New WireWorld construction

[mwagener]

Well, we have finally started construction for the new studio.

Not much to see yet, but I post some pictures anyway...

Here is what it looked like originally. The house is a guesthouse on my property which will eventually be the lounge/kitchen/office for the new studio.

[mwagener]

They removed the gas tank, construction has officially started. I cut the pipes to run cables under the concrete.

[mwagener]

They took off the siding and started taking apart the roof. Still all boring stuff

[goatie]

Great to see you've started
It will not be boring for long

(good thing on the ear protection!)

[mwagener]

The roof is almost gone.

We had to extend the pipes by 2 feet, so they can go lower into the ground and the concrete doesn't get to thin were the pipes are. That PVC primer and glue is some smelly stuff, I felt sick after gluing the pipes together.

This is where the pool table is going to be

[mwagener]

Alright, no we're talking. I felt like I was in an episode of "Home Improvement"

[mwagener]

After a weekend of mixing and working in the studio back to the real stuff

They're carting away the rest of the dirt and rocks (and boy, were there some rocks) then they put down the first layer of gravel. Look like a studio yet?

[ramo]

Michael this looks like a great area!

Lots of green!

I already love this new WW studio!


Keep the pics coming!

[Brenton]

Excellent. I can't wait.

[warhead]

Congrats, gotta love it.

War

[Jam]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love studio construction threads !!

Keep it coming Michael and good luck.

James

[Bob Olhsson]

[Trev@Circle]

Sweet. Good to hear you made a start! Look forward to seeing it some time!

[Killahurts]

Originally Posted by mwagener

They removed the gas tank,

Weren't we going to paint that thing red and listen to it or something?

Anyway, congrats Michael, very exciting!

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Killahurts

Weren't we going to paint that thing red and listen to it or something?

Anyway, congrats Michael, very exciting!

might have been a cool reverb box, but it belongs to the Gas Company and for the rental I could have bought another Bricasti

Been quiet for two days, which gave me a chance to finish up some projects in the studio. Today they are supposed to come and frame for the concrete slab.

[ramo]

Michael,

I just read this old thread:

What would you do?

Now what is your decision about the studio size?



Thanks!

[Amstel]

Congratulations Michael

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Glen Rushmore

Michael,

I just read this old thread:

What would you do?

Now what is your decision about the studio size?



Thanks!

I decided to just extend the space from what I have now. The tracking rooms raw measurement (without acoustic treatment) is going to be 21x20 feet (the old one was 12x22, so I'm gaining roughly 8 feet on one side). The control room is going to be exactly 29' 11"x 21' 5.5" by 11' high (the old one was 21x22x9.5).

With those spaces I can track a whole band at the same time and I have enough room in the control room to hold 15-18 people for my workshops.

The attached picture shows the basic layout, no acoustic walls in the tracking room, which will incorporate mic closets etc.. At the bottom of the drawing you can see the old building which is going to become the lounge (can't wait to get the pooltable in there). It also will hold the A/C units and the balanced power setup upstairs. At the back of the control room (right side of the drawing) will be a 2' bass trap. I am still debating to raise the floor behind the rack. You can tell I am flying by the seat of my pants...

The triangular space at the bottom between the control room and the tracking room is an airlock with 3 doors: control room, tracking room and lounge.

The triangular space at the top left of the control room in the drawing will contain two slide out equipment racks. All my mic pres and, the patchbay, converters and everything with a remote control (2 M6000, 2 Bricasti, KSP8) will go in there. Putting the mic pres into that corner will require only very short cable runs from the live room, the mic panel is going to be just on the other side of that wall, about 8' away. I am also planning to install two ADAM A7s and some switchable meters into that wall, makes it easier to adjust anything in the rack.

On the second drawing you can see where the pipes for the cables go. Those will go in tomorrow or Saturday.

I will re-use the rear rack from the existing studio and the side pieces from the console part for the Euphonix 5MC. I also still have to make up my mind about the final analog summing situation. At this point it's down to: Speck 24 channel console, SSL Xrack or API 8600/7800 setup, in that order. All of those sounded fantastic in tests I've done over the last few month. The whole setup will be 5.1

My main objective is to create a comfortable, creative environment to record and mix music. The studio by itself will not be for hire, so I don't have to make the technical end user friendly, I just have to make it Michael friendly, in the old place I never labeled the patchbay in 12 years

[mwagener]

They started framing for the concrete. The front side is left open so we can dig in the cable pipes and they can still rattle around with the little bobcat, spreading gravel. Pipes are going in Saturday, whoohoo, Friday off for mixing duties...

This is the basic shape of the new building, 53'X22'

[ramo]

Originally Posted by mwagener

With those spaces I can track a whole band at the same time and I have enough room in the control room to hold 15-18 people for my workshops.

The size is great since you tracking a whole band live! That's what music is all about!

