Semi Blank Canvas

[Pascal]

so after many many tries of getting things setup in my home and just not being happy with them I got a surprise today. My landlord (been renting the same house in SoCal for 13 years) has given me permission to build a "shed" in the back yard and a friend at a construction supply house got permission to raid their overstock piles from older jobs for free.

There are only a few constraints I have been given. Maximum size is 12 x 16. Construction is all metal studs (including floor bracing), wood siding, 5/8 drywall inside, (1/2 inch on gothic style ceiling), one door, and two windows. Insulation is the only thing I will have to pay for so it's my choice.

Neighbors are used to the music so I'm not too worried about complete soundproofing, but a good 80~90% of the noise coming from inside being blocked would be nice. I can put two layers of drywall on the walls, but I don't think the ceiling being out of metal studs will support that and the roofing. I could always put in a drop ceiling to help with that (even though I despise the look). I don't want to lose the space of floating interior walls so I guess my only real variable is what insulation I put in the walls. Someone told me that putting a bead of silicone on the metal studs before installing the siding and the first layer of drywall will help.

My main question here is on layout of the space. I'd like to end up with a control room, vocal booth, and tracking room for live drums, amps, etc. The control room must support a couple of full 88 key weighted controllers. (gotta have my T1 and X8 close by).

So given that space, what would you guys do?

Any other info you need from me about requirements just ask.

-mike

 

[bpape]

In a 12x16 space, you'll be much better off to just do 1 large room instead of losing all the space trying to build 3 rooms.

As for iso, probably not going to happen. Doing double drywall on the walls is a waste of money if you're not also going to do the ceiling - it'll just flank right around over the top and through the floor (don't forget to insulate the floor cavities well).

IMO, the best way would be to build a full room in a room with your own joists floating on the top of your walls and a drywall ceiling. You'll lose maybe 2" this way but it'll be the only real shot you have at any kind of decent iso.

Bryan

 

[gullfo]

i would go with Bryan's advice on using a single room. if you felt you had to have isolation, then you could either build a vox/drum booth, or split the space on an angle - one side being the CR and one being the "booth/live room". since you're building it with metal frame, you get some benefits in terms of isolation. if you can go with 2 layers of drywall inside all around, it will help quite a bit. remember to plan on your air conditioning/heating/ and fresh air. maybe a couple of window units would work, or you could get your hands on an overhead unit to fit up in the roof area and duct it between rooms...

 

[Pascal]

Yea, I really understand the reasoning behind making it one room, but I guess tracking in that situation would be very different for me. With the exception of here at home, all the studio tracking and mixing has been with full isolation and having the control room able to have monitors running at full volume. Tracking as an engineer into headphones just seems a bit strange.

I like the layout of the attached pictures although it may become a non-issue if things go right over the next couple of weeks. I have a buddy two blocks away from me that has a three car garage behind his house. It had been converted into a two bedroom home and rented out by the previous owners. The city just stepped in and made him tear out all the walls so he has a 20x60 room he's trying to decide what to do with now. With permits they are letting him keep it as a utility room without the garage doors and keep the electical and plumbing in it. (so cut out a 7 ft square for the bathroom) He'd love to make it a studio but depended on the rent income to cover the mortgage. If we can work something out the size of this blank canvas may increase a bit.

-mike

 

[bpape]

Understand your thoughts on cans. However, I'd rather do that than try to track and mix in 2 VERY small rooms that will basically have to be killed pretty dead to grab hold of them.

Bryan

 

[pandamonk]

i would go with Bryan's advice on using a single room. if you felt you had to have isolation, then you could either build a vox/drum booth, or split the space on an angle - one side being the CR and one being the "booth/live room". since you're building it with metal frame, you get some benefits in terms of isolation. if you can go with 2 layers of drywall inside all around, it will help quite a bit. remember to plan on your air conditioning/heating/ and fresh air. maybe a couple of window units would work, or you could get your hands on an overhead unit to fit up in the roof area and duct it between rooms...

Aren't the drums going to be louder than control room? So wouldn't it be better to have the main door into the control room? Also, that removes the chance of someone walking in and ruining a recording.

 

[pandamonk]

Understand your thoughts on cans. However, I'd rather do that than try to track and mix in 2 VERY small rooms that will basically have to be killed pretty dead to grab hold of them.

Bryan

What are you talking about? They are big rooms, haha.

 

[talontsiawd]

Outside of any accustics, three rooms would be so small that it would be impossible to work in. That's not much bigger than the room i'm in and i don't feel my room is particularly big. It's about perfect for what i do space wise which is hip hop production on a pc and i track vocals from a single artist every now and then. I think that outside of any accustic issues, it's still just too small to be very workable with even two rooms.

 

[pandamonk]

Outside of any accustics, three rooms would be so small that it would be impossible to work in. That's not much bigger than the room i'm in and i don't feel my room is particularly big. It's about perfect for what i do space wise which is hip hop production on a pc and i track vocals from a single artist every now and then. I think that outside of any accustic issues, it's still just too small to be very workable with even two rooms.

Really? I'm working with 6'6"x7'6" rooms(Well i will be when it's finished, which shouldn't be too long now ).

I think what gullfo suggested for two rooms looks really good, as long as the door was into the control room, and not the live.