What do I need??

[dturcotte]

Ok,

I am making the leap and redesigning my garage into my studio. I am going to wire everything through the walls and probably put in XLR and 1/4 wall plates. So, my question is....

What should I be using for wall plates? Brand of connectors?
I am assuming 3 pin connectors?
1/4" do not need to be TRS if I am using them as "instrument cables?
What should I use for cable?
When running the cable through the walls, I should keep them away from power wire... but how far?

I have done searches through here and have come up with some good info but would really like some as a whole if you know what I mean. I need advice from the all knowing, all seeing!!

Yes, that would be a kiss up!

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

What should I be using for wall plates?

That depends on your target Transmission loss through the walls...and I don't mean electrical/signal loss. When you penetrate a boundary, you create a flanking path for sound. Look at your whole studio construction strategy before deciding on these sort of details. Once you have identified what your soundproofing goals are, this will provide the rational for other things. Such as penetrating a wall for HVAC. Maybe tell us more about what your goals in the studio are first.
fitZ

 

[ridgeback]

What should I be using for wall plates?

I like the 2gang/4 XLR Carvin Brand.

Brand of connectors?

There's a new Whirlwind twistlock XLR out there that we liked alot. Solder tabs are nice and solid construction. Strain relief works well also.

I am assuming 3 pin connectors?

XLR

1/4" do not need to be TRS if I am using them as "instrument cables?

Do yourself a favor and make them TRS. They'll still work as TS but you'll have the option.

What should I use for cable?

Use quality shielded cable. We used 22g 4 conductor + shield but you can get away with 22/2 w/shield.

When running the cable through the walls, I should keep them away from power wire... but how far?

The farther the better if runs are parallel. I like a foot.

Now, speaking from experience I will tell you now to go back and re-read Rick's post. Reason being is you need to start at the begining. Otherwise the could've/would've/should'ves are going to be HUGE. Get yourself a new notebook. Start with what you want to accomplish in this studio. How much isolation are you going to need. Seperate control room? DAW, digital, or analogue? Number of channels coming into control. Headphone sends. You get the idea. Now, your budget. How much do you have to spend? Now double it and spend that on the room. OK, back to Rick's post. How serious is the studio going to be. You can see where this is going (I hope). When we started our "project" studio, we were ready to just start slinging wire everywhere and make this cool looking room. Luckily, I slowed down and started READING the advice given on this forum. Before I posted anything, I thought hard about the info I really needed to get out of it. Believe me when I say it doesn't matter how small or how big you plan on making this studio. If you take your time and break it down into steps, it'll go alot smoother and you'll get results that you can be proud of. NOW GET BUSY! Oh yeah, answer Rick's questions.

 

[dturcotte]

Thanks guys.. and you're right... more info would have been better. So here it is:

I am looking to setup a semi-professional studio in my garage. (yes garage, lol). I have enough room for a 16X16 live room, 2 sound rooms 5X5, and a control room roughly 10X12. That is the plan right now but I am sure that will wander.

I am not as concerned about soundproofing the noise from the outside as I am between the room so i will be building the room inside a room.

I use 3 firepods, I have a 24 channel mixer that I use before sending to the pc. I am basically setting up the mixer full to accommodate a mutlitple of things such as 8-10 channels being used from an outboard pre, and the remaining I will use the boards pres or the pod itself.

So I was looking to set up 2 XLR's in each sound room with 1 1/4" TRS as well. Then I wanted to put 14 XLRs and 4 1/4" in the live room. All coming back to the control room and routed accordingly to the outboard pres and then mixer.

I also return 24 channels back from the pods back into the 24 "mixB" on the mixer and then back out to the pod to a stereo track.

I haven't planned anything for AC except probably window units ( i know but thats where I need to get tight). As far as heat, I have a monitor heater and elctric baseboard heat.

Hope this helps... bring the opinions on!!

 

[knightfly]

First of all, if you want your rooms to have even the REMOTEST possibility of sounding good (whether or not you need 'em sound isolated) you need to STOP THINKING LIKE A CARPENTER - by this, I mean that carpenters tend to think in even multiples of 4 feet, square rooms, simple rectangles, etc, because it's much easier to build.

