Fun With Creating A Space!

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:50 pm

Hi all... I have always dreamed of having my very own space to record and my dreams have come true. I now have to decide how to use it to it's maximum potential and to best suit my needs. I need help creating a layout based on your experience and knowledge.

I want a control room and a tracking room. I also want it to sound somewhat lively rather then dead. I would like to have the controle room accoustics as accurate as possible. Ideally, I will just put up a few walls to create the layout... I don't want to move the stairs, furnace, water heater, tub, or washer/dryer. Here is what I have to work with including dimensions... how should I use this space:

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:48 pm

What are your "soundproofing" needs, in terms of keeping outside sound out and inside sound in?

norton · Post by **norton** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:36 pm

Very cursory advice here.

Looking at the spatial layout. I'd say start thinking about making your space to the right of the stairwell your Control room/recording space.

You should be able to carve out a nice little iso room out of the room to the left of the stairs near the water heater.

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:40 pm

JWL wrote:What are your "soundproofing" needs, in terms of keeping outside sound out and inside sound in?

Thanks guys. Well, for soundproofing needs... the basement is almost completely under ground (except maybe the top 2.5 feet?). I think the only real sound leeker to the outside would be the two small windows. I guess i could plug/cover them. Luckly the neighbours are cool and seem to like to listen

Still, it would limit times I can make noise if I did nothing I suppose.

I'm not too worried about sound coming in because it's pretty quiet here... well it was till I moved in

I'm also not too worried about the sound leaking up to the rest of the house.

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:47 pm

Eh... not getting much of a responce so I drew up a plan to show one idea I had that blocks off the utilities and creates a separate space for them despite the not so convenient placement of stairs and utilities. Perhaps people can comment on any advantages or disadvanteges to this idea?

norton · Post by **norton** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:43 pm

Cool use of space.

But you'll spend a lot more of your time in the control room and if it were me, I'd want to be in the larger, more comfortable... and better sounding space.

The small room seems like a perfect and cozy place to keep amps... but not a very ideal place to mix with speakers.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:46 pm

Derrick wrote:Eh... not getting much of a responce so I drew up a plan to show one idea I had that blocks off the utilities and creates a separate space for them despite the not so convenient placement of stairs and utilities. Perhaps people can comment on any advantages or disadvanteges to this idea?

That is just about exactly like my set up. but i got a bit more width on the control room.

no window, but a sliding glass door into the big room. Works for me!

klangtone · Post by **klangtone** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:33 pm

Before you do anything, I would go get a book like Home Recording Studio, Build it Like the Pros. It's going to give you some useful info about getting isolation between your control room and tracking room (assuming you care about such things). It also will give you some ideas about what's important for your control room (e.g. symmetry).

Roy

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:53 pm

klangtone wrote:Before you do anything, I would go get a book like Home Recording Studio, Build it Like the Pros. It's going to give you some useful info about getting isolation between your control room and tracking room (assuming you care about such things). It also will give you some ideas about what's important for your control room (e.g. symmetry).

Roy

totally.. i didn't have that book.. and being a renter, could only do so much, but what i did do (separate the control room from the main room) probably could be better.. cause i've got a three leaf thing going on instead of a two leaf thing....

and treatment for the control room didn't happen til about a year into this.. and its MUCH better now.. but not "ideal" but still better than working out of a rehearsal room and it being my own room can be flexible on things like budgets.

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:36 am

norton wrote:Cool use of space.

But you'll spend a lot more of your time in the control room and if it were me, I'd want to be in the larger, more comfortable... and better sounding space.

The small room seems like a perfect and cozy place to keep amps... but not a very ideal place to mix with speakers.

Thanks everyone.

This is very good imput. What is not ideal about mixing on speakers in that room and what do you suggest?

norton · Post by **norton** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:59 am

Well.. as you have it laid out... you're in a very small room which, depending upon your gear could pose some ergonomic problems.. Let alone heat issues. purely comfort driven so far.

More problematic to me are the acoustic issues. 15x 12 isn't too small I guess. But you've got a pretty short draw back to the wall bump that frames in your water heater. That's going to give you some ginky feedback from the left rear... And then you're up tight to the left side of the room and you've got what looks to be 50% more space to the right. Which will make your right side sound weaker.

Symmetry isn't the MOST important thing in the world.. But it's really nice if you can get it.

My space is irregularly shaped and it was a very problematic space to work in mix-wise until i "forced" a little more symmetry into the picture.

To me, it just looks easier to get that in the "tracking room".

Again. how you plan to use the space is key. If you're regularly tracking live RAWK bands... I'd want the separate control room too. And with enough acoustic treatment... ie bass trapping etc.. you'll be able to make the smaller room work.

BUT if you're working either by yourself, OR are in the band... It might make more sense to use the control room for drums and have the band in the bigger room with the desk/daw/tape decks etc..

My two cents. Natural Light and enough space to stretch out is where I'd want my control room to be.. You're already compromised in ceiling height. I'd imagine that the smaller room is going to feel smaller than it is after it's walled in.

Al_Huero · Post by **Al_Huero** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:51 pm

I'd try and get some symetry in your mix position. As stated a few posts above--grab Rob Gervais' book--lots of good info. You don't want any reflections from the right and left side hitting you at different times--the goal is to create a reflection free zone (RFZ). You can accomplish this somewhat with treatment if you have to; but given that you're building a new space you should be able to set it up right to begin with.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:46 pm

i like your basic idea. i would try and get a few more feet outta the control room at the expense of the utilities room, and move your mixer to the south wall.

OR make the top right section (where you have the live room now) the control room, with your mixer on the north wall, and have the live room going horizontally across the bottom. that might be weird as far as the stairs, but it could work out ok...you could have the space on the bottom left for the drums, and have amps n stuff on the right hand side of the stairs, you could build some sort of baffling under the stairs and maybe get a little more potential separation than the way you have it laid out now.

either way treat the hell out of the ceiling.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:03 pm

if you don't plan on recording other people (and maybe even if you do), i would place the tracking and control areas in the same room...One Big Room.

the area you currently have designated as the control room would be good broken into one or two isolation booths.

beware noise from the furnace and hot water heater and make sure you have utility access on all sides of both, even if it means large removable panels.

+1 on treating the hell out of the ceiling.

also, watch out for weird reflections from under the stairs...better yet, build a big floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet underneath it.

if you simply MUST have tracking and control separate, i'd go with MSE's idea.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:48 pm

yeah, you know...thinking about it a little more, one big room actually does make more sense. cause in a basement, with that amount of space, any kind of normal wall you put up between the rooms is really gonna do fuck all as far as isolation. the drums/amps are gonna be 10-20 feet away from you no matter what you do, all a wall is gonna do is knock off a few db's and some high end. your acoustics are already a little compromised with the lowish ceiling, might as well make the other dimensions as big as you can, as this will get you the best possible sounding control AND live room.

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