
Tadpui
Well-known member
I am not a handy man. It's taken years of trial, error, more error, utter failure, and giving up...but I've come to the conclusion that until they put 6 strings on a hammer, I'll never be handy with one. So now that I'm in a position to finally construct a little project studio in my unfinished basement, I'm resigned to having pros do the work.
Unfortunately, Kansas City isn't exactly an area with a burgeoning recording industry. So there don't seem to be any contractors in the area with any specialization or expertise in the materials and techniques involved in building a residential studio space. So it terrifies me to have Joe Schmoe and Co. hammering away in my basement with only my guidance on what the sub-structure should be. I'm sure that they know how to build an excellent standard room in a basement, but I have a feeling that they don't spend their evenings reading Rod Gervais and contemplating the absorption coefficient of various construction materials. I'm sure that if I try to explain room modes, flanking, and the concepts of isolation to them, that my own tenuous grasp on these concepts would come shining through and none of us would know what the hell is going on.
So if you have a little knowledge about the fundamentals of isolation and acoustic treatment and you barely know which way to hold an electric drill, who would you call to consult on a home studio build? Gervais' book has some great info in it, and I understand the concepts behind the techniques, but when it comes to the explanations of the actual construction, I just don't get it well enough to explain it to a residential construction foreman. And if I tried to play the foreman or builder part myself, the city might have to condemn my whole block after the resulting catastrophe.
I started Googling acousticians and acoustical consultants in the area, and there are a couple. But they seem to specialize in auditoriums, arenas, and hotel conference rooms. I have a feeling that they're priced one or two orders of magnitude out of my league. Do you think that's a lead worth chasing down, or should I just keep reading until I get it well enough to design it myself and explain it to a layman?
Unfortunately, Kansas City isn't exactly an area with a burgeoning recording industry. So there don't seem to be any contractors in the area with any specialization or expertise in the materials and techniques involved in building a residential studio space. So it terrifies me to have Joe Schmoe and Co. hammering away in my basement with only my guidance on what the sub-structure should be. I'm sure that they know how to build an excellent standard room in a basement, but I have a feeling that they don't spend their evenings reading Rod Gervais and contemplating the absorption coefficient of various construction materials. I'm sure that if I try to explain room modes, flanking, and the concepts of isolation to them, that my own tenuous grasp on these concepts would come shining through and none of us would know what the hell is going on.
So if you have a little knowledge about the fundamentals of isolation and acoustic treatment and you barely know which way to hold an electric drill, who would you call to consult on a home studio build? Gervais' book has some great info in it, and I understand the concepts behind the techniques, but when it comes to the explanations of the actual construction, I just don't get it well enough to explain it to a residential construction foreman. And if I tried to play the foreman or builder part myself, the city might have to condemn my whole block after the resulting catastrophe.
I started Googling acousticians and acoustical consultants in the area, and there are a couple. But they seem to specialize in auditoriums, arenas, and hotel conference rooms. I have a feeling that they're priced one or two orders of magnitude out of my league. Do you think that's a lead worth chasing down, or should I just keep reading until I get it well enough to design it myself and explain it to a layman?