Building my home studio

[djmcconnell]

There's some practicial information here (including an acoustics 101 guide (PDF) that I'll be reading at lunch:

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/studi...ying-guide.php

If you win the lottery, you could cover your walls with the Russ Berger panels (see image). They're beautiful to boot.

[ZMAN]

I just saw a commercial on TV for a company called nutechwallsystems. It looks like drywall but it has a covering on it. It might be worth a look.

[Robert****]

I've got some photos up now. See http://picasaweb.google.com/robert.renman/StudioRoom#

I am building some acoustic panels out of rigid insulation. I have no idea where to place these, how many I should have, etc. I've been reading a bit here and there online about bass traps and acoustic panels, but I'm definitely new to this. If anyone has any specific suggestions for me regarding the acoustic panels for my room, let me know. The photos should give a good idea of what the room looks like.

It's really just regular room in my basement, which has been "finished". Lots of insulation has been added everywhere, but I also had a closet made for storing other stuff, and there is a door which just goes to the little storage spot under the stairs.

[M29]

I suggest experimenting. Try stuff anywhere, up close over here over there. Behind this in front of that, over head to the side. Up the wall down the wall...up down up down. paint the fence up down up down.... When you think you got it, move it all around some more.

Nice job very nice indeed. Makes ya want ta crank it up

[wingsdad]

I've got some photos up now.

...If anyone has any specific suggestions for me regarding the acoustic panels for my room, let me know. The photos should give a good idea of what the room looks like.

Before suggesting anything about the acoustic panels that hasn't already been said here: Is that ceiling flourescent fixture staying or going?

Unless you plan to play and/or record in the dark, you may come to hate it.

[Robert****]

The fluorescent fixture is staying, I like it. Why would I come to hate it?

[wingsdad]

Signal Noise. If you really like it, add a dimmer rheostat to it.

[Robert****]

Signal noise, ahh, didn't know that! Oh well. If it becomes a problem, I'll change it.

I guess the consensus is to build some acoustic panels and experiment with the placement?

[wingsdad]

I just added a line to that short comment, Robert...my experience is to avoid flouresecents, dimmers, ceiling fan motors and the like in the studio. Anything that generates Radio Frequency Noise.

Movable acoustic panels (baffles, if you will) of different thickness, harrdness/reflectiveness and heights, the use of blankets & the like (especially overhead to 'drop' the ceiling) are your best bet to start with, or even end with. Once you dress a wall or ceiling, you're stuck with it.

Consider a (movable/removable) reflective floor surface, if only under your amp, or if you happen to use an acoustic guitar, seated, under your chair. I use one of those hard clear plastic floormats intended to go under office chairs. Cheapest one I could find.

The idea is to be able to make your room 'bigger' or 'smaller' at will.

[Tig***]

Lots of insulation has been added everywhere

Wow, that insulation is excellent! That will provide a nice amount of noise blockage for the house above.

//Oh, and don't forget to install a door stop to prevent the handle from knocking a hole in the new wall.

[Robert****]

After hours and hours of research, I think I know how to build my acoustic panels. I just bought some Roxul Safe N' Sound, which should work great for this purpose. I will need to build a frame to put the insulation batts into, and then cover with fabric. I'll do 4-6 for starters. They'll be pretty big.

[Tig***]

Roxul Safe N' Sound is 3" thick, so it should perform really well.
Also, it's extremely fire resistant, so your screaming solos will not burn up the basement!

[Robert****]

haha, I can even play "Burn" by Deep Purple!

[Robert****]

So, I got some Safe N' Sound and the stuff smells horrid initially. After a while, the stench seems to subside.

Now my conundrum is this - I am lazy by nature, and I need hang these things on the wall and a couple in the ceiling too. Can you figure out a way to mount them without having to build a frame? I will need to wrap them in cloth of course (they are quite flimsy) and I was thinking maybe I can hang them somehow from the material I am wrapping them with.

I plan on getting what is called "broad cloth", and then wrap the insulation batts with this, and use some good glue to make the material stay put.

Put your thinking cap on and help me out. The more I think of it, the more it makes sense to build wooden frames...

[t_ross33]

Take the plunge and build some cheap wooden frames from 1x4, or even econo-studs (cheap, cheap, 2x4's). Make them rectangular so you can hang them with horizontal or vertical orientation as needed. Stuff and wrap (material will be more secure if you staple it, than if you just try to glue it).

