Finding a space

[Leopold]

How did you guys go about finding a location for your studio? it seems like doing a search in the local classifieds means that the rent is already way too high.

Any advice for finding a place?

Eddie

[TapeOpLarry]

Driving around town in circles with Elliott Smith in the passenger seat! I came across a building that had a lease sign up, pestered the owner and got it - at a good rate to boot.

Now he's selling the 1/2 block we are on (along with other buildings) and we will be moving next year it looks like. I'll post more about that as it comes along...

[cgarges]

other buildings) and we will be moving next year it looks like. I'll post more about that as it comes along...

Man, what a pain. I'm sure this will lead to lots of interesting and useful information for all of us, though. Keep us informed.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[TapeOpLarry]

I remember having no luck with commercial realtors either.

If I was looking to buy a space for a studio I'd consider a home that was zoned commercial. Renting, I'd ask around everyone I know. That's how I'm getting my next space together. Have a meeting about it tomorrow, wish me luck!

[Mark Alan Miller]

Larry, after the two years I had looking for a house in our area where I could build a studio on the premises, and finally finding it (long story short,) I say my heart goes out to you! Good luck and keep us posted.

[gravy boat]

It was torture trying to find a location for our music school. Commercial realtors are a pain in the ass. Our biggest problem was finding a location where other tennants could tolerate the noise. We finally found a place after looking at nearly 100 properties. We are in the Austin city limits, but in an area classified as Austin Juridicial Territory. We have absolutely no zoning laws, we can do ANYTHING. Across the street, there is a swinger's club.

[TapeOpLarry]

Okay, I can announce it. It looks like (barring some unforseen problems) that my studio, Jackpot!, will be moving into a location that Scott Hampton (Hamptone of the preamp kits and such) is building at 50th and Division in SE Portland. It looks like it will a great new space for us. The place is a gutted wreck right now, we're meeting with the architect tomorrow. I'm excited. Plus imagine having a pro audio designer in the front who will be testing stuff with us! Trade Up Music, my fave Portland music store, is blocks away - there's a convenience store across the street - park nearby - Hawthorne dist is near for restaurants and bars. Gonna be cool.

I'll have many posts here about this as it develops. Probably stuff in the mag as I learn shit.

[soundguy]

superpowers unite!

good luck with the construction process larry!

for all the drama, building studios can be kinda fun.

dave

[TapeOpLarry]

I'm excited. The architect is cool,met with him today, though his first plan had an 11 x 11 control room! Yikes. It's 16 x 23 now.

[cgarges]

Sweet! Congrats, Larry!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[linus]

I had a hard time finding a place in Manhattan. I wasn't looking to open a commercial studio, just a place for myself. Anything that was listed as or called "studio space" was either outrageously expensive (well over $1500 per month for a tiny room) or was for painters/sculpture and they didn't want musicians in there. Trying to set up in a building that rented to musicians was difficult because they were really noisey. The other choics were sharing with people I didn't know (bye bye gear...) or renting by the hour (completely unacceptable)

I eventually realised that I needed to start looking at spaces that were just listed as storage space. I finally found a basement space in a tenement brownstone a few blocks from my apartment. It is managed by an east village slumlord company so they do have a maintanence department but don't care too much about what happens. When I looked at the space it had been used as someones office. It was large enough, relatively secure (3 locks between outside and my space), enough electrical, a bathroom was nearby, and the temperature is pretty constant.

I found that when looking for a space the words "recording studio", "rock and roll", "electric guitars", and "drumsets" were a no-no. Instead saying that I did, "audio-visual editing in computers" sufficed.

I built an isobooth for recording loud stuff. The booth is barely big enough to fit a small drumkit, but fine for guitar amps and vocals. It was a fun experience building it although it took me almost 5 months to get the space put together (in my spare time). It works well. No one has ever complained about noise.

It's still a cockroach/millipead infested basement space but it's MY cockroach/millipead infested basement space. With enough roach killer spread around it keeps them at bay. Noone will ever mistake my space for a commercial studio but it's only for my use and completely functional.

[I'm Painting Again]

I'm excited. The architect is cool,met with him today, though his first plan had an 11 x 11 control room! Yikes. It's 16 x 23 now.

arent multiples especially squares very bad because of standing waves?

[Mr. Dipity]

It's still a cockroach/millipead infested basement space but it's MY cockroach/millipead infested basement space. With enough roach killer spread around it keeps them at bay. Noone will ever mistake my space for a commercial studio but it's only for my use and completely functional.

Congrats.

[JGriffin]

I'm excited. The architect is cool,met with him today, though his first plan had an 11 x 11 control room! Yikes. It's 16 x 23 now.

Be very very careful with architects if they have not designed a recording studio before. Additionally, be very very careful with contractors if they have not built a recording studio before. Keep your acoustic consultant close by and don't let him just give you generic "so, you're building a voice booth..."-type advice. I had bad experiences along these lines last year that I'm still paying for.

All in all it's very exciting. Hope it goes well!

[gsa]

Now he's selling the 1/2 block we are on (along with other buildings) and we will be moving next year it looks like.

That's my biggest fear about renting. I've actually found the perfect space recently.. just what I've always imagined -- 6000+ square feet of empty space (it would double as a performance venue and overall art/loft space) on the second floor of a 100+ year old building on my town's Main Street. Beautiful brick architecture, wood floors, 14+ foot ceilings.. it's basically the holy-freaking grail. Problem is, the building is for sale. Actually it has been for quite a while (the commercial district here has moved to another area in town so the downtown-proper is becoming increasingly vacant and undesirable to businesspeople).. But I just know that as soon as I move into this place that the building will be sold and I'll be kicked out and heartbroken. I'm so crazy over this place and the possibilities running amok in my head that I'm considering exploring the option of buying it myself.. which probably is not the most wise of ideas at my age (21). The thing has been reduced in price a number of times, I guess due to lack of interest, and is now just under 200k. Two storeys of 6000 square feet each. 4 rental properties (3 occupied) on the bottom floor. No one wants it. Everyone I talk to about this thinks I'm crazy, and sometimes I'm inclined to agree with them.

Argh!