Just wanted to start a thread and bit of celebration about signing a lease for a 900 square foot building tomorrow.
I needed to move my living situation and my studio situation, which are both situated together right now by the end of the year. Not having any money and not working full time as well kinda made this a panic moment.
My studio is currently in a basement of the house i rent a room in. Nothing to special, but big enough to track a full band and i've gotten good results after being here for 5 years.
having to move and not wanting or able to pay two rents.. I didn't have to many options... get and apartment and lose the studio? rent another house and have to find a roommate or two or just be BROKE all the time?
Then this place came along, with the same rent as I'm paying now.
I just have to transform it into a living and working space. 900 sq ft isn't really that big... so i'm thinking of keeping the kitchen/bath area walled off and just having one big room to work/live in. Track, mix, living room. all in one.
As soon as i figure out some sort of graphics program, i'll post some layout ideas..
Its in an industrial and arty area, so i'm not really worried about bothering the neighbors.. the landlord said if I DON'T do any soundproofing, i just have to have loud bands done by 10. This space used to house woodworkers and their loud tools. So I may save the money I'd spend on sound proofing and just establish a curfew. BUT, build a small iso booth where I can have a cranked guitar or bass cab or a quiet singer or violin and NOT have the outside world creeping into the mic. Plus I'm hoping to start doing more tracking at real commercial studios anyhow.
Interested if anyone else has gone this route and decided NOT to have a control room and if they like working that way?
and is a shower hard to install...
New studio and living space.
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trodden
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New studio and living space.
Last edited by trodden on Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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the finger genius
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I work pretty much entirely without a control room these days, and my biggest worry is always whether the drums are going to sound good, because it's very difficult to hear how they actually sound if you're working with headphones right next to a drum kit.
I just ordered some drummer's style headphones, which have pretty good isolation, and they definitely have helped, but it can always be a surprise when you actually hear the drum kit on playback.
Luckily, I've gotten to the point where I kind of know how things will sound without having to do a ton of playback and mic adjustment, but this is definitely a little bit of a limitation of working in a one room space.
Other than that, I think one other thing about being in the room with the musician is that it's a more intimate process. You can't hide from them in the other room if things aren't going well, but you also get to hear their performance much more closely, as it sounds in the room. There are pros and cons, but you can definitely make it work.
I just ordered some drummer's style headphones, which have pretty good isolation, and they definitely have helped, but it can always be a surprise when you actually hear the drum kit on playback.
Luckily, I've gotten to the point where I kind of know how things will sound without having to do a ton of playback and mic adjustment, but this is definitely a little bit of a limitation of working in a one room space.
Other than that, I think one other thing about being in the room with the musician is that it's a more intimate process. You can't hide from them in the other room if things aren't going well, but you also get to hear their performance much more closely, as it sounds in the room. There are pros and cons, but you can definitely make it work.
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digitaldrummer
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agree with the inconvenience of having to do more playbacks to hear what things sound like, but I have also been working in a single room and I'm building my new studio as a single room too. In some ways its a lot easier to communicate and move around in a single room. I've gotten used to it.
The isolation headphones are a good idea, but don't always give you full range sound - I use the Vic Firth models for tracking but they really don't sound that good so still have to do playback to really hear what loud drums or guitars sound like through the mic.
there are also those modular iso booths that you can get - surprisingly I have seen a few of them come up on Craigslist around the Austin area - I guess sometimes people move and don't need them anymore so you may find a deal someday down the road too... or heck a few 2x4's, some sheetrock and insulation could go a long way and doesn't have to be permanent.
Mike
The isolation headphones are a good idea, but don't always give you full range sound - I use the Vic Firth models for tracking but they really don't sound that good so still have to do playback to really hear what loud drums or guitars sound like through the mic.
there are also those modular iso booths that you can get - surprisingly I have seen a few of them come up on Craigslist around the Austin area - I guess sometimes people move and don't need them anymore so you may find a deal someday down the road too... or heck a few 2x4's, some sheetrock and insulation could go a long way and doesn't have to be permanent.
Mike
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trodden
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I'll see if i can get a photo shop sketch or just scan the actual paper sketch i've been staring at for hours...
I really need to get caught up with the current graphics software... i know nothing... its going to be very frustrating asking people for help on this if I can't even provide a mock up..
basically the place is 23' by 35' total with a walled off 10" by 23" bedroom/bathroom/kitchen set up in the far end within that. leaving, roughly, a 24' by 23' with 9' ceiling open space for mixing, tracking, iso booth, living room, etc... trying to keep it as open/multi use as possible.
I really need to get caught up with the current graphics software... i know nothing... its going to be very frustrating asking people for help on this if I can't even provide a mock up..
basically the place is 23' by 35' total with a walled off 10" by 23" bedroom/bathroom/kitchen set up in the far end within that. leaving, roughly, a 24' by 23' with 9' ceiling open space for mixing, tracking, iso booth, living room, etc... trying to keep it as open/multi use as possible.