After reading your concerns (old thread) I think it's a wise move. You can do music/bands as long as you want without being forced to retire.

15-18 people at the MOAW? This also sounds great. I'd like to attend in 2009.

Originally Posted by mwagener

On the second drawing you can see where the pipes for the cables go. Those will go in tomorrow or Saturday.

The pipe idea looks pretty smart and convenient.



Thx,

Glen

[Jaques Beraques]

Schönes Ding Michael!!!

Viel Spaß!!

[mwagener]

Thanx for all the replies and nice words.

Just to clarify: the MOAW was only one special workshop, which Fletcher and I did together with King's X, great fun.
That said, there might be another SUPER MOAW, with EXTREME, this maybe the first workshop in the new studio, cross your fingers.

Back to the construction:

From all the summing boxes/solutions I tried, I've finally decided on the Speck LiLo 24 channel console for summing and other tasks. It is the only box that has all the features I want (48 mixdown inputs, 4 Auxes, balanced channel inserts and direct outs, Solo etc.) and none I don't want (EQ, mic pres etc.) and it sounds awesome. It will be incorporated in the console next to the 5MC (see picture)

I also added another effects rack in the south wall, into the existing building. Now I just have to figure out where to put all the guitar amps, but I guess the North wall is the only one left.

This updated drawing has also the acoustic walls in it. Everything is still up for debate, like I said I am flying by the seat of my pants and just going by my own experience with Dave Rochester doing the acoustics, A/C runs and balanced power.

[Bob Olhsson]

That Speck LiLo is something I've been wanting to see somebody build forever!

[emfrank72]

Michael,
It is great to see you have started construction on the new studio. I almost wish I had waited to attend a workshop until the new studio. But I had fun with Barry and T earlier this summer. It will be fun to watch the studio build since I got to see the original building. Have you already gotten a second Bricasti or will you get one for the new studio?

Do you remember the name of the Sushi place we ate at and where it is? I was telling a friend of mine about it and he wants to check it out next time he heads to Nashville.

Eric

[mwagener]

Hey Eric

The second Bricasti will come in time for the new studio, hopefully with a remote.

The Sushi place we went to is Taki, very good. There is also a new great sushi place 4 miles from my house (they know a sucker when they see one), it's called Wasabi and is in the Providence Mall, close to the hotel you stayed at.

[mwagener]

Pipe day

I was a bit nervous about having all the measurements right, but it worked out fine. The 4x6 is the split in the concrete between the control room and tracking room, that piece of wood will be taken out as soon as the concrete is dry. Putting down the Vapor barrier was the last act of the day. Monday the inspector is coming in and then we can pour the concrete.

[smoore98]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Hey Eric

The second Bricasti will come in time for the new studio, hopefully with a remote.

The Sushi place we went to is Taki, very good. There is also a new great sushi place 4 miles from my house (they know a sucker when they see one), it's called Wasabi and is in the Providence Mall, close to the hotel you stayed at.

I was there on the "soft opening" and they were slow as Christmas. There is another new sushi place in Mt. Juliet more towards town called Shushi Hana. They were pretty slow too, but it was probably the best spicy tuna roll I've ever had. We were the only ones in there for most of the lunch hour last week. You should try it. They have some stuff there I have not seen anywhere else.
they opened about two weeks ago.

S

[ramo]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Pipe day

I was a bit nervous about having all the measurements right, but it worked out fine. The 4x6 is the split in the concrete between the control room and tracking room, that piece of wood will be taken out as soon as the concrete is dry. Putting down the Vapor barrier was the last act of the day. Monday the inspector is coming in and then we can pour the concrete.

It takes shape!


Michael do you kept the pipes longer than necessary and cut them off later?
They look pretty long.

What kind of cable do you pull thru the pipes?

Can't wait to see the roof!

[Clueless]

Those pipes aren't all that long...assuming there's going to be a foundation. In the picture below, every block you see will be under ground (except for the handful of blocks on the left-hand corner that will be replaced now that the experiment is complete). The pipes you see coming up from the gravel, more than 2' above the apparent ground level, are all going to be essentially flush with the concrete slab.

Thus, the way to understand things when looking at a foundation is that up is down, and that the higher "up" the feature, the deeper it's buried in the ground. These pipes are going to be buried deep, which is as it should be.

For more details, see the blog entry explaining the photo.

[spandex man]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Thanx for all the replies and nice words.

Just to clarify: the MOAW was only one special workshop, which Fletcher and I did together with King's X, great fun.
That said, there might be another SUPER MOAW, with EXTREME, this maybe the first workshop in the new studio, cross your fingers.

Im sorry, i think i may have miss-read something.

I could have sworn i just read that Michael Wagener was working with EXTREME again. But of course this cannot be correct as im not currently having sex with Jessca Alba in front of a rack of 500 series pre's like in the rest of the dream i had last night.....