The saga continues.....Noise...what noise?

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Man, I think this place is getting to me. I don't know a soul here. Strange moving into a house way at the top of a hill all by itself. You know what? I bought this house for a lot of reasons, but one was I thought it would be quiet here...and it is....MOST of the time. But this week I was blown away. My house is in Coos Bay Oregon. NOT a busy place. Along the pacific ocean, little town, not much happening unlike the city I came from. The house is 1/4 mile off the main hiway, which is 101. Its a main hiway through California, clear up into British Columbia I believe. Anyway, my street comes directly off 1010, goes straight up a big hill, and ends in my driveway, where I can look out over 75 miles of Oregon forests. Down at the bottom of the hill, paralleling the hyway is a salt water slough. A railroad track seperates the highway from the slough. Anyway, here I figured this place would be quiet enough to hear a pin drop during the busiest time of day.
NOT!!! The other night I was sitting quietly contemplating the peace when all of a sudden BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! A horn SO fucking loud it almost knocked me off the chair! WHA THE F.........was that! I look towards the sound, and in the slough was a GIANT ship and I mean Giant!! Now if you saw the slough you would think it was a small river. But its a deep channel slough. For logging ships.
No sooner than I saw the ship, all of a sudden BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! Again. Uhuh. This ain't happening. I don't care if a studio has concrete walls 5' thick,
THIS sound would get through it. How in the f... am I going to soundproof against this shit? When all of a sudden I hear a desiel train coming. Not loud...yet. The closer it gets, the louder it gets. Meanwhile, I realize its getting really noisy......what the fuck is that? HOLY SHIT......right at the bottom of the hill is not only a mill with semi trucks coming and going all day, but 2 semi truck repair places. And their BOTH firing up big desiel trucks. Now usually, sound gets absorbed in tree covered areas. But sound goes up as well as out. And where does it go up to? You got it......right up to my house cause its so high. Hmmmmm.....what have I done? BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!
Now the train is right in front of my street and the engineer must have known I'm going to build a studio, cause that MOFO blew that whistle/horn for a good 20 seconds.....I know because the doppler effect dropped 5 octaves
Now, I don't know if you know anything about train horns. But the designers criteria was to design a horn that would awake the DEAD. And it does. Me. Ha! Anyway, the horn is actuallly three horns...........have you ever heard a dominant 7th b5 chord?
With a suspended 11th? Thats the chord the damn horns play...with no root. Crap, the most abnoxious chord ever devised by man. You've got a major 7th interval betwee the b5 and sus11 tones and with no root and a dominant 7th....at 140 db.....fuck, were talking Jimi Hendrix Foxy lady through 10 fucking marshalls at 10 feet away!! Ha. Quiet? Where the hell did I get that idea.......what was I thinking? Hmmmm....was I blind or just too stoned to get the picture? Ha!! But wait....luck has it that the weather was changing very rapidly and starting to get very black....but before
I could contemplate the implications..VAROOOOM!! VAROOM!AKK AKKAKAKAKAKAKK VAROOOOMAKKKKKKKKKAKAKAKAK....... damn...wha the? HOLY SHIT....now, I gotta tell you. Do you know what dirt ARV's are......those noisy little dune buggy fuckers which in this town, every redneck has 4 of. They are all over the place. Thats cause on the other side of the bay, is 45 miles of the biggest sandunes you have EVER seen. Were talking the Mt. Everest of sandunes. Well, my street is NO exception. They ride them, work on them, load them, talk about them and every sombitch on the street has at least 2. Not to mention Harley's. AND hot rods. AND they like to RACE them. ON THE STREET. FUCK ME Thats because 1/2 mile up 101 is the RACETRACK!! DRAG RACE TRACK. Every Sat night!! CRAP......what have I done to deserve this? Karma. Thats it. Fucking Karma. Wouldn't you know? Of ALL the places I pick to build my studio........ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRR!!!! But wait....I'm in luck.........CRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKK.......MOTHERFU..........ah yes.. the implications of black clouds.......CRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAACK!! another lighting bolt......like a ton of dynamyte....not a half mile away...............starts a fire.........blows a tree to smithereens....
And what is around my house.....yup, you got it......200' fir, cedar and pine trees. Biggest trees I've ever lived by. Makes the redwoods look miniture.Good grief. Oh the humanity of it, oooooooh, THATS why there is a lightning rod on the house

AND THEN, we have the pistol and rifle crowd. They shoot them RIGHT IN THE BACK YARD................ at what I don't know, maybe each other. Good grief.
Anyone want to buy some recording equipment Its late..........better go to bed......

