notch electrician. Make sure he is state certified too. He'll understand everything you are asking him to do in either case.

I am looking at building my studio soon too, and lucky for me it is me and my father and neighbor. Between the 2 there is 60 years of carpentry experience and my neighboor does wonderful woodworking too. And I am slowly learning all of this. I can't wait to build. Hopefully mine will start this summer. It will be 36x20.

Michael, that is going to be one awesome studio. And judging from what I have heard from your work on here, it will be very successful too. I'll be looking for the next revision.

Beezoboy
 
Beezoboy, thanks for all of your input and suggestions. There are some fantastic ideas flying around here just in this thread alone!
I'm still crunching numbers to try and make this thing fly. I have about $60,000 worth of equipment right now. (of course $35-$38,000 of that is in a grand piano) But just my initial thoughts are that it's going to take at least another $60,000 - $75,000 just to get it up and running.
I'm working out a detailed business plan right now to take to a leander. We'll see how it goes from there. I have colateral, and equity, but... oh... so many things to consider.
I wish I could find a similar space, in the same area, for 1/2 as much as this one!:p
 
The problem I see is the control room access. It's really annoying when you have to walk through a studio to get to the control room. my 2cents

cheers
john
 
John Sayers said:
The problem I see is the control room access. It's really annoying when you have to walk through a studio to get to the control room. my 2cents

cheers
john
Click to expand...

Not as much as running through te kitchen to get to the crapper!!!

Not picking on you Michael, just saying that is a problem.
 
Michael,

I don't have the time or inclination to "play" with cad/plan drawing, so just run with me on this suggestion:)

Have an entry foyer with your main reception/office/coffee area door straight in from the front doors........on one side or the other of the foyer, another door which leads to a corridor running right down the side of the building........this corridor can be used for access to all tracking and control rooms without having to walk thru the reception/office.........ALSO the corridor void will help isolate sound on that side of the building. Toilets could possibly be placed on the opposite side of the foyer area.

:cool:
 
Man screw cad!! I used windows paint for mine. :)

Beezoboy
 
Also remember that if it is to be a commercial facility some clients wish to keep their product secret and in some cases who they are secret. So have a separate entrance to each studio.

cheers
John
 
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