Need all the tips I can get of how to treat my studio

M

Mistadarling

New member
Hi everyone!
I'm trying to build a studio. The function of the studio is primarily to mix rock and electronic music, but also to be able to record voice/instruments, one at a time. Furthermore, my wife will use the bar table to record podcasts with guests.
You can see the layout of the room and the different furniture in the uploaded photos (I've called the walls A-E). I'm really a beginner so I'd really appreciate all your input on how to treat the room and where to place the different furnitures. The walls and roof are made of plaster on thick walls (wall D is made of concrete) and the room per se is already relatively sound proof, so that's not my concern. I'm really more interested in taking away most room reverb and maybe diffuse the sound. So my questions are:
1. Where to put the studio work station with the monitors, regarding the windows, the shape of the room etc.
2. What to do about the windows and the mirror doors of the closet- they reflect a lot of sound right?
3. Where to put absorbers and diffusers?
4. Is it okay to have the instruments (piano, guitar etc) in the room or will it generate reverb as well? The drums are electronic.
Thank you all!
Screenshot 2022-03-11 at 16.42.42.pngScreenshot 2022-03-11 at 16.42.54.pngScreenshot 2022-03-11 at 16.43.07.pngScreenshot 2022-03-11 at 16.43.31.png
 
A dimensional drawing would help. What is that boxy shape against wall 'C' that the desk is facing - a wardrobe? Can you move it? That would be the best place for your desk. Symmetry is important when setting up a mixing space. Bass traps in all corners. Forget diffusors (read the 'Small Room Acoustics' thread in this section of the forum).
 
mjbphotos said:
A dimensional drawing would help. What is that boxy shape against wall 'C' that the desk is facing - a wardrobe? Can you move it? That would be the best place for your desk. Symmetry is important when setting up a mixing space. Bass traps in all corners. Forget diffusors (read the 'Small Room Acoustics' thread in this section of the forum).
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Yep the boxy thing is a wardrobe. Kind of hard to move, but it's possible.
 
Mistadarling said:
Yep the boxy thing is a wardrobe. Kind of hard to move, but it's possible.
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Do you need it in that room at all? It just makes it harder to situate everything else in the room. For the window wall (A), heavy drapes will help, and bass traps in front (wall C) and back (wall A) corners, floor to ceiling.

Again, a dimensioned drawing would help.
 
mjbphotos said:
A dimensional drawing would help. What is that boxy shape against wall 'C' that the desk is facing - a wardrobe? Can you move it? That would be the best place for your desk. Symmetry is important when setting up a mixing space.
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Feng Shui for home studios?

Could be just what your recordings need, a little 'schway'.

If you swap C(wardrobe) with D(sofa) , people could sit and watch the pianist. For lessons,PC exhibition, or audience. they could also look out the window for inspiration. Not face a solid wall. You'll get wall-eye'd like that.
 
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Not sure if LBS is joking or not. A good mixing room needs symmetry to preserve the stereo image of the sound, nothing to do with 'feng shui'. A good mixing room, unless large enough, doesn't make a good audience-for-performance room.
 
I am impressed that you have named your walls. I shall name mine immediately.

So, you press 'record', and then jump over the desk to get on those drums.
Is the piano good enough to record? A piano against a wall is not a good place.

You have the vocal reverb covered with that wrap around screen.
Electronic drums are no problem.
You need to identfy where that violin and cello will be played.

Reflective surfaces can be welcome at times.
 
Slouching Raymond said:
I am impressed that you have named your walls. I shall name mine immediately.

So, you press 'record', and then jump over the desk to get on those drums.
Is the piano good enough to record? A piano against a wall is not a good place.

You have the vocal reverb covered with that wrap around screen.
Electronic drums are no problem.
You need to identfy where that violin and cello will be played.

Reflective surfaces can be welcome at times.
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Hehe thanks!
Yeah it’s easier to explain with named walls.

Well I can have the computer closeby to record the drums directly via USB. It will primarily be for getting the midi signals for electronic music, not the sound.

With the piano I guess I can pull it into the room for recording with the mic inside, the piano is on wheels. The same goes for cello and violin- it will also be for electronic music with a lot of processing and sound effects.

I will get a sound analysis software to analyse the acoustics in the room when all is setup.
 
mjbphotos said:
Not sure if LBS is joking or not. A good mixing room needs symmetry to preserve the stereo image of the sound, nothing to do with 'feng shui'. A good mixing room, unless large enough, doesn't make a good audience-for-performance room.
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Probably joking, there’s always a funny guy…

Anyway thanks, yeah you’re right I guess. Sound is a bigger priority than feng shui. Although I will probably be sitting at the window. The wardrobe can’t be moved, I tried and it almost fell over me, so I had to give up that idea.
With dimensioned you mean measurements? Sure I’ll do that, and show my latest layout. Thanks for helping out 🙏
 
The latest layout with dimensions. Could not move wardrobe, but it's a lot nicer sitting at the window. So far the sound seemed fine when using the monitors, but I do need to reduce some of the room reverb for recording. Mostly ab sorbants on free walls and ceiling, bass traps in the corners where possible. Screenshot 2022-03-19 at 00.40.03.pngScreenshot 2022-03-19 at 00.39.42.png
 
I have always been adamant symmetry was absolutely for accurate stereo imaging amongst other things, until I changed my studio and it is now NOT symmetrical. Because I'm near field monitoring, frankly I cannot hear any change to the sound I previously got. I have a big bass trap on one side, some hard walls with a chroma key curve and my desk offset to one side so I can walk past it. I built the bass trap, meaning to put it centrally, and did the curved wall over a weekend, then played some music and moved things around. The most convenient placement sounded fine - so I just left it like it. I'm sure in the other studios where speakers are more distant it's important, but near field - they're so close the room impact is quite low.
 
I think that's a better setup than your previous one. Get some bass trapping in whichever corners you can fit them in, heavy drapes over the window, and see what you get.
 
Mistadarling said:
Probably joking, there’s always a funny guy…
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Look at that, you repositioned the sofa to get more room angle. Its better use of the furniture.

Get rid of the wardrobe, move the piano in the center of the wall. Put bass traps in the corners.

The wardrobe , is it necessary? The wardrobe is the most asymetric point in the room.
 
LazerBeakShiek said:
Look at that, you repositioned the sofa to get more room angle. Its better use of the furniture.

Get rid of the wardrobe, move the piano in the center of the wall. Put bass traps in the corners.

The wardrobe , is it necessary? The wardrobe is the most asymetric point in the room.
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Ok thanks I’ll think about it. It’s not necessary maybe but a good way to keep things tidy and I’ve got a record player and LPs inside, as well as CDs. How about just take away the doors?
 
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