However, you gave proposed dimensions that are the WORST possible choice for a sound room - what you want is for no two dimensions to be the same, no two dimensions to be divisible evenly by each other, etc, and preferably odd- numbered units ( a 3x5x7 booth will sound much better than a 4x4x8 one, because each dimension of a room creates its own set of harmonic reflections (known as modes) and if these reinforce each other, you get serious peaks and nulls in the frequency response of the room that make it IMPOSSIBLE to get that room sounding NEUTRAL.

In the case of a tracking room, the more tracks you record in a bad room the further from un-colored your final mix will sound, because these "little" bumps and holes in response MULTIPLY by the number of tracks with those flaws being mixed together.

I would seriously recommend slowing down, buying at least two books - Master Handbook of Acoustics by Alton Everest (the electronic version is easier to find things in, if you don't need portability) and Home Recording Studio - Build it Like the Pros, by Rod Gervais. These two will be the best $60 you could possibly spend toward having your studio NOT sounding like crap or bugging the neighbors... Steve

 

[ridgeback]

How about a drawing of what you're thinking for starters. Then we can rip it apart

 

[dturcotte]

I don't have anything drawn up electronically. Basically something on paper. The total room is 18'X28'.

And yes, I guess I was explaining as a "carpenter". And thank you for the recommendations on the books.

 

[dturcotte]

OK, I was thinking something like this:

 

[dturcotte]

And yes.. the dimensions are actually 15'5"X26'

 

[dturcotte]

Works better with Dims:

 

[Innovations]

you generally want your control room oriented along the long rather than short axis.

You are definitly thinking too rectilinear and symmetrical.

Try this, a smaller control room off center with a larger iso room to one side perhaps for drums and a smaller one to the other for vocals and a small equipment room in the corner

 

[dturcotte]

Good idea.. my concern is my desk with the mixer and 2 side racks is 7' wide. I am also looking at trying to keep as much space in the live room part. That is why i went with what I put above. Having the desk on the narrow side with the length behind me.

 

[pandamonk]

Here's my suggestions:

 

[dturcotte]

Thanks Pandamonk... I like the suggestions.

Try this, a smaller control room off center with a larger iso room to one side perhaps for drums and a smaller one to the other for vocals and a small equipment room in the corner

I played around with it and came up with this:

 

[pandamonk]

Thanks Pandamonk... I like the suggestions.

Quote:
Try this, a smaller control room off center with a larger iso room to one side perhaps for drums and a smaller one to the other for vocals and a small equipment room in the corner

I played around with it and came up with this:

That'll be a very cramped control room. You want a big control room. The back wall should be at least 6' behind your mixing position, if possible, in my opinion.

And would a drum kit fit in that iso room? For isolation of a drum kit the wall will need to be pretty thick, which leaves even less room for the control room and iso booth.

I think you want a big control room, and a large live room. Either this or big control, relatively large live, and small dead booth. Any more in that space will be too much.

Also, what height is your ceiling?

 

[dturcotte]

I agree... definitely no room for an Iso room for drums. And I also like the idea of having room at my back. The sound rooms would be more for amps and vocal.

 

[dturcotte]

The door to the CR would be a slider possibly to have full view out. The garage door would be replaced with something like french doors in order to have easy access to get equipment in/out. (not to mention I would still like to keep my Harley in there

 

[pandamonk]

I agree... definitely no room for an Iso room for drums. And I also like the idea of having room at my back. The sound rooms would be more for amps and vocal.

I think the control room should be a bit wider. And is it really a good idea have a clear view, from outside, at all your equipment? I've added the sq ft to the rooms i suggested.

 

[dturcotte]

Yep... made the CR a little wider and added a little more room to sound rms.

 

[pandamonk]

Yep... made the CR a little wider and added a little more room to sound rms.

I'd make the control room at least 11' wide... probably best 11'6". Knightfly said it is best to have a rooms dimensions going up like 3x5x7. So 7'x11'6"x16' is best, i think. Although your room probably wont be 16' once the extra walls are in, if you're putting any in, ie if you build a room within a room.So 8'x11'6"x15'...