Reviews Please - Final (?) Drawing for Studio

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DigitalDon

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First of all, thanks to Michael Jones for converting my drawing!!

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been busy recording bands in my kitchen. Got to get this studio finished!!!

Anyhow, the building is up and we start installing studs this weekend. Had to wait for a couple of good hard rainstorms to check for leaks. Had a couple in the corners but that was easily fixed by the builder.

Attached is my "latest" drawing. I made a couple of changes heeding the advice of you guys. A couple of notes.
All interior doors (except bathroom) will be 36" to ease moving equipment in and out. The doubled/slanted window between Control and Live Rooms measures 4' wide by 3' tall. Between Vocal Booth and Live Room it's 3' by 3'. The glass will be 5/8" thick on one side and 1/2" thick on the other. The vocal booth has been enlarged per recommendations. I like the unusual shape too. Entrance door to Vocal Booth will be solid wood with glass panes. I will be doubleing and slanting the panes here. Oh yeah, I found the "automatic dropping" door sweeps. Very reasonable price ($28 and up). Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and do a search for part number 14775A21 then have it go to the catalog page. Several different sizes and types there.

Exterior walls will be resilient channel mounted 5/8" sheetrock with 6" kraft faced batt insulation behind it (wall is 8" thick). I know resilient channel is only effective when used on both sides of a wall (per John S) but I think it'll lessen some of the vibration going into the metal beams then into the steel exterior sheeting. It's cheap and certainly won't hurt. Studs centered on 24". Interior walls will be staggered stud with resilient channel resting on 24' centers and 5/8" sheetrock both sides. I'll add additional layering later if needed. Haven't decided on insulation or rockwool yet because I haven't priced it. I'm not even sure if rockwool is available locally.

Please take a look at the drawing and give comments. This beast is about to come alive! If anyone wants the AutoCad drawing give me an email address and I'll send it. It's small, about 35K.

Sorry so long. Thanks in advance.

DD
 
I assume your are planning on setting up your monitors on the side of your control room with the window (since you have the room designed symmetrically from that position). If I were you, I would set up the monitors along the short wall, that way the first reflection off the back wall of the control room is not so quick. Otherwise, you'll probably have to put a lot of diffusion along the back wall to control that reflection. You'll have to redo the layout of the vocal booth and your storage room in order to have a symmetric room though (which is probably more important). I'm not sure the almost equilateral triangle is the greatest idea for your vocal booth either, especially considering how small it is. I'm not sure, but I bet you'll get some weird room modes and big differences in freqency response as you move around in there. If you are planning on using a bunch of broad band absorbers in there to make it dead, its probably not such a big deal.
 
DD,

Here are some changes I would make.

barefoot
 

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Don, you are accidentally going to do it right, ie: "I know resilient channel is only effective when used on both sides of a wall (per John S)" - ACTUALLY, what I think John said, and what works, is "Resilient channel only works WHEN BOTH SIDES OF A WALL ARE CLAD." then, you use RC on ONE side, which gives some absorption characteristics to the wall because one side can flex, thereby transmitting LESS sound than if BOTH sides were FIXED to the same stud. This does NOT apply to interior, steel-stud walls, because the "steel" studs are only slightly thicker than Reynolds Wrap and so they flex enough to take the place of the RC.

Gotta go to (shudder) work, will check out your dwgs later.

Keep your plan for the walls, just review your reasons... Steve
 
Barefoot,
Quit reading my mind!! In the control room there will be a 7' sofa behind the mix position against the wall. That wall will be built in such a way as to gradually come from each corner to a center position (7' wide for the sofa). That 7' wide center position will be about 6 to 8 inches out into the room as compared to the 2 corners. I had it drawn out on draft paper but got in a hurry and forgot to put it in the CAD drawing. Same thing with the walls in the live room except, like you drew, the top and bottom walls would be angled.
Out of necessity, the HVAC will have to stay on the top wall which is the back of the building. The freon lines, etc will run through the wall directly outside for the compressor. I've considered putting a damper in the duct work which will be closed during actual recording if I have too much sound passing into the control room from the live room. All the duct work will be on that top wall. Since this building will also serve as a rehearsal room for my son's band I "might" be able to close the damper during rehearsal and cool just the live room. Gotta talk to some folks about the effects of increased pressure on the blower and duct work if I close that damper and turn the AC on. I'm sure cycle time for the compressor would be much shorter (on and off more frequently) as the room would probably cool quicker.

