studio construction for less than 1000$

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guy

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Hi,
To continue the tread about studio for less than 1000$ I like to place my own question.
I collected quit a lot of equipment the last few year (especially vintage mics) and work as a freelaser producer, this leaded me to think about building now my own (mid specs) semi-comerssial studio (especially for unsigned bands and voice-over wroks).
I have enough equiopment to start a nice studio and even the place (empty floor of ca 80m²) but not much of a cash left.
can anybody tell me how much did it cost you to convert a space more or less this size to a nice studio (not including cabeling and so, construction only!)
thanx
guy
 
I think it would be very very very hard to build a COMMERCIAL studio for only a grand. I mean maybe if you were only outfitting a bedroom in an apartment or something. If you want to do this thing right, go get yourself a loan, and get about $10,000 and then I think you would be more in the right ballpark. And I only think that much if you do the work yourself.

Commercial means professional. Professional means good looking and good sounding. Good sounding is a lot cheaper than good looking.

Tell me about this space. Is it between two other buildings?? Is it near anything?? Because that determines how much soundproofing you'll need. Tell me more and I am sure you'll be able to get some more help, because this is something we are all interested in.

Beezoboy
 
VO work pays much better than recording unsigned bands. so if all you have is $1K, you could build a basic control room and a dead vocal booth for VOs. In 6 months to a year, you should be able to save up the money from VO work to treat the rest of your space and start having some fun.
 
Hi,
thanx for the replies.
I said 1000$ just as a simbolic number fro cheapy construction.
what I wanted to know is how much YOU people paid for construction and what did you get in the end (and yes 10000$ are anyway absulotly out of my range)
thanx
guy
 
I have to agree that building a studio anywhere close to a grand would be hard to do, I mean I spent $140 doors yesterday on just on one Solid Pine door & frame. By the time all is done I will have spent closer to 10 grand then 1 grand and it still won't be 100% soundproof nor did I expect it would be. But the acoustic are real good in the room and have done a good job a stopping the sound from going up.
 
Properly-designed studio plans ALONE would be several $K!!!!!!!!

That's before you even START building!


Bruce
 
I only have about $1000 into my room, maybe a bit more but that is all materials, I did all the work myself. If I had it to do over again, I would've laid it out a little differently but that's another story.
 
Hi,
mybe one detail I spared when I started the tread and can help to think of studio building <10000000$:
I actually don't need to bother about soundproofing (ie air going in and out the room and disturbing me&my neighebours...) couse I don't have anyone around the studio place (at least not after 17:00 when all the drums/heavy gtr recording will start...).
my only consern is to divied the space into control/live rooms and control the reverb time to a reasonable amount. I will be happy to install diy solutions (like some bass trap design I saw on this ite) and would be happy to cut corners (and expenses...)on the cosmetic side.
I'm really tired to be a traveling producer/engineer and have all what needs to start my on place, any hope?
thanx
 
Track Rat said:
I only have about $1000 into my room, maybe a bit more but that is all materials, I did all the work myself. If I had it to do over again, I would've laid it out a little differently but that's another story.
Click to expand...

I hear that!

I stopped mid-stream of construction to redesign and do it again.

And for the week in between I kept shaking my head yelling "doh" at the walls!
 
I did it for $1000!

I did it for a Grand! it's not the most spectacular or most elaborate... the "dead room"
has it's sonic flaws but the bottom line is this: I know my room and I can make great
sounding recordings in it.

Windows $300
Aurelx wedge foam $250
sound board $120
2x4's sheet rock, paint Etc. $150 (just the window wall all others were existing)
Fabric $20
Door: free from construction buddy
Desk: $18 for 3/4" particle wood used to build


Equiptment:
Roland Vs 2480: $2700 from bpmmusic.com
C1
AT 4033
lots of 57's
Akg D112
ETc.


This studio is a side job for me that brings in $1000 to $3000 per month!
 
This studio is a side job for me that brings in $1000 to $3000 per month!
Click to expand...

not bad for a $1000 outlay :)

for a pro studio you are looking at around $1000/square meter/yard.

cheers
John
 
Commercial?

