Help with studio design in new house...

AdamWathan

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Apr 12, 2002
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Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
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Bought my first house yesterday :kickass: so now comes the time to start planning the studio! The layout in the basement is good enough to accommodate my project studio without doing any structural changes, and isolation isn't a big deal to me really so I don't intend on building any more walls or anything like that. Anyways, here's the layout in the basement...

basementlayout.JPG


The rooms that I've labeled A and B are the rooms I intend to use for a control room and a live room, just not sure which is going to be which!

Each room has obstacles to deal with as far as acoustic treatment goes... Room A has the big fireplace built into the corner, so I don't know how I would effectively add bass trapping to that room in a symmetrical manner since I could only really put a trap in one of the corners in that half of the room. At the same time, because of the fireplace, there isn't a 90 degree corner there, so maybe the bass trapping isn't a huge deal in that corner of the room?

Room B has doors in 2 of the corners, so I can't mount bass traps in those corners either. I've seen the acoustic dudes on gearslutz recommend putting traps on the wall and on the back of the door instead of the corner itself in these situations so that's an option.

The little room that the staircase goes down to right now is being used as a little den, with a couch and a TV, so I'll probably do the same to leave it as a sort of lounge in between the two rooms. It also should help with isolation since the control room and live room will have an entire room in between them...

Anyways, what do you guys think? Which room should I use for what and how should I go about treating them?
 
as for the acoustics, i'm not sure
but i'd say room B for ur control room and room A as a live room.


Room B i think would seem best with your workstation/desk along the wall on the right. were the 18' is.

this way u can lock and store all ur equipment and mic's etc in ur workshop room next to u.

Room A is quite a bit bigger, this could help tracking drums easier and they shudnt sound as boxy as they would in the other room
 
If we're talking 8 foot ceilings, I'd say A for control room and B for tracking. Plus, the workshop storage idea is good, but if it's for mics, stands, etc., you'd have quicker and easier access for the gear that would be used right in that room.

A large control room would be better acoustically, IMO for monitoring, and for listening/tracking sessions with more musicians. Plus, if you run a lot of outboard, the extra room will be nice, as consoles and desks and racks can eat up a lot of space.
 
Yeah, I'd say A for control room as well, because you're correct in assuming the fireplace in the corner means that bass is no longer a problem there, because it's not a corner! Also, you'd be able to position your desk facing the left wall (left in the diagram, the one with the 11' indicator), which would allow you to move it away from the back wall without taking up too much space. Get bass traps floor to ceiling in each corner and you'd be set!

Oh, and are the floors carpeted or bare? Bare is ideal, apparently (live floor/dead ceiling is what I've heard the ideal setup is)
 
Yeah, I'd say A for control room as well, because you're correct in assuming the fireplace in the corner means that bass is no longer a problem there, because it's not a corner! Also, you'd be able to position your desk facing the left wall (left in the diagram, the one with the 11' indicator), which would allow you to move it away from the back wall without taking up too much space. Get bass traps floor to ceiling in each corner and you'd be set!

Oh, and are the floors carpeted or bare? Bare is ideal, apparently (live floor/dead ceiling is what I've heard the ideal setup is)

Floors are carpeted now and will stay that way for a while at least, but we'll see how it goes, there's a good chance I might put laminate down there or something next summer.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I was thinking the same thing more or less. So stoked to finally have a space, let alone a house! I never expected to own a house at 21 :lol:
 
Floors are carpeted now and will stay that way for a while at least, but we'll see how it goes, there's a good chance I might put laminate down there or something next summer.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I was thinking the same thing more or less. So stoked to finally have a space, let alone a house! I never expected to own a house at 21 :lol:

what are you are drug dealer??? Or is property super cheap in canada??
 
^yeah, i'd like to know too! Ò__ó i seem to be doing something wrong being older than you and NOT owning a studio, let a alone a HOUSE!!^^
 
looks nice dude! congrats! :)
but still: what kind of job would that be? were you able to pay off the whole house just with what you earned from your job/saved in the last few years? and how much is a house like yours in your area??
 
SMART CHOICE on buying, cuz now all those payments are actually going somewhere useful (rather than just paying the rent which is money flushed down the toilet). How on earth did you get a loan though, at your age? (meaning, at my age - I too am 21 but am having to cross my fingers for a $3000 limit this summer for some big gear rampaging :cry: )
 
SMART CHOICE on buying, cuz now all those payments are actually going somewhere useful (rather than just paying the rent which is money flushed down the toilet). How on earth did you get a loan though, at your age? (meaning, at my age - I too am 21 but am having to cross my fingers for a $3000 limit this summer for some big gear rampaging :cry: )

I've had credit cards for years and have really good credit, so combined with my income the mortgage qualification wasn't really a problem. I'm so pumped to move!:kickass:
 
I paid $230k

holy shit!
thats like £115k..... and u have a basement.

your house, in england (london area) would be up for sale at around £500k + ($1,000,000!!!) that stupid, i need to move abroad when i'm older.
i hate living in london, its like i know i'l never be able to afford a house like yours unless i get some mad ass job that pays at least £40,000 a year. :erk:
 
I paid $230k

holy shit!
thats like £115k..... and u have a basement.

your house, in england (london area) would be up for sale at around £500k + ($1,000,000!!!) that stupid, i need to move abroad when i'm older.
i hate living in london, its like i know i'l never be able to afford a house like yours unless i get some mad ass job that pays at least £40,000 a year.

as a young audio engineer, that doesnt have money... i feel fucked haha