Screw an eye-hook in each corner. Screw a bunch of eye hooks into the ceiling (along the joists, evenly spaced), then you can hang the panels in various configurations around the room. You could even angle them as needed by adjusting the length of wire supporting each corner... does that make sense?

I think that would work pretty slick.

[ZMAN]

I think you should do someething like this. Make a couple of rectangular frames out of wood. Reinforce the corrners to make them sturday. Stuff the Roxul into them and put the cloth over it and staple the cloth to the wood. I think the handling of the wrapped panels the way you are thinking would be a pain the derierre to work with. Using the eye bolts and hooks will keep them in place. When not using them you can stack them in another room. You could make the frames from budget 1 by 3 pine. The 2/4s would make them pretty heavy.

[Robert****]

Yeah, I think you are right. I'll build some simple frames and see what I can come up with.

I also got some softbox lights, and I installed them today and tried them out. Should work pretty slick for my videos, I'm hoping. My room might be slightly small for video... I'll test more and see what I can do. If there's a will, there's a way. (except I'm not dead yet)

[deeaa*]

Okay my 2c here too...

In home studios, in my experience, the number one problem is always clean power and avoiding interference from fluorescent lights etc. That's what really screws up the sounds and S/N ratio/causes problems. Solution: make sure you have as little gear behind that fuse as possible, definitely no coffee makers/any thermost controlled devices, A/C units, fridges, etc. but only music gear. Also use shielded/protected power strips/extension cords only.

2nd biggest problem is actually the gear itself; using a better soundcard than mediocre can boost your s/n ratio by 20-30db easy. Also using sub-par external gear like Behringer mixers etc. can wreak havoc with your sound. Always use a bare minimum of devices to get the signal to the DAW, in monitoring it's not _so_ important. But really, use a minimum of stuff, and use quality stuff only, and you may be surprised.

3rd biggest problem is the reflection from large hard surfaces, usually windows, if present, or way too confined space/small speakers that make it impossible to hear the low end correctly when mixing.

But in reality, IMO, the actual sonic response of the room and it's 'acousticity' only becomes an issue when using hypersensitive mics and far-miking drums and acoustic instruments. Really, I wouldn't sweat about it at all. These days it's usual to record everything like vocals in small booths and/or use shield screens to eliminate all reflections so you get no extra space in sound.

Of course acoustics can be important in big studios and getting that grand piano to sound just right, but if you're recording vocals, guitars etc. the acoustics are the very LAST thing you ever need to worry about. My suggestion: when all the power etc. issues are fine and you get a -90db S/N according to your DAW metering, then worry about it - and IMO the best thing you could do is add some very heavy curtains on the walls/over windows, wherever you can. My space has heavy curtains right behind my back, closing the recording space into a small box surrounded by curtains; that kills all the reflections but lets the bass sounds travel thru OK.

So...my view is that pondering about acoustics of the space is absolutely the last thing to worry about. Just make sure you have some soft sofas etc. there to soak up reflections and not a lot of bare walls/windows > heavy curtains. You'll be better than a-OK for acoustics needs. Again, I'm sorry if someone feels I'm being forward dissing good efforts to build good acoustics, but it's just that in reality it ain't important; actually it's just plain dumb to spend too much effort in it in most cases, and chances are you end up actually just making the room sound more unnatural than what you started with. Enough damping and a room big enough for bass frequencies to actually sound is good enough. I know platinum-selling rock albums recorded in log cabins or studio coffee rooms - and you'd never know that from the sounds.

(btw get a couple long mic cables and try recording in a tiled washroom for acoustic guitars too :-)

p.s. 2 one thing that people also put too much weight on is 'just the right mic'; sure, I too have good AKG414 etc. mics but, in real life, I might just as well record a vocal using a '57 and it sounds just as damned good...a proper pop screen and correct distances etc. are more important than the best possible mic in a home studio, trust me on that one. You don't _need_ a top end mic unless you have top-end mic pres and and compressors and know how to coax the best out of that mic anyway.

[Robert****]

I do have to look at the acoustics though, because I have a small room. There is no place for a sofa or anything but my gear. I also have no windows.

The studio is also a video recording studio, so one wall is "clean" - just a black background.

The walls are naked and the echoing in there is terrible. Well, I now have the insulation batts mentioned, and it makes a huge difference. Making frames for these should be easy, and this will make the room sound good for speaking (videos) and recording (on video and through mics).

Power is all good, I had an electrician take care of all that for me.

Gear is fine too, not pro gear, but good enough for my purposes.