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Recording Studio


tombboy
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When Mrs Tombboy and I moved house last year, one of the selling points for buying the place was a bloody great big outbuilding in the garden (6.5m x 4m).
I've always wanted my own recording facility and envisaged this as the perfect place. Only trouble was, is was almost falling down and needed an awful lot of work.

Undeterred I went ahead and purchased all the recording gear (Mac G4 running pro-logic, Mackie 24-8 desk, racks of effects, Mackie monitors, Neumanns mic and bollock loads of leads etc) and had it put in storage until we got round to starting the build.

Essentially a blockwork base with wooden structure under a tiled roof (some RSJ's to support the whole structure), I drew an initial plan...
Small corridor leading to a drum/vocal room then another room for the live mixing, overdubbing etc.

This is the internal before any work was done:


We then cleaned it our for my 40th birthday and it looked like this:





Just started the work needed this week. So far we have treated the concrete floor, put in a damproof membrane, removed the gable end (rotted) and started to replace this. Replaced the door and purchased the new windows.:










The internal stud work should be completed tomorrow, then we crack on and insulate the dry walls.

Its been fun, but a little chilly!!

More updates when we make progress!

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I wish I had a building like that! Cool. Have you researched acoustics at all? How are you going to be treating the room(s)? If you section off a control room, will you have enough room in your live room? And will the control room be cramped?

I know it's not very proffessional, but sometimes bigger live rooms sound better, and you could get a silent case for your PC, set up your mixing console in the live room, turn the speakers down when you record. It's what I do (not to save space) and it works great!

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[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='344275' date='Dec 3 2008, 04:01 PM']You'll have to buy me a drink first![/quote]

For some reason your avatar is stretched vertically. Is it on anyone else's screen? Perhaps you should upload a c*ck shot while you have the opportunity for artificial length enhancement.

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Any advice on acoustics would be most welcome. Although we will mostly be recording digitally including drums (Roland TD20) we may well do some acoustic/analogue (sp?) stuff. The drum/vocal room will measure approximately 2m x 3m, corridor 1m x 2m and the live/mixing room 4m x 4m. There will be an internal double sealed unit window between the vocal booth and the mixing room for visual cues etc.
Forgot to add... floating wooden floors throughout, recessed lighting and a stella fridge!!

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[quote name='tombboy' post='344326' date='Dec 3 2008, 04:42 PM']Any advice on acoustics would be most welcome. Although we will mostly be recording digitally including drums (Roland TD20) we may well do some acoustic/analogue (sp?) stuff. The drum/vocal room will measure approximately 2m x 3m, corridor 1m x 2m and the live/mixing room 4m x 4m. There will be an internal double sealed unit window between the vocal booth and the mixing room for visual cues etc.
Forgot to add... floating wooden floors throughout, recessed lighting and a stella fridge!![/quote]

Cool, the dimensions sound allright, but it would be a bit tight recording a full band in there. I suppose people don't really do that much now. I don't really know that much about acoustics. I think there's a great SOS article about building home studios, you could find it on their website. I think if you make the partition double-walled with some foam or whatever inside, and angle the windows so that the viewing window doesn't form a parallel box, you should be OK. Oh, and double doors for the partition.

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[quote name='tombboy' post='344326' date='Dec 3 2008, 04:42 PM']Any advice on acoustics would be most welcome. Although we will mostly be recording digitally including drums (Roland TD20) we may well do some acoustic/analogue (sp?) stuff. The drum/vocal room will measure approximately 2m x 3m, corridor 1m x 2m and the live/mixing room 4m x 4m. There will be an internal double sealed unit window between the vocal booth and the mixing room for visual cues etc.
Forgot to add... floating wooden floors throughout, recessed lighting and a stella fridge!![/quote]
I didn't get all the way through the thread so forgive me if this is elsewhere.
I would suggest if possible avoid parrallel walls in the control room. you can spend ages listening to mixes that sound good in that room because of the acoustic properties it has, then take them elsewhere and they sound sh*te. I don't know the technical term for what you need to do but it's definitely worth getting a bit of pro advice about that.

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Began the internal stud walls today....









Hint taken about the parrallel walls. I also have to contend with a vaulted ceiling!! I'm going to seek advice from the Sound On Sound forum for the best method to combat these potential problems.

More updates after the weekend.

Edited by tombboy
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[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='345333' date='Dec 4 2008, 01:06 PM']Jaime, I'm coming round when this is done.[/quote]
f***ing hope not... look what happened to Boy George!!

"Quick check before I go out...
Electrics off - check
Windows locked - check
Cat fed and watered - check
Rentboy chained to wall - check!" :)

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As well as the SOS forum, have a look through this forum as well:

[url="http://www.gearslutz.com/board/studio-construction-acoustics/"]http://www.gearslutz.com/board/studio-cons...tion-acoustics/[/url]

they have some pretty indepth threads about what you are doing with some pretty hardcore acoustic specialists floating about.

G

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Not much to add today apart from some internal insulation, external walls and purchasing the recessed lighting, internal doors and external window. Things will really start to take shape over the next few days so I'll get my camera out again. Electrical power should be connected over the weekend. Priced the floating floor.. bamboo (£600.00!! :) ) and the internal 'double thickness' window will also be fitted tomorrow. Formica workstation, Stella fridge and two-piece royal blue leathur suite ready and waiting. Hopefully will all be completed before crimbo!

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