Commercial means exactly what it implies. A commercial building, not your garage. If its a home income earning project, thats one thing, but real commercial MEANS exactly what it says. Pro. Just like gear. You can't even buy the permits for this type of construction for under $500, then add on your design, construction and utility documents, add from $1k or more. Then get your construction bids, and be prepared to fall on the floor! Real studio construction is a tiger by the tail, and can be a safety risk, as you are physically isolating people from the world. What happens in the event of a blackout, and you have a million seller band in there, and they can't see to get out. or a fire! and they can't find the path to the exit. Ha, the building inspection department has a field day with studios! How about title 24. They don't care if you think musicians aren't handicapped. You still have to satisfy the codes. Investigate those and you'll see what I mean. So heres my advice, if its a home project, have fun but get info. Lots of it. If its truely commercial, quit kidding yourself. And if you still want to pursue a commercial project, then accept the fact that you HAVE to have design professionals on your team. Otherwise, the first time you present your plans to BID for permits, they will take thier time in analizing your project, and then tell you to show why and how you plan to meet any one of a 1000 different codes. Now, in the mean time, your paying lease payments on a commercial building(you had to lease it first before you can design for that building-right?) for 4 months or so while BID knocks you into financial disaster, and your equipment is sitting unused, while you attempt to pacify the local inspectors with plan change after plan change. See what I mean. Well, this is the"commercial" world, not a pipe dream. So, get real! Sorry if I rained on your parade, but better now than fooling yourself about what is "commercial" and finding out the hard way.
Rick Fitzpatrick
 
Sorry again darrin, this is a home studio forum, so when people start talking about commercial, speaking from experience, I tell the truth. But I do have a home studio, and it is a lot of fun. Not a pain in the ass and I can offer a lot of info relating to it. You don't have to use it, but I'll offer it anyway. Someone will use it eventually(I think.) If not, thats ok, I did and my little studio is BITCHEN. Hows that for an old fart term. I know most of you guys are a lot younger than me, and don't want to listen to us old farts,but I built everything in my studio,(not including most of the gear), but all the fixturing etc. and can offer alternatives to a lot of things. Most of which you can build.
After all, this IS the STUDIO BUILDING AND DISPLAY forum so here I am, take it or leave it.
Rick Fitzpatrick
 
Hi,
thanx for the input.
I want to make again a point about my (maybe unclear) original question.
the studio I want to build will not be top of the range abby-road-like comerssial studio (though most of the equipment ,especially mics, really are the high-end) and i might not recording madonna and a like.
all I want is to convert a ca. 80m² space to a nice sounding control/live room.
I'm a freelancer engineer/producer and I'll always be so a studio like " Me vs World"'s studio the earn him ca.2000$ a month will be just what I want.
again, I have MORE than 1000$ (that was just a number) but not much more.
again, I'm not so much consern about sound-proofing but more on acoustic treatment (the live room should sound good and maybe with a small vocal booth, the control room should be good enough to mix in).
I want to be able to take my smaller jobs (like unsigned bands that hire me) to my studio instead of taking them to a diffrent studio (and therefor losing money!!!)
hope it's clear now and someone could give me tips of what I shoud look at and what will it cost me.
thanx
guy
 
Hi guy, Ok, what you need is a flight plan!LOL Down and dirty lets get to it:

Decision Hiarchy Time.
!. Do you own or rent?(Where is your studio going to be?)
2. Do you have any construction skills? Tools? What type?
3. What kind of noise environment is the studio going to be in(i.e how much ambient
noise (in spl or db) is in the air.
4. Any freeways, airports, train lines, bus stops, truck routes, bomb ranges etc.
adjacent to the location. This determines a lot. (ground conductance)
5. I assume this is going to be in an existing structure, so, whats going on in it?
Is it going to be in a garage, bedroom, family room, basement, bowling alley, etc. and how much stuctural noise and what types(loud tv's. yelling, dancing above, rifle tests, etc) table saws running, etc)
6. How long are you planning on being there.
7. What is the existing room you are planning on using built of. Floor? walls? Ceiling? Doors? How many? where do the doors lead, or open into?(hallway, another room? outside Windows? How many, what type? How big? What are the windows facing(street, another house, open field-What?)
8. How many of the walls are partitions(interior walls that seperate your room from others in the same building) or exterior.
9. What type of HVAC are you planning on using(heat/cold). What is existing?
How many, type and size of wall penetrations exist.(vents, recessed lighting cans, fire extinguiser lines? etc.
10. Are you going to have a control room and a studio? How large. Have you drawn up a floor plan yet. To scale? Any elevations? Sections? Details?