VAROOOOM!! VAROOM!AKK AKKAKAKAKAKAKK VAROOOOMAKKKKKKKKKAKAKAKAK..
akakakkak......akakakakak
"SHUT THOSE MOTHERFU.... ENGINES OFF YOU FU.....MORONS........damn rednecks oh.,,,,,, what?

heheheheheh, sorry, excuse me, could you point that thing anywhere but at me?" Yes, yes...I'll mind my own business.....yes sir you betcha..I understand...nooooooo problem"

lord



fitZ

 

[knightfly]

Hey, Fitz - Welcome to Oregon (once again) - you ain't gonna be one a those wimpy-ass Californicators that move here just ta bitch about the ways things need ta be changed, are ya? I ain't gonna hafta come over ta yer place and "have a little talk" witcha, so to speak, right?

You're right, though, a lot of Oregonians are into 4x4's, 4-trackers, guns and hunting, fishing, chewin' terbacky - and then there's the MEN, and what THEY do... :=)

I don't have trains/ships tryin' to blast me out, just farm gear, occasional helicopters/transport planes, neighbors with dogs that are smarter than them (but not much louder) constant lawnmowers, one new neighbor that builds (and tests) race cars, couple of Sherriff's deputies down the hill with automatic weapons that like to do their homework, etc -

That's why I've been studying acoustics/soundproofing for the last 20 years - I can now design something soundproof enough even for YOUR environment - but you'll probably need to start from scratch.

If you don't already have one, find the closest Radio Shack to you, and either buy or order (if they don't carry it) one of their ANALOG Sound Level Meters (about $40 these days) and switch it to "C" weighted, "Fast" - the next time a ship horn, etc, cuts loose, check the SPL and write it down. When you get an idea of what you're REALLY dealing with, yell at me over at John's place and we'll get started on a realistic plan for you.

Meantime, getcherself a gun (shotguns 'R cool, works good for moles/gophers/drunks/dopers, etc) and I'll teach ya which end hurts less when ya pull the trigger (not as obvious with a shotgun as you might think) -

All seriousness aside, PM me if you wanna swap lies/commiserate live - everybody need a vent now and then... Steve

 

[Beezoboy]

I have a train that passes behing my house about 8 times everyday. The trick is to learn its schedule and record around it. Believe me. . . the train will come at the same time or within 10 minutes of the same time everyday.

As for boats, I live too far inland.

Maybe for noise concerns you should build a basement studio. Earth soaks up sound quite well. Even if that means you have to build a building with the top as the lounge and the studio downstairs, it might make things easier in the long run.

Sorry about all the noise.

Beez

 

[DDev]

After reading your post, I'm thinking you should use the barn as cover for the underground bunker you need to build for your studio (just make sure you have 20 ft of earth above your ceiling, that oughta insulate it enough).

Darryl.....

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Thanks for the replys gents.
Wimpyness is not the only Californian character flaw. Exaggeration comes in a close second.
Steve, thank you for the offer. BTW, I hope your feeling better.(And no, I'm not getting all mushy. )

As far as the pole barn is concerned, I have some investigation to do. I talked to an old guy that owns a local carpet outlet here. He must be a relative of Steve. A real character. He has a truckload of engineered joists sitting out front. Different widths and 40' long. I inquired if they were for sale. As we talked, he mentioned he used some of them for the carpet store.

I inquired about the local permit process and code inforcement. He said when he built the building 5 yrs ago, he did it without permits. Were talking a fairly large commercial building here.