Knightfly,
I'm glad you worded it like that. It gives me a little more confidence in putting this thing together.

ebeam,
Yeah I thought about that too with the monitors. The only thing is if I put them on one short wall I'd have to change the room symetry (like you said). That would also place me in a mix position with the door behind me and the window to my right. It just wouldn't be comfortable to me. I realize I'll probably have to treat the wall directly behind where the sofa will be (see response to Barefoot above). It seems there's tradeoffs no matter what you do. My son complains that "his" room (live/rehearsal room) is too small and I don't need all that room for a control room. I won't even get into that discussion as small control room threads have already been beat to death.

Originally, this building was to be a 30' x 30' (vs 30' x 40') but it was obvious early on that I had to have more room for the control room. Anyhow, that's what I could afford and it'll have to do for the near future. I still try to plan for the future (this isn't even completed yet!!) so the building was made in such a way as to easily add another addition onto the live room side. A couple of years from now that will be done to add a dedicated drum room and isolation rooms. Gotta get some lottery tickets :D

Thanks all for responding. Keep it coming.

DD
 
Just finished studding out the "exterior" walls. Will post pictures later this weekend. Picked up the resilient channel today. I asked the sheetrock/insulation distributor about rockwool and got that "huh???" look. I also overheard an installer saying some "crazy" architect wanted him to layer his wall with 5/8" sheetrock, fiberboard, then 1/2" sheetrock. Imagine that.

Finally getting over my soreness from the root canal I had yesterday. There's $500 I won't have available for the studio :D .

Anymore comments on the drawing?

DD
 
Don,
looking good, like the layout! You've certainly got some big rooms there, I'm getting studio envy already.

Couple of things as i think about this set up:

I mentioned in an earlier discussion about a load in door for the live room, but I just got thinking that perhaps fire codes may require a second door to a building this size- That's not my field, but may be something for you to consider.

Is that hallway is wide enough to comfortably dolly equipment in and out of the live room?

Also, I'm not sure how you're planning to use this studio- commercially or privately, but I find when I'm in the studio as an artist ( different hat) , I sometimes need a place to get away from the music. A place to chill, read the paper, make a cup of coffee, while waiting for the engineer to make the edits or someone else to do their parts, etc- Mainly, a place that is not in the sound field. I can't quite tell if the front entrance way/ hallway would be able to fill this need -as a "lobby" of sorts or not-..


regarding windows, I'd consider this: A 4' window looking into that big room may not give enough eye contact between the two rooms- especially if you have a big console that pushes you back away from the window, your field of vision may be very limited. Maybe go with a bigger window or two of the 4's. Also when positioning the vocal booth door make sure it has a useable line of sight to the mix chair of the console.

I like barefoot's changes a lot too

My .02

DAN
 
Dan,
Thanks for the response.

As far as code, I'll have the code person out this week. They're really lenient here (rural area) so I don't think they'll require a second door. Several years from now I'll add a 30' extension and probably put one in if not required now. If I have to put one in it'll probably be about 4' inside the live room near the hallway/live room door.

The hallway is 4' wide with 36" doors. Should be OK for moving stuff in and out.

I really don't have room for a lounge but I've considered adding a covered patio at some point down the road.

All recording will be directly into my Aardvark Q10. I have one and intend to add a second one for 16 channels. I won't be using a mixer. The mix position is about 6'from the window. This position will allow viewing of most of the live room. The vocal booth door will also be placed so we can see each other easily.

Yeah, I liked Barefoot's changes too and had already incorporated them. I'll try to get an updated drawing on the BBS today.

DD
 
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