Ok, answer these questions(either here or email them to me at rmfdesign@rcsis. com, and I'll give you the next set. This is how you really make
decisions on what your doing. Facts mam' just the facts! So if you want to build this
in the most effecient, economical, and confident way. This is it! But you don't have to listen to me. Just read the comments above and ask them if they had to do it
AGAIN what would they change? Want to waste time and money. Then fly by the seat of your pants. Listen to half truths, gossip, theorys, and other half baked ideas
and you'll end up with a half baked studio! But it doesn't bother me. But it might bother your neighbors and clients. Rick
 
RICK FITZPATRICK said:


Decision Hiarchy Time.
!. Do you own or rent?(Where is your studio going to be?)
2. Do you have any construction skills? Tools? What type?
3. What kind of noise environment is the studio going to be in(i.e how much ambient
noise (in spl or db) is in the air.
4. Any freeways, airports, train lines, bus stops, truck routes, bomb ranges etc.
adjacent to the location. This determines a lot. (ground conductance)
5. I assume this is going to be in an existing structure, so, whats going on in it?
Is it going to be in a garage, bedroom, family room, basement, bowling alley, etc. and how much stuctural noise and what types(loud tv's. yelling, dancing above, rifle tests, etc) table saws running, etc)
6. How long are you planning on being there.
7. What is the existing room you are planning on using built of. Floor? walls? Ceiling? Doors? How many? where do the doors lead, or open into?(hallway, another room? outside Windows? How many, what type? How big? What are the windows facing(street, another house, open field-What?)
8. How many of the walls are partitions(interior walls that seperate your room from others in the same building) or exterior.
9. What type of HVAC are you planning on using(heat/cold). What is existing?
How many, type and size of wall penetrations exist.(vents, recessed lighting cans, fire extinguiser lines? etc.
10. Are you going to have a control room and a studio? How large. Have you drawn up a floor plan yet. To scale? Any elevations? Sections? Details?
Click to expand...

thanx for the reply RICK FITZPATRICK ,
I'd like more info so here are the answewrs for you questions:
1. I don't own the place but if I'll take this place I'm talking about it will be rentfree
2. I don't have any special construction skills but I know enough people with those skills and all professional tools needed to build a house from screatch, and they will do the work for me for free (only mattirial costs)
3. the place is placed in a office building belong to a friend, inside the building it is in a corner far from any other office and only have one wall to an working area, all other bussines supposed to finish working by 17:00, I can stay 24 hours.
4. NO to all, its a 4th floor back yard and nothing around.
5. this is an exicting place 80m² ca. 3.5m high
6. if it will work I hope forever! so I can upgrade it with time if possible.
7. the place is ca. 5.5x14.5m empty space, the two short sides are solide concreat walls one long is the same but with a door (close to a short wall) the last wall is with windows (high ones taking all together ca. 30% of the wall) I can build what ever I want in BUT a celling (which will block the smoke ditectors)
8. no partition walls yet the widows wall is exterior.
9. there are existing radiators all over the windows wall and under them.
10.don't have any elavations yet, I'm thinking on a ca. 25m² control room and the rest live room (mybe with a very small booth) don't need toilets or lobby since they are all at the offices floor.

so here are the details ,any help?
thanx a lot
guy
 
Ok, were on our way-

Well, that was quick-boy the internet is too cool! Well ok, lets see, what I'm trying to do here, is qet a quick overview of the existing structure, and figure out exactly what it is you want to achieve with this project. I tell you what. Do you have an email address?
Do you know what autocad or visio is? They are drawing programs I use to design with, and I can send the files over the net, but you have to have them to open the files. Can you attatch any pictures of the existing space, indoors and out. By the way, I see you are in europe. Mind if I ask where? The reason is, I can plot the drawings on size E sheets and send them to you, but prefer the net. Now, this is no cost to you, I offer this free. But we still have a lot of ground to cover. I havn't got time today to finish the next question set, but look for it tomorrow or the next day. Or send me an email with your email or home address, and we'll get down to business. My address is
rmfdesign@rcsis.com Well, thanks for listening, you won't be disappointed. Just remember, I'm just trying to help and I don't know it all. But one thing I know for sure, anything worth doing, is worth doing well, especially a home studio. I also need to know what types of materials are available to you there. I'm used to getting anything I need where I live. By the way, since I work for a store fixture manufacturing company, I have access to things NO ONE gets.l You'll see what I mean later on. That is, if you keep going. To me, my studio is NEVER FINISHED! but I track in it all the time, and mine is in a bedroom! Well, time to go. I'll be in touch. Here or your address.:D
 
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