what kind of room makes for a good studio?

[dobro]

This got buried and ignored in another thread:

"I know that people build studios to get a completely decent sound. Fair enough. But what about people like me who make the best of a bad situation? Let's say you don't want to go to the trouble and expense of building a studio from scratch. But let's say you're in a position to choose this or that accommodation to move into. So, what do you look at in terms of a room that would be good for recording and mixing? I'm thinking the main consideration would be its shape and size. So: non-parallel walls and ceiling/floor, right? Also, what would be a size that would minimize the most vicious reflection problems?

I'm looking for the most obvious things here. I'm sure the list can go on forever - wood floor, what's above/below it, what the neighborhood's like, windows/doors, electrics etc. But what are the main considerations?"

 

[dobro]

wow...

 

[VSpaceBoy]

So if I'm reading your question right.. your asking what to go and look for on the "market" that would be good for recording and mixing?

If that is the question, then the answer would be good luck because unless its designed for that use, most likely it wouldn't work as is. There are so many considerations it would be like going into Walmart and asking the electronics guy to show you where the 24 channel Mackie section is.

The only thing that I guess would be close to as is would be to buy a place out in the middle of no where and record outside.

The next easy answer would be to just get the biggest space to work with. Then the treatments won't eat into your space as much and you still have a comfortable place to record/mix.

Those are some of the things that I'm thinkin' instead of building from scratch. My studio is going to go in the basement since that is the largest area without walls that I can use and mold into what I can use.

Just my thoughts, I'm sure everyone else has more to say.

Ron

 

[knightfly]

Yeah, I was kinda stopped by the idea of finding a home that already had splayed walls in a room, couldn't think of a non-smartass reply.

However, if you could find a place that has a room where the ceiling is already vaulted, it's a start - for soundproofing, though, the most practical way is to start from scratch. It's so hard to tell what's been done once the wall coverings and floors are on, it's pretty much just pissing in the wind.

For acoustic quality WITHOUT worring about sound proofing, a vaulted room with the lower part of the ceiling in front of you is a good start on a RFZ mix area - a couple of splayed false walls for flutter control/early reflections, some heavy absorbent behind you, and you're almost there... Steve

 

[dobro]

The room I was using before my present one was way better than I knew at the time. The walls were all parallel, but the ceiling sloped pretty radically up to a pretty high peak, and the highest wall had a large unglassed square window that opened into an adjoining room with a similarly high ceiling. I never sealed that window cuz I figured the sound did better going into the other room and bouncing around before it came back, compared to the immediate reflection I'd get if I sealed it.