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trodden
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Here is the result of an afternoon figuring out the sketchup software.. pretty cool stuff.. but obviously, i'm a bit of a novice with it... but here is a general idea of what I'm walking into.. what the previous tenants have built and will be leaiving... in exception to the bed loft.. that's a modification on what they already have, allowing more room for a bigger mattress.. my girl thinks its time we move to a queen instead of a full... even though space is going to be tighter...
There is also a utility sink to the left of the double doors when you walk in. against the short wall, sharing plumbing with the sink and toilet on the other side of the wall. That area, to the left of the double doors and in front of the sliding glass doors into the bedroom area will be our small ass galley/kitchen as well.
The single entrance door in the bottom right corner will be probably blocked off, or not necessary.. moving ourselves, gear, people through the set of double doors.
That leaving a pretty much square space to do what we need to do. I have some rough ideas, but it would take me two years to show them with the sketch up program at this point... so i'll post some more 2-D layout ideas soon.
There is also a utility sink to the left of the double doors when you walk in. against the short wall, sharing plumbing with the sink and toilet on the other side of the wall. That area, to the left of the double doors and in front of the sliding glass doors into the bedroom area will be our small ass galley/kitchen as well.
The single entrance door in the bottom right corner will be probably blocked off, or not necessary.. moving ourselves, gear, people through the set of double doors.
That leaving a pretty much square space to do what we need to do. I have some rough ideas, but it would take me two years to show them with the sketch up program at this point... so i'll post some more 2-D layout ideas soon.
alright trodden! psyched for you man. you can totally do this duder.
i work i a single room, 600 sq ft room. it's a totally cool way of working.
like others have said:
awesome for intimacy, communication, hearing what's *actually* going on in the room. it's really no biggie to mic something up, print something really quick, and listen back, tweak to taste, repeat, get rolling. if you're producing, and the band is good with spontaneity, you can "conduct" stuff on the fly without having to bust into the room. "oh shit! it would be sweet if there was a break here!" *waves arms frantically and makes faces indicating band should stop at unplanned place*
lame for when you're trying to *hear* the playback and peeps are futzing with their guitars/drums/yapping super loud. harder to change sounds on the fly cause you cant really hear critically while you're rolling. it gets loud. plugs are good in addition to cans sometimes.
i work i a single room, 600 sq ft room. it's a totally cool way of working.
like others have said:
awesome for intimacy, communication, hearing what's *actually* going on in the room. it's really no biggie to mic something up, print something really quick, and listen back, tweak to taste, repeat, get rolling. if you're producing, and the band is good with spontaneity, you can "conduct" stuff on the fly without having to bust into the room. "oh shit! it would be sweet if there was a break here!" *waves arms frantically and makes faces indicating band should stop at unplanned place*
lame for when you're trying to *hear* the playback and peeps are futzing with their guitars/drums/yapping super loud. harder to change sounds on the fly cause you cant really hear critically while you're rolling. it gets loud. plugs are good in addition to cans sometimes.
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trodden
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cool, good to hear!.. yeah after building out a small galley kitchen in the space to the left of entering through the double doors.. gonna pretty much give me a 23X24 space to work in. around 552 sq ft. It won't be for tracking full bands all the time.. but DEFINITELY want the capability to since most of my clientele are still low budget. Want to start tracking more at other commercial studios in town and have been more lately than before. So yeah, for overdubs and mixing, i don't see a prob at all.. the true test will be when tracking a full rock band live....Jon Nolan wrote:alright trodden! psyched for you man. you can totally do this duder.
i work i a single room, 600 sq ft room. it's a totally cool way of working.
like others have said:
awesome for intimacy, communication, hearing what's *actually* going on in the room. it's really no biggie to mic something up, print something really quick, and listen back, tweak to taste, repeat, get rolling. if you're producing, and the band is good with spontaneity, you can "conduct" stuff on the fly without having to bust into the room. "oh shit! it would be sweet if there was a break here!" *waves arms frantically and makes faces indicating band should stop at unplanned place*
lame for when you're trying to *hear* the playback and peeps are futzing with their guitars/drums/yapping super loud. harder to change sounds on the fly cause you cant really hear critically while you're rolling. it gets loud. plugs are good in addition to cans sometimes.
any suggestions appreciated!
Thanks.
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A.David.MacKinnon
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I worked without a control room for 10 years and have to say I have a love hate relationship with it.
I gave up on trying to use headphones to hear sounds while setting up (it'd kill my ears right quick). Nothing wrong with rolling some tape, playing back, making adjustments and so on. Once you learn your room and your gear it's pretty quick.