As they were putting the finishing touchs on, two inspecters came in and told him they were going to put a stopwork order on him. He invited them into the office. When they started to tell him that he had built the building illegally, and may have to tear it down, he raised his right fist and said..."see this, if you do, I'm gonna black your right eye with it" and then raised his left fist and said.. " and see this, then I'm gonna black your left eye and break your nose. And then I'll have you fired!".(Sound familiar Steve?) They RAN out of the building and jumped in their car and sped off never to return. Now, I believe this old fart, character or not, would do it too. Turns out, the local head of the BID is his BEST FRIEND, who grew up with him all the way through school. He must be very wealthy too. Sounds like someone to know. I'll have to become his friend

I explained to him the delima with the pole barn. He said, " if it were me I'd do what the hell I please. Nobody knows its there, and since the city doesn't want to admit that it might be on their property, they won't give a damn, cause it will cause them to have to put the culvert in the creek below. Hmmmm. Something to think about. But I'm going to still investigate a little without saying much.

Well, my stepson will be here today. He is moving here from Michigan to live with us till they get their own place. AND, he's bringing my Tascam 42b 2 trk that I've never seen. Bought it on ebay over a year ago and had it shipped to his house as the seller was only 50 miles away.(I was afraid of shipping damage to California) Oh boy oh boy.
Can't wait. Ha! So, I better go make room in the parking pad for him. Not much room out there.

Later gents.

fitZ

 

[c7sus]

Have you ever thought about moving to WA? I have a REALLY nice place I could sell you.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Have you ever thought about moving to WA?

Hey c7sus, don't you live in Everett? Maybe I have you confused with someone else.
Anyway, I grew up on Whidbey Island. Man, I JUST moved. 3 months of looking and searching, packing and moving, is enough for me. NEVER again. Too old. I think this aged me 10 yrs. Ha! Thanks anyway.

And DDev, thanks for the suggestion. 20' huh. Double as a redneck proof bunker too!
fitZ

 

[OnTheBlackRock]

thats bad...but there is a solution

Thats bad but there's a solution. yes there's a very easy solution.
I believe you should kill yourself. yes thats right, kill yourself.















haha . no I'm kidding dont do that.






DO IT!.










just kidding, ... really.

 

[meriphew]

How about building a simple wall out of cinder block around your house? I notice walls being used here around the Puget Sound area freeways to deflect the noise from nieghborhoods.

________________
Post indie electronic
Meriphew
www.meriphew.com

 

[jerberson12]

im tired of reading this freakin long message

 

[knightfly]

"im tired of reading this freakin long message" -

Don't let the door hit ya in the ass (party pooper)

So, Fitz, howzit goin' this week? Apparently some can't handle big words, like "truck" and "noise", so try an' keep it simple, OK? :=)

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Hello Steve, Its goin ok I thing(typing with silicone on the fingers is tough)Ha!
Had to silicone every joint in that damn roof. Just finished. Hey, thanks for asking.
How bout your self Steve? Feelin better I hope.
Ya know , I'm gettin thin skinned in my old age I thought I would amuse people with my whinning saga, but I just come off like a jerk. So I think I'll just keep my exploits to myself from now on. Sorry everyone for takeing up space with stupid posts that have nothing to do with actual studio.
Now, I feel better.
Well I did lay out the pole barn in CAD. And overlaid an arbitrary plan I had already drawn as a boredom killer, but the console is real. Turns out there is not as much actual floor space as it looks. Man, when I stand under the "roof on sticks", it feels much bigger. And there are some conditions that I haven't figured out how to deal with yet.
Of course, I haven't had much time to do any detailing. I don't really know what I'm going to do yet though. Havn't even cleaned it out yet. There is at least another 24' truck load of crap the previous owner left in there. Man could these people collect.

Oops, there I go again, bla bla bla. Sorry. Well, take care everybody. I'll be back when I really have something relevant to say. Untill then, good luck with your studios.
fitZ

BTW jerberson12, who twisted your arm to read it? And then take the time to tell us your tired of it? Hmmmm. I suggest you go watch a soap opera.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

How about building a simple wall out of cinder block around your house? I notice walls being used here around the Puget Sound area

Oops, sorry, forgot my manners. Thanks for the suggestion meriphew. Where about in Puget Sound are you? I grew up(ha, thats an oxymoron) on Whidbey Island.

