plans for studio

[Mach311]

Hey guys, check out my floorplan for the studio and let me know what you think. This is a small house that my dad built for my grandmother about 10 years ago. She passed away and since it's next door I decided to make a studio out of it. Anyway, check it out and let me know what you think about the layout. There will be additonal bass traps, I just need to do some tests to determine where I want to put them. Any input/advice is appreciated.

 

[timboZ]

Make the window bigger between the control room and recording area.
Then Face your control desk so that is looking into the recording area.

Looks nice. Wish I had that much space.

 

[Mach311]

Then Face your control desk so that is looking into the recording area.

Well, that made sense to me too. But I've read in a few different places that you should face your monitors longways in a rectangular room, so there is more space between the monitors and a wall for the sound to reflect off of.

 

[mshilarious]

I think you've chopped up your space too much. What's the point of a vocal booth if the live room isn't big enough to make live-sounding? I would reconfigure into a single larger recording room, and try to add some slanted walls.

. . . also how are people supposed to wash their hands coming out of the can

 

[Mach311]

I think you've chopped up your space too much. What's the point of a vocal booth if the live room isn't big enough to make live-sounding? I would reconfigure into a single larger recording room, and try to add some slanted walls.

. . . also how are people supposed to wash their hands coming out of the can

Thanks for your input. I'm a newb so be patient w/me. The walls and everything were already there, with the exception of the vocal booth which used to be closet area. I'm not interested in tearing down any walls or building any slanted walls to be honest. I'm just interested in working with what I have so to speak. I did talk to a guy I know who works in a studio and he thought I might as well make the closet into a vocal booth since I didn't need the space for anything else. He said I could get better "dry" vocals in such a space. Is this not true?

My logic behind putting the recording room in a seperate space was to isolate from the exterior door and windows in an attempt to keep outside sounds out of the recording area. Oh and there's a sink in the control room for handwashing and such.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

My logic behind putting the recording room in a seperate space was to isolate from the exterior door and windows in an attempt to keep outside sounds out of the recording area.

Are there any loud environmental noise, such as trains, planes, traffic, guns . If so, I doubt if this will isolate it anyway. Sound transmits via structural vibration as well as by air. The best thing you can do is seal up every flanking path, such as door jambs, HVAC ducting, pipes, or anything that penetrates the room. As for isolation from the control room, it won't. Normal walls with drywall on each face will transmit sound very easily, especially low frequency. Under these circumstances,the best you can do is seal and treat, and use your booth for vocals. But you will have to seriously beef up DECOUPLED MASS in your booth, or it won't be any better than your live room. Same construction. Same transmission. But good luck with your studio anyway, and have fun.
fitZ

 

[thane1200]

Considering this is how the walls were to start with, I think you did a good job dividing the space; I can imagine myself doing something very similar.

Good luck!

 

[mshilarious]

Thanks for your input. I'm a newb so be patient w/me. The walls and everything were already there, with the exception of the vocal booth which used to be closet area. I'm not interested in tearing down any walls or building any slanted walls to be honest.

In that case you've done the best you can. However, if you can tear down the wall (it could be bearing, check first) between the recording room and control room, you'd have a much better sounding single room, and still have your vocal booth.

Look at it from our perspective, you come here, admittedly a newbie, ask us for comments and then tell you you're not interested in changing anything

Well, as is, your space will work OK. You'll need a fair amount of treatment in your recording room because it's small.

Oh and there's a sink in the control room for handwashing and such.

Yeah, but you gotta go through two doors, the recording room, and the control room with poo hands I'd reconfigure the commode room/wet bar to make a proper bathroom.

 

[Mach311]

Look at it from our perspective, you come here, admittedly a newbie, ask us for comments and then tell you you're not interested in changing anything

Yeah, but you gotta go through two doors, the recording room, and the control room with poo hands I'd reconfigure the commode room/wet bar to make a proper bathroom.

I didn't say I wasn't interested in changing anything. I just said I didn't want to move any walls. , and I learned how to wipe my butt w/out getting poo on my hands when I was four. Geesh, I'll buy some damn handy wipes if it'll make you happy.

 

[Mach311]

Are there any loud environmental noise, such as trains, planes, traffic, guns . If so, I doubt if this will isolate it anyway. Sound transmits via structural vibration as well as by air. The best thing you can do is seal up every flanking path, such as door jambs, HVAC ducting, pipes, or anything that penetrates the room. As for isolation from the control room, it won't. Normal walls with drywall on each face will transmit sound very easily, especially low frequency. Under these circumstances,the best you can do is seal and treat, and use your booth for vocals. But you will have to seriously beef up DECOUPLED MASS in your booth, or it won't be any better than your live room. Same construction. Same transmission. But good luck with your studio anyway, and have fun.
fitZ

Rick, the walls are 2x4 insulated w/2layers of sheetrock on each side of the wall. The vocal booth is double sheetrocked also. The doors are solid wood w/ a tight seal. All seams/outlets/etc are caulked. I'm out in the country but the mic will pick up the occasional car/atv or crickets when I record here in my house so I'm hoping this will cut that out. I guess my next thing is trying to figure out how to treat the vocal booth. Foam/703/Rockwool? how much and where? etc.