Weird Space for Recording, Advice.

[old-ironsides]

Hey how's everyone doin..? I'm pretty new to recording all together and I'm lookin to take advantage of some space I have available to me. I'd appreciate any advice or opinions on taking adavantage of the space to it's full extent. I've read a little bit about acoustics n such and it seems that this is def a big part in getting a good recording.. The only thing is that the room I have available to me is kind of weird. First off it's in a basement that has no dry wall but instead is finished with a type of vinyl covered insulation, covering the entire ceiling and walls. I'm going to post some picks so you can get a better understanding of what I'm talking about. Also I have an area in the space that is about 11'X10'. This area is pretty much like a stage. It's about 6" off the ground and on one end it is shaped like half of a decagon. Any advantage to this area or ideas?? I also drew out a layout of my basement to better understand the room. I'm going to be using a Line 6 toneport UX8 that i Just bought from a guitar center near me that had it on clearance. At first I think I'm am just going to try to run everything direct, drums, guitars, keyboards, etc, and then once I feel that I have a little experience down and have seen some progress then I'll go on and try some other recording techniques. So some of the things I was wondering is, even though I'm going to run it direct should I still put a good deal into treating the room? Do you think I should build a vocal booth, control room? Like I said I'm really new to this and would appreciate any constructive criticism. Also by the way everything in the room can be moved, I'm actually in the process of moving 75% of everything in that room out of there, furniture and many other things.

 

[moresound]

Are the stairs the only way in and out?

I won't build or think of building a vocal booth, but a good size mixing (control room) area is always nice.

If you can keep the furniture in the room to help break up sound reflections Then google up "how to make bass traps" and get to town building those.

That raised area looks like a good place for drums but you may have transferred resonate of the hollow structure up through the microphone stand.

You are going to have to get an interface with 8 preamps to record the drums, noway around that. You just can't go direct I believe your line 6 will be fine, then you are going to need microphones, stands, cabling. For your DAW you can download Reaper it's very good and only $40. if you deiced to keep it.

Start with that.

 

[Sky Blue Lou]

I'm wondering what that room sounds like now without treatment. It's plenty big enough. What is that stuff on the walls and what's behind it? I know you said vinyl but how thick is it? Do you know anything about it or the manufacturer? There may be some acoustics specs for the stuff - try to find out.


lou

 

[jhbrandt]

It looks like plastic vapor barrier on fiberglass insulation. Probably very good for treatment.

You may need to look into isolation as this stuff does not stop sound from going outside.

I would not recommend building a CR - at least NOT in the area that you outlined. The Control Room is the most important room in the studio and must be treated properly if you are to mix properly.

Make the large room that you now have into a one room studio/CR. There are good articles and calculators on my publications page and also at Realtraps and GIK.

Cheers,
John

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

What is that stuff on the walls

A catastrophic fire waiting to happen if you ask me.

Probably very good for treatment.

Yea John, if you live to tell about it. Frankly, this is the whole reason why Building Inspection Departments require a PERMIT AND INSPECTIONS.
. If everyone did crap like that .....well, the graveyards would fill up in a week. BTW, doesn't anyone THINK anymore. It's like common sense has become passe. sheeeezus.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Btw, take a look at this thread.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...uilding-display/let-me-see-your-studio-70931/

Look at the Poll selections, and guess which one I picked for your studio.

 

[Chili]

The stuff on the walls is PVC covered insulation. I had it in my basement at my last house, put there by the builder and inspected by the county. It's about 2 - 3 inches thick and I'm guessing is the insulation of choice for concrete walls. It's low density stuff like you would find in the attic. I don't think it's a fire hazard, not anymore so than any other kind of insulation. I also don't think it is any good as a bass trap or low freq absorbtion. When I built my studio in my last house, I put up walls an inch or so off the insulation and then treated the room as recommended here.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

The stuff on the walls is PVC covered insulation.

Oh really? Inspected? Well I stand corrected then. I've NEVER heard of it, nor seen it. Looked like garden variety plastic sheeting to me. Ok, well...I apologize. Can't keep up with all this new fangled stuff anymore. Actually, I just did a search on it. Didn't find a thing. Are you sure? No matter though. I couldn't stand living in a room like that. Hey, do you have a link to this stuff? I want to see the fire rating. I even did a Wikipedia read on PVC. It didn't say a dang word about it's flammability. Ok, well, learn somptin new evra daigh!

 

[old-ironsides]