And as far as killing myself Blackrock, I already took that into consideration. But I would probably blow that too.
fitZ

 

[blues-hacker]

Yo --- Rick

You just keep bringin it on, man, cause I love a good tale, an' you're tellin a great one !!!

Comic relief - just what the doctor ordered - loved the Hendrix bit, and yeah, I could just visualize.... Whew...

keep cool, dude - ya know, sometimes when life seems too settled, ya just gotta turn it over and shake it a bit - seems like ya done just that

keep the faith, and keep havin fun

b-h

 

[DDev]

Fitz,

Don't stop the posts. I can't go through withdrawal again!!!

Darryl.....

 

[Dethska]

Yes please!!! I enjoy your posts Fitz! Don't let the naysayers get at ya. That chump was probably just trying to pad his post count. It was hardly relevant at all.

If you want to type, we'll read. Especially with Frederic on vacation, we need somebody around talking about carpenter ants and stuff.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Wow! Thats all I can say guys. Man, thanks for the vote of confidence. OK, now you asked for it
Well, some interesting things happened today already, and I'v only been awake all of 20 minutes. I have to drive down to Port Orphard today. Looks like I'm going to build some kind of landscape spa and rec building for a contractor. From what I gather it needs to be drafted and built. Main thing is part of the pay is in trade for materials.

Clear Fir T&G, and Port Orphard clear cedar T&G resawn and S4S siding. Cool. This stuff is EXPENSIVE! I'll save it for the studio interior. 1000 bd ft. At a buck a linear foot, this works out to be some wherea around $3000 in materials. Cool. Plus a wage. Not too bad for being here less than 2 months.

I go down to see the guy today. Now this IS related to the building of my studio. Oh yea, I forgot. He has two bars for another job that I have to build in my shop. Commercial bars 20' long. The bar tops are to be milled out of solid 3" cedar slabs with a high gloss, UV and alcohol resistant finish.I have to pick out the flitch's and have them custom milled. Let me tell you about Port Orphard Cedar.

There is a little port on the coast about 70 miles from here called Port Orphard. The area around it is covered by GIANT cedar trees. This is the last stand of clear cedar on the pacific coast. Therefore it is highly prized by architects for the color, grain, and structural stability of the cedar. I've seen it. Some of it is in many buildings around the area. It is stunningly beautiful wood. The mill in Port Orphard is 100 yrs old and has been milling this stand since the late 1800's. Out in the mill yard are OLD recyled beams, siding, and flooring as this stuff looks as good as new when re-milled. It is also weather and pest resistant. Thats why. There are many, many HUMUNGOUS barns in the area built solely out of it. Everything. Thats why, if they tear one down, it is totally recycled.

Soooooo, I've got a 2 month detour in the road to building my studio, in order to get these materials. I'd never be able to afford them without a project like this. Too good.

You know guys, I'm just an old fart musician who has followed this studio dream stuff for a long time. I ain't gonna quit till either it's done or it kills me So if it sounds like I can't relate to the younger members here, it's probably true. I saw a study on Netscape that said "the latest group to enter College was born in 1984. And if you were born before that, your considered OLD and probably can't relate. Ha! I was born in 1944. Old?
They haven't got a clue. More to come. Later guys. And thank you very much for making an old fart feel a part of this. But please, if I ramble on, tell me so and I'll bite my tounge.

fitZ

 

[MikeA]

Don't stop Fitz! Don't stop!!

You're quickly becoming the Mixerman of Homerecording.
I'm glad you said you weren't gonna give up on your studio dream stuff. I too am an old musician but I've taken a hiatus to raise a family. (Meanwhile my chops rust.) But I WILL BE BACK!! We put the house on the market and the market dried up. But as soon as this thing sells I'll be looking for an acre or two with some sort of outbuilding that I can use to create a rehearsal/recording studio for me, myself, and whoever else I decide to invite. I'd about given up my dream as never attainable but then you come along and fed my fire. Thanks dude, and keep those updates a-coming. I laugh everytime I read one.

