My studio construction thread

[WhiteStrat]

...and you get this: one modular chunk, the right side. You'll see venting, both on the outside and insides sides. The funky shaped hole on the inside piece is a wire pass-through for connecting all the rack gear--it won't be visible when complete. Oh yeah, I also added the rack rails. Here's that piece in place:

 

[WhiteStrat]

Here's the rest of tonight's progress: both modular side pieces in place (first pic), then one of the middle sections in place (second pic), then, finally, both middle sections in place (third pic) showing the whole structure of the desk.

Next up: anchor it to that elevated floor it's built into (so it's absolutely rock solid), then cut and install all the horizontal pieces--cross braces, desktop, top shelf, modesty panel in the seating opening, and a small finish rail across the top of the front.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Some additional thoughts ('cause I know you just love to hear me ramble).

The desk will house a total of 48 rack spaces, 6 in each of the 4 upper angled sections and 12 in each of the side sections. I've got more rack gear than that, so I've also built a pair of 12 space "satellite" rack boxes. They're on casters and will house guitar gear and lesser used pre's and fx units.

You may notice that the desk doesn't have any custom space for my computer. In my old designs, there was a vented, sound treated compartment for the tower. But earlier this year, my old mac (a water cooled G5) died and I replaced with a new Mac Pro tower. I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet this one was. I mean dead quiet! So since my day job (shooting and editing video) requires constant access to the DVD trays, I'm pleased to be able to just leave the tower on the floor in the leg space under the desk.

Also, this desk, unlike many custom audio desks, is not built around a console. Sure--I'd love an SSL or Neve about a quarter mile long--but the fact is, while I have a bunch of outboard gear, the mixing is all in the box, with a bajillion various rack mount preamps. I may go to a control surface--but I'm waiting for some major cool developments in the next couple years.

So for now, a bunch of rack gear, and no console.

 

[joeym]

Like so many things in my life, I have to hope for really big results from really small packages.

don't worry, when it grows up, it wants to be Marshall...!

 

[Chili]

It's going to look really great when you're done. 48 rack spaces is a lot. What are you going to put in there??

 

[Steenamaroo]

Steenamaroo's patented rackmountable lavalamps ®????


seriously though, this is a great looking place! can't wait to see the finishing touches! you should be proud

 

[WhiteStrat]

It's going to look really great when you're done. 48 rack spaces is a lot. What are you going to put in there??

I think I've got 60 or 70 spaces worth of stuff! I use about 75% of it fairly regularly, but I'm a bit of a hoarder of low-brow shabby-chic gear of all sorts. I won't inventory it here--trust me, there'll be pics of the desk when it's all done and filled up. You can ask me about the garage sale junk in my racks then.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Steenamaroo's patented rackmountable lavalamps ®????


seriously though, this is a great looking place! can't wait to see the finishing touches! you should be proud

Thanks, man. I am proud I guess--but the prevailing feeling isn't quite pride. It's more like a grinning disbelief. I built this house 6 years ago and this space was always supposed to be the studio. But we ran out of money and time (I had quit work to build the house full time for over a year. ) before we finished the basement.

The house is big enough that we've never missed a finished basement--but I missed the studio--I've been building it in my head for 5 or 6 years now. Some of the details are freakishly close to my very first drawings, and it's a mix of bizarre and satisfying to finally see it become a reality.

(I know that sounds dumb after having built the whole house--but I didn't dream about the house for 5 years. I didn't even pick it. My wife fell in love with a style, we bought some stock blueprints of a victorian farmhouse, modified 'em and jacked 'em up for ourselves, and broke ground within a couple months. So I didn't have time to get all worked up over it--I just jumped in. Besides, a house is just a house; a studio is a STUDIO. I mean, c'mon... )

 

[Weasel9992]

Dude, I am seriously impressed. That's something I'd love to have the time to do someday...build an entire house. That sounds like fun to me. That and rebuild a '64 Dodge Coronet like I had when I was 18.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Besides, a house is just a house; a studio is a STUDIO. I mean, c'mon... )

this is the bit that gets my rep!

 

[BLP]

I think the pleasure of creating, adding, and using the studio is all very similar.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Dude, I am seriously impressed. That's something I'd love to have the time to do someday...build an entire house. That sounds like fun to me. That and rebuild a '64 Dodge Coronet like I had when I was 18.