I just would like to say off the bat, no pun intended, get it...? sorry.. but anyways I would just like to say thanks to everyone that took the time to reply and for their advice. The stairs are the only way in and out and there are 2 windows that you can't really see on each side of the t.v. on the same wall as the bar.. I'm kind of curious as to the space I mentioned before and also the space that you mentioned I should record drums.. I've set my kit up on that raised area once when I moved the bed and it sounded awful to me. At least in the offset part of the foundation.. It just sounded dead. my drums sounded like there were going bloop, bloop, bloop bloop, thud, psht. If that makes any sense what so ever. When my interface comes in I would like to test with diff mic placement and and see what the deal. is.. Maybe set the kit back in that space and point them towards a mic set up by the stairs or somethin. As to the control room, that's what I was thinkin too.. Having the control and playing area in the same space, I'm just wondering on where the best place in the room would be to set up the monitors and everything else.. But I guess I'll just have to mess around with it to see what sounds best.. I have been trying to look up the acoustic specs but really have not had much time the past two days, I have just recently gone back to school and I was swamped with 2 papers and an exam I had to study for but I know they refer to the insulation as blanket insulation much of the time and it's just normal fiberglass insulation with a thin strip of white vinyl covering. It is a basement so pretty much every wall is concrete except the wall that is kind of to the left of the drum kit parallel to the wall with the T.V. and windows I mentioned earlier.
And by the way.. The room is lined with that shabby insulation because it was a cheap decent looking way to finish the basement at the time, which my dad agreed to help me with. When it was first done it looked decent but it was a great place to hang out and still is.. If that room could survive 40+ drunk teenagers at a time, half of which most likely smoked, and not burn down I think I'll be alright. By the way also, my dad is a builder by trade and has built probably over 600 houses in his time so if it was a fire hazard I'm pretty sure he would have gone a different route... especially because his only son was going to be living in it.

 

[Chili]

Oh really? Inspected? Well I stand corrected then. I've NEVER heard of it, nor seen it. Looked like garden variety plastic sheeting to me. Ok, well...I apologize. Can't keep up with all this new fangled stuff anymore. Actually, I just did a search on it. Didn't find a thing. Are you sure? No matter though. I couldn't stand living in a room like that. Hey, do you have a link to this stuff? I want to see the fire rating. I even did a Wikipedia read on PVC. It didn't say a dang word about it's flammability. Ok, well, learn somptin new evra daigh!

yeah, that's what i thought, too, when I first saw the stuff. I tried finding it on the web, but I'm having problems with with IE8 (go figure) and can't do much of anything.

 

[jhbrandt]

.. I've set my kit up on that raised area once when I moved the bed and it sounded awful to me. At least in the offset part of the foundation.. It just sounded dead. my drums sounded like there were going bloop, bloop, bloop bloop, thud, psht. If that makes any sense what so ever. When my interface comes in I would like to test with diff mic placement and and see what the deal. is.. Maybe set the kit back in that space and point them towards a mic set up by the stairs or somethin.

Sorry I didn't mention this earlier; Remove that platform if you intend to use the space for recording or mixing. I am not surprised that you get a crappy sound from instruments on the riser.
A sheet of plywood directly on the concrete floor is excellent for setting up a kit. You can also use a thin area carpet so that the drums don't go sliding around.

As to the control room, that's what I was thinkin too.. Having the control and playing area in the same space, I'm just wondering on where the best place in the room would be to set up the monitors and everything else..

You have a lot of space so it shouldn't be too hard to find a good area for that. As I said before, have a look at my pubs - & Realtraps & GIK have some great articles that can help you to decide where to put your system.

Cheers,
John

 

[Gnasticious]

Thats going to be a helluvatime treating and wiring. I would suggest that you cut holes in the walls for window(visual) communication. If you go to home depot you can get these five dollar metal chimney toppers that can be nailed into your ceiling to create reflectivity, I'd line em all over. You can experiment with direction on them depending on how your live room will be set up. If you need impromptu walls, I'd go with cubicle walls, treat them with soundfoam, etc.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

If you go to home depot you can get these five dollar metal chimney toppers that can be nailed into your ceiling to create reflectivity, I'd line em all over.

I'm ready to retire from this stuff. I've heard it all now. Chimney toppers? OMG.










Dr. Peter D'Antonio would get a kick out of that one.

 

[Supercreep]

If you go to home depot you can get these five dollar metal chimney toppers that can be nailed into your ceiling to create reflectivity, I'd line em all over. You can experiment with direction on them depending on how your live room will be set up. If you need impromptu walls, I'd go with cubicle walls, treat them with soundfoam, etc.

Ignore all of this nonsense, OP.

Nice space you've got. Take your time with it.

 

[Zachyboy4]

Oh really? Inspected? Well I stand corrected then. I've NEVER heard of it, nor seen it. Looked like garden variety plastic sheeting to me. Ok, well...I apologize. Can't keep up with all this new fangled stuff anymore. Actually, I just did a search on it. Didn't find a thing. Are you sure? No matter though. I couldn't stand living in a room like that. Hey, do you have a link to this stuff? I want to see the fire rating. I even did a Wikipedia read on PVC. It didn't say a dang word about it's flammability. Ok, well, learn somptin new evra daigh!

bro. this post seriously threw me off.

 

[Chili]

Hey, do you have a link to this stuff? I want to see the fire rating.

Hey, I think I found it. I guess it's not PVC, but I am no expert on plastics. This stuff sure looks like what I had in my basement at my last house. Similar to the OP's pics, too.

Basement Wall - Batts & Rolls - Fiber Glass Insulation - Insulation - CertainTeed

peace,

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Hey, I think I found it. I guess it's not PVC, but I am no expert on plastics

No wonder. It's not PVC, which is what I was looking for. I'm certainly no expert either, but I thought I'd mention the danger of using standard Poly sheeting in this context. Ok, it's White Metallized Polypropylene. Now that I know what it is, and how it's used, I'll be aware of it's use if I see it again. Thanks.

bro. this post seriously threw me off.

Threw you off? Off of what?