Mike

 

[Son of Mixerman]

Re: Don't stop Fitz! Don't stop!!

You're quickly becoming the Mixerman of Homerecording.

Huh?


Where have you been?

Im genetically prediposed for becoming the Mixerman in this forum!

SoMm

P.S Fitz, no worries. Just work around it. I got C17's anf F-15 flying over...Dragsters and Harley on top of having screaming children. Sometimes the 50th take is best

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

P.S Fitz, no worries. Just work around it.

OH PLEASE, I can't stand being in front of a crowd. I'll pee my pants right there. No no no. I can't do it. Don't make me. PUUUUUULEASE!!! My zipper will be down, or I'll trip, or worse yet, I'll open my mouth and make a bigger fool out of myself than I already have. I'll stutter, stammer, drool, and the whole audience will laugh me outta town! They'll tar and feather me. They'll...string me up!
They'll run me out on a rail....they'll..uh, oh excuse me. Hehehh, my imagination gets the better of me sometimes.

Hey MikeA, thanks for the comparison. I'm flattered. Better yet, I'm flabbergasted and I'm embarrassed. I never meant to start something that would be even remotely considered in the same breath as Mixermans saga. I can't even spell. But it is fun. I love to dream. And if it pleases one person, that makes my day. And since it seems I have, then so be it. I will continue. Only if you promise not tell Mixerman Ha! I'd die.

Ok gents. Here goes. On with the story.

Well I went to meet a General Contractor today. In Port Orphard. I was nervous as hell. It's been a while since I've really worked, because of the crap that has happened in the last year. And the move. But the drive was interesting as hell. Hiway 101 goes through another little town called Bandon. Kind of a tourist town, cause of the lighthouse there at the mouth of the Coquille river. Dangerous place out there. Lots of boats have sunk there over the years. Now, Bandon is home to a world class golf course, that has a clientel that is lets say well to do. And by the looks of the homes along the cliffs there, I would say it is upper middle class. And I hate that class stuff but it exists so what can I do. After all, I'm Irish.
I didn't know what to expect, but the guy sounded friendly on the phone, so I figured what the hell, got nothin to loose cause I ain't working at the moment anyway. I met him at his home. As soon as we met, we hit it off. Turns out, I'm exactly what he needs. After a half hour of discussing the project and looking at the plans, he suggested we go to the jobsite and look at what has already been done and the house itself, as we are going to match the construction of the house. House is an understatement. I drove, he rode with me.
As we drove to the jobsite, I noticed the view of the ocean had changed, and was becomeing more beautiful by the minute. I don't know if you have ever seen pictures of the Oregon coastline, but the postcard photographers must know this place. Stunning. The jobsite was 10 miles south of Port Orphard. We came to a gravel road that turned off the highway towards the ocean, and winded for 1/2 a mile down a steep incline, through a small grove of cedar trees. Port Orphard cedar. A view from a postcard became visible, as did the house. HOLY SMOLLY! This isn't your run of the mill home folks. It was featured 2 yrs ago in Architectural Digest, according to the GC.
Ultra contemporary, sheithed in Port Orphard Cedar planks, but I could only make out the outline, as a fence, which appeared as part of the entrance to the house, hid the rear elevation. The design was ....lets say very unusual. And expensive. Very.
What I could make out, was the east exposure of the roof, which was a heavy duty grey corrugated metal. Unusual to say the least. It looked like a giant triangle. What lay hidden behind the fence, was a courtyard, which we gained entrance to, since the GC had a key to the gates, or doors as it turns out. Along side the fence lay 13 Port Orphard Cedar logs, which turns out were the support beams for the project I am about to embark on. BIG. BIG BEAMS. Actually tree trunks. They matched the house beams, of which some were 20" in diameter. He remarked the ridge beam to the house was $30k. Hmmm, I could build a home for that. Woodbutchers home, but a home no less. Class, were talking UPPER CLASS.
I felt uncomfortable. Coming from a Navy enlisted class, this was an eye opener. To say the least. But no one was home, so I relaxed. I get nervous around money. As if you couldn't tell, I have no class, so I don't know how to act around people who do. Oh well. Turns out this is a getaway. Ha! GETAWAY? From what, I can only imagine. On to the project.
When shown the plans for the project, I was baffled. 14 pages of E size drawings, with details, sections, elevations etc. And a 1/2" thick specifications book. For a 11' x 19' GREENHOUSE? Wha the f.... Now I've been drafting for many years and have no trouble deciphering 2d lines as most plans use the same type of standards, construction, materials, etc. Even for Macys projects. Of course, class enters the picture again. I'm not used to this level of construction and materials. There isn't a 2x4 in the place. I nodded as if I understood the plans at a glance, while inside I am screaming "you fool. Now see what you've got yourself into. How you gonna exit from this awkward situation gracefully."
I didn't have to. Once I saw the house, every detail and elevation made all the sense in the world. Beautiful detailing. Fine materials. Absolute sense. Like a great songs progression. On paper, in notation, I'm lost, but once I hear it, I can play it. Very unusual construction. Design is one thing, architectural design, done well is another. I love it. The outside sheithing looked like slot absorbers. The fabric in this case is a special ply. For the weather. Over the ply was Cedar planks, full 1" thick, 8" wide with 1/2" slots. Resawn surface finish. Expensive. Most milled sheithing planks are 3/4" resawn to a 11/16" or 5/8" thickness. Like T-111 siding ply. These were milled right from the flitch 1" thick. And 20' long. Solid cedar. Try and find that at home depot. They'll laugh at you.
The GC pointed up the hill about 500 yards, and over a foot bridge that wasn't finished yet. The forms for the slab were visible, as were the footings for the rafters, which are the cedar logs. They bolt to steel plates, which in turn fasten to 3/4" unithread embedded in angled concrete footings. Kind of like an "A" frame with 2 different roof pitchs. Very unusual, which everything is unusual in this project. Even the concrete. The color matched the sea. Beautiful polished concrete. At least when it's done.
Now, my nomenclature for construction items may not be correct, as I am a designer/cabinet maker, not a carpenter or construction expert, but I'll do my best. The dirt around the slab was a very unusual clay type soil, which the GC said was very unstable. The foundation footings were 2' deep and 1' wide. Every place that a rafter pole met it's footing, that footing extended out from the slab. Heavy duty. No wonder the bid for this little building was $42,000.