My biggest complaint was that my ears would be shot after a day of sitting in the room with a band. I had a good set of heavy duty padded phones (the kind that people directing planes wear) that I nicknamed the producer headphones. Even with them and foam earplugs in my ears would be ringing by the end of some sessions.
Besides that, I had few complaints. I loved being able to turn around and talk to the band.
I gave up on trying to use headphones to hear sounds while setting up (it'd kill my ears right quick). Nothing wrong with rolling some tape, playing back, making adjustments and so on. Once you learn your room and your gear it's pretty quick.
My biggest complaint was that my ears would be shot after a day of sitting in the room with a band. I had a good set of heavy duty padded phones (the kind that people directing planes wear) that I nicknamed the producer headphones. Even with them and foam earplugs in my ears would be ringing by the end of some sessions.
Besides that, I had few complaints. I loved being able to turn around and talk to the band.
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trodden
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ok, here is a 2-D illustrator mock up...
This is what i'm walking into when I get the keys on Sunday.
I've got to stuff a shower in there somewhere...
would like to keep the two sinks and toilet where they are...as well as the wall already built..
may knock out a part of that wall for the shower though.. stick it next to the bathroom sink, therefore protruding into what's going to be my galley area...
still trying to keep it control room-less, but need an iso booth. Don't really have space for both, so between the two, i need the most is an iso...a place to stick some mics and not worry about airplanes getting into the violin, cello, vocalist, whatever...
My friend, who is very sklled with design and construction.. thinks i do need a control booth, and here is his idea, before knowing specifically about the sinks/toilet layout....
I'm kinda digging this... but yeah.. control room or iso booth.. i only get one, not both....
This is what i'm walking into when I get the keys on Sunday.
I've got to stuff a shower in there somewhere...
would like to keep the two sinks and toilet where they are...as well as the wall already built..
may knock out a part of that wall for the shower though.. stick it next to the bathroom sink, therefore protruding into what's going to be my galley area...
still trying to keep it control room-less, but need an iso booth. Don't really have space for both, so between the two, i need the most is an iso...a place to stick some mics and not worry about airplanes getting into the violin, cello, vocalist, whatever...
My friend, who is very sklled with design and construction.. thinks i do need a control booth, and here is his idea, before knowing specifically about the sinks/toilet layout....
I'm kinda digging this... but yeah.. control room or iso booth.. i only get one, not both....
If it were me I would not do a control room that shape. Look at some proven control room shapes. Even a rectangular room would be better than that.
If it were my space, and if I definitely wanted a separate control room (I'd probably stick with a one-room deal), then I'd probably use the lower left corner as the rear of the control room, so you'd be facing diagonally up/right in the drawing as you sit in your mix desk. Make the rear corner a giant bass trap.
If it were my space, and if I definitely wanted a separate control room (I'd probably stick with a one-room deal), then I'd probably use the lower left corner as the rear of the control room, so you'd be facing diagonally up/right in the drawing as you sit in your mix desk. Make the rear corner a giant bass trap.
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trodden
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agreed. on all accounts. If you did keep it a one room deal... would that also be without and iso booth? Cause i'm steering more to having an iso booth instead of a control room..JWL wrote:If it were me I would not do a control room that shape. Look at some proven control room shapes. Even a rectangular room would be better than that.
If it were my space, and if I definitely wanted a separate control room (I'd probably stick with a one-room deal), then I'd probably use the lower left corner as the rear of the control room, so you'd be facing diagonally up/right in the drawing as you sit in your mix desk. Make the rear corner a giant bass trap.
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JohnDavisNYC
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Hey Brandon.
I'm totally psyched for you that you found a space! Here are my .02....
I would definitely build a control room. My immediate instinct was to put the control room in the 'nook', sticking out into the live room. The nook is 12.5 feet wide which is plenty wide for a control room. Also, as far as facility ergonomics go, I think that the lounge/bathroom/smoking room should be attached to the control room, not the live room. I would have the entry open into the right hand side of the control room, if that makes sense.
Then, you would have a live room that wrapped around the front and right sides of the control room. Also, the entry is into the CR, so if someone knocks, they won't ruin a take.
I might also build a small vocal booth to the left of the CR... Also good for amps. I will try and draw it. I probably sound mad.
John
I'm totally psyched for you that you found a space! Here are my .02....
I would definitely build a control room. My immediate instinct was to put the control room in the 'nook', sticking out into the live room. The nook is 12.5 feet wide which is plenty wide for a control room. Also, as far as facility ergonomics go, I think that the lounge/bathroom/smoking room should be attached to the control room, not the live room. I would have the entry open into the right hand side of the control room, if that makes sense.
Then, you would have a live room that wrapped around the front and right sides of the control room. Also, the entry is into the CR, so if someone knocks, they won't ruin a take.
I might also build a small vocal booth to the left of the CR... Also good for amps. I will try and draw it. I probably sound mad.
John
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