For the record: when I say that I built my own house, I don't mean that I did everything from the ground up. I mean that on the front end, I was the General Contractor--buying all materials, hiring all the subs, going over the blueprints with them, and coordinating their work.

I hired out the concrete/foundation, framing carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and drywall.

On the back end, I took over and did most everything myself: all custom wiring, flooring (all cherry hardwood or tile--no carpeting), finish electrical (fixtures and switches), finish plumbing (all fixtures) appliances (I did the kitchen and baths completely), and finish carpentry.

The finish carpentry is my passion when it comes to building. One of the goals of building my own house was to give it some real old time craftsmanship (we came from a 100 year old 3 story Victorian). I wanted folks to come in and feel like they were in an old house. So it's a very traditional Victorian layout with 10 foot ceilings. I did 12" baseboards everywhere, every window is trimmed with casing and real windowsills and aprons (no wrapped drywall), all the doors/doorways are fully trimmed with headers (windows too). I also did all the cabinetry (lots of custom pieces too--bench seats, fireplace surround & mantle, etc). Also did the staircases.

NOW...lest it sound like I'm bragging, let me say this: it definitely saved us a bunch of money (though I did it full time for a year and we depleted savings!), and I learned a ton of stuff that I'm glad to know.

BUT...we've been in the house for over 5 years, and there are two running lists: the standard "junk to fix" list that we all have, and the ever depressing "junk that isn't even finished yet" list. It's all turned out to be way more than I ever imagined.

I suppose I can say I'm glad I did it (my wife might have a differing opinion) but I'm not sure I'd ever do it again. (I might play General Contractor again--I do like the ability to "make it mine"--but I'd only do it if I also had enough money to hire out all the finish work that I took on.)

And yes, I too am jonesing to rebuild an old car.

But first I have to finish the house.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I think the pleasure of creating, adding, and using the studio is all very similar.

I agree completely. The sense of satisfaction from building a cool piece of furniture is very similar to that of writing/playing a song. (In fact, I've always said I like working on and building guitars almost as much as playing them.)

 

[WhiteStrat]

So the desk construction came to a screeching halt. I was having such fun with the carpentry and assembly that I almost put it all together--and if I had, I'd have screwed myself!

I had 3 16-channel snakes coming up under the desk (from the 3 wall panels mentioned earlier in the thread) and they all needed their ends soldered (XLR male, XLR female, and TRS). If I'd finished the desk, I'd have had to do all that soldering from a very cramped space behind the desk.

So I paused the desk construction for a couple/few days to finish the snakes. Now I can tuck them back under the desk and finish building it.

The pic with the desk only has the horizontal pieces sitting in place--they're not attached yet. There'll also be a panel closing off the face of the area where my legs go when I'm sitting--that's the piece that would have blocked access to these wires. I'll finish (assembling--not staining and topcoating) the desk in the next couple days.

See you then!

 

[DrewPeterson7]

This is awesome, man.

 

[Weasel9992]

BUT...we've been in the house for over 5 years, and there are two running lists: the standard "junk to fix" list that we all have, and the ever depressing "junk that isn't even finished yet" list. It's all turned out to be way more than I ever imagined.

I've designed dozens of studio audio systems in terms of signal flow and specifying equipment and I've been one of the engineers in two facilities that had major overhauls, and I can tell you that it's the same no matter what you do. There's always a punch list.

 

[zeppelinfan182]

I'm brand new to the site and I just went through this thread and I must say: this is absolutly awesome. I'm just 17 and this is totally like my dream studio to have in my house when I have my own house.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I'm brand new to the site and I just went through this thread and I must say: this is absolutly awesome. I'm just 17 and this is totally like my dream studio to have in my house when I have my own house.

At the risk of sounding dorky...let me say that it starts with a dream. I'm 43, but I didn't dream of a studio like this until about 5 years ago. The dream comes first, and it's essential. See it in your head and heart first, then start working towards it.

If you don't really see it before it exists, it will never exist.

 

[Weasel9992]

If you don't really see it before it exists, it will never exist.

Awesome.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I know the desk looked done in some earlier pics--but it wasn't. Some pieces were just sitting in place. So this pic isn't a major development, but the desk is now completely done. Finished putting it together, filled all the seams & gaps eek with stainable putty, then sanded it all to 150 so it's ready to be stained. If I feel like staying up late, I may do that tonight. That would at least get me to topcoating this weekend!