OK, now I understood. What a moron from an underclass background. I felt unprepared. And uneducated. What the hell am I going to do here? I explained to the GC that this type of construction was out of my league of experience. He put me at ease and said...."same here, I'm only a Landscape contractor. Not a GC.
Wheeeeeeeeeew! I hate looking like an idiot. He said the Architect is very helpful, and if there was anything that we didn't understand, he would clarify it. The client wants "unusual". Well, who the hell knows how to build "unusuall" I said "OK, when do I start? "Yesterday" he replied. "Lets go into the house and look at the cabinetry"
Cool. Just as I figured. High end detailing, roughsawn finishes. Cool, right up my alley. European casework, easy. Splined Cedar plank doors, melamine interiors. No problem. In fact, very easy construction. But nice design and hardware. My kind of stuff. Just what I like.
OK, great. He asked me if I could detail the cabinetry for submittal to the architect. No problem, I have autocad 2002 and already have most of the details drawn. Just a matter of plugging em into the overall plan, just like a digital workstation FX. I let out a sigh of relief. "How much do you want?" he asked. I told him what I made at my last job in Sacramento, but was ready to accept less because of my lack of experience in the actual construction area. He said no problem, that would be just fine. YAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I took him home, and began my journey home which takes about an hour. A beautiful hour. Funny how you feel after getting hired.
Elation, satisfaction, and a sense of selfworth. Havn't felt that in a while. Actually felt terrified earlier this week. Thats over. When I got home, I told my wife the news.
She hugged me and said, "See, I told you that you had nothing to worry about. I had faith in your abilitys and skills. You just don't." Thats why I love her.

Well guys, I know this is a long drawn out story, that doesn't seem to relate to studio, but it does. Down the road. YAHOOOOOOOOO! Damn I wish I could have a beer. Uhuh. Later guys.
fitZ