Home studio in my new apartment

[Glitch]

Hello everyone!
I'm going to be moving into a new apartment after new year's and I'm excited to finally have a dedicated studio room (as opposed to a desk in the living room). Since I have not really built a studio before I thought I'd ask for some guidance from the experienced and knowledgeable people on this forum. I've attached the floor plan and as you can see I have three rooms to choose from, disregarding the kitchen (K= kitchen).
The first question I have is; what room would you choose? Personally, I am leaning towards the bottom right room. It is bigger than the top left one and it has a door (the bottom left one does not have a door). Does the shape of the room make any difference in this case, considering they are more or less the same shape? I should note as well that I'm on the top floor.
My second question would be around windows and desk placement. Should my speakers travel the sound along the length of the room or the width? And should I place my desk in the middle of a wall or closer to a corner? Do windows matter?
One last thing which might be important, and that I won't have any control over, is my neighbours. Right now I'm not sure what rooms my rooms are neighbouring. In other words, I'd probably rather have my studio next to my neighbours bedroom than their living room or kitchen. Of course I won't know which of my rooms is the quietest before I move in.
Any help to any of my questions will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[chronicle]

I'm going to be moving into a new apartment after new year's and I'm excited to finally have a dedicated studio room (as opposed to a desk in the living room). Since I have not really built a studio before I thought I'd ask for some guidance from the experienced and knowledgeable people on this forum. I've attached the floor plan and as you can see I have three rooms to choose from, disregarding the kitchen (K= kitchen).

The word APARTMENT brings this to mind...





Best advice...reconsider.



Hello glitch. Well, I hate to rain on any ones parade, but given the lightweight construction typically found in apartment structures, I believe you are heading towards frustration. However, I'll try to answer your questions.

The first question I have is; what room would you choose? Personally, I am leaning towards the bottom right room. It is bigger than the top left one and it has a door (the bottom left one does not have a door)

By all means, choose the one with a door. ( btw.. no door?? ummm, how does one use a room that he can't get into????)

Does the shape of the room make any difference in this case, considering they are more or less the same shape?

If you mean "dimensions" as "shape"..absolutely. Are you familiar with the term "room modes"? If not, they refer to a set of "resonances" which form in relationship to wavelengths of sound that match the dimension between two opposing boundaries. All three dimensions of every room define which modes are predominant. So yes, the shape determines the frequency of the resonances.

I should note as well that I'm on the top floor.

Did I mention...worse? More on that later.

My second question would be around windows and desk placement. Should my speakers travel the sound along the length of the room or the width? And should I place my desk in the middle of a wall or closer to a corner? Do windows matter?

1. Length
2. Place your monitoring position on the centerline of the width of the room.
3. Windows? In what regard?

One last thing which might be important, and that I won't have any control over, is my neighbours. Right now I'm not sure what rooms my rooms are neighbouring. In other words, I'd probably rather have my studio next to my neighbours bedroom than their living room or kitchen.

umm, why? Sound transmission through apartment walls works BOTH ways. Given most HR people work during the day and enjoy their recording in the evening/night, I would submit you do NOT want to wake your neighbors..at least more than once. However, only you know what's best in that regard. However, in sonic terms, I'd choose the larger room.

Of course I won't know which of my rooms is the quietest before I move in.

Yes, that is a consideration. However, like I said, sound transmission works both ways.

Frankly Chris, unless this is a high end apartment built with sound transmission between adjacent apartments in mind, recording in an apartment can be a lesson in hindsight. Typical apartments are not built to suppress sound transmission. My first suggestion would be to stand in the apartment prior to moving in and LISTEN. Then ask a neighbor if they've had any problems with sound from a prior neighbor, and or ask them to listen if they can hear you talking in a normal voice. If you can hear them, or they can hear you, I would highly recommend seeking an alternative. Decoupling you monitors from the floor notwithstanding, there is very little one can do in an apartment to beef up the mass required to even slightly reduce the amount of transmission. ESPECIALLY..on a TOP floor, as low frequencies can easily reach lower apartments by virtue of structural transmission.

Well, that's my best advice. Sorry. Home recording and apartments do not mix very well. At least from my experience. Good luck though.

 

[mjbphotos]

You can always hang a door on that one room that doesn't have one.
It's really going to be a matter of what works best for you, sound-wise. If you're mic-ing up amps or drums, you'll probably get neighbor complaints regardless of time of day you do it, due to sound transmission through the walls and floors/ceilings.
If you are only mic-ing for vocals or acoustic instruments on occasion, you have a bit more flexibility, choosing 'quiet times' in the complex. I have to do that in my house - picking times when my wife is out, the dog is asleep and I'm not expecting kids to be playing in the neighborhood.

 

[jhbrandt]

Glitch,
You are on an upper floor. The floor structures in buildings act like membranes or springs by themselves. Sound can easily transmit through these membranes even though they are concrete.. they do 'spring'. Impact transmission is probably the largest concern. Impact is like hard-soled boots stomping down the hall.. everyone hears it. Through the walls, floors, ceilings.. even several apartments in diagonal from the source. Such is the way of 'flanking sound'.

I do not recommend doing much more than mixing/mastering at 'nominal' levels in an apartment. The codes for such accommodations specify wall & ceiling/floor partitions for a minimum STC50-55, depending on where you live. - And that is probably the best you are going to get without major construction & expense. Sound-proofing requires mass.. or isolated mass and airspace. The floor would need to be floated on springs and would require very serious engineering. So, that's why i recommend sticking to mixing/mastering only. No tracking, except for acoustic guitars & such.

Cheers,
John

 

[mjbphotos]

Or DIing electric instruments, and e-drums.