Robot Envy Studio - New studio construction

[metrognome]

For the last few months I have been building a small tracking/mixing studio In Berkeley CA.

The space I'm renting was originally intended to be a recording studio, but whoever was building the place lost motivation, stopping about 1/2 way through the building process. None of the walls in the control room were finished, only one layer of sheetrock and soundboard. One wall in the live room hadnt been framed yet. All of the light fixtures looked like something out of a horror film. The floors in the lounge, hallway and stairs were ugly rotting vinyl. The floors in the live room and control room were covered with stained, paint dribbled nasty carpet. The Electrical in the live room was literally one wire poking through the cieling with excess wire dangling all over the place. The front door didnt even close all the way. And a few other things...

I havent had any time to do a photo thread until now (stuck at aunt and uncle's house for Thanksgiving,) but here it is. So far I have finished all of the walls in the control room, lounge and stairs/hallway (added another layer of sheetrock, acoustic sealant, textured, and painted,) framed and installed a window between the control room and live room, Layed all new carpet in those rooms, replaced all of the light fixtures, added floor trim on all the walls, framed and fixed up the stair railing, and re-wired some of the electrical in the control room. I havent started on the live room at all yet. thats the next step.

Before starting this project I had literally NO construction experience whatsoever. I have learned every thing as I go. Not to mention, I'm also doing everything myself, with a lot of help from my awesome girlfriend. I realize the obvious fact that I have probably made a lot of mistakes that professional studio builders would turn their noses at, but mistakes are unavoidable.

Anyways, tell me what you guys think. Heres some pictures of the process so far.




Sorry for the awkward picture arrangement...my first time posting pics here.

[metrognome]

[metrognome]

After Painting:

[metrognome]

Starting to set up control room...

[metrognome]

The Control Room is nearly complete. Just needs acoustical treatment...whenever I get around to making a bunch of bass traps.

As for the live room, I began doing the electrical yesterday as well as texturing some of the walls. It should be done in the next couple weeks.


-Sammy

[limestudio]

cool color and let me be the first to say very good luck with your build!

[metrognome]

Thanks a bunch Limestudio! Its nearly done and the anticipation is killing me.


-Sammy

[LeMauce]

Lemon Green! Same color that we used in our Controlroom.
Nice looking men! Did some room threatment?

[Doublehelix]

When I first looked at the smaller picture and the thumbnail picture, I thought "Oh my, that is a bright color, that would drive me nuts", but when I expanded the picture and saw it full screen, I can see the appeal.

Everything is looking great. Nice job!

[metrognome]

Thanks Lemauce and doublehelix. I was slightly nervous about the color at first, but after seeing it on the wall I love it. The whole studio will have a green/black vibe.


-Sammy

[greatgreatriver]

I love the color - I would like to have a mixture of grey and green - it looks futuristic but also loving warm at the same time. Can the future be loving warm? The answer is yes! Good work. Are your girlfriend a cyborg?

/Harrison Ford IV

[sevendaysoff]

metrenome. got any treatment for that nice room of yours? give us an update.

[metrognome]

Originally Posted by greatgreatriver

I love the color - I would like to have a mixture of grey and green - it looks futuristic but also loving warm at the same time. Can the future be loving warm? The answer is yes! Good work. Are your girlfriend a cyborg?

/Harrison Ford IV

Yes indeed! My girlfriend is actually half human/half cyborg...definitely a keeper.

Originally Posted by sevendaysoff

metrenome. got any treatment for that nice room of yours? give us an update.

Yes yes. This afternoon I ordered two boxes of 2" corning 703 and nine ready bags, all from the Ready Acoustics site. I plan to have three 4" thick bass traps for the corners, and six 2" thick absorption panels for early reflection points. Cant wait to hear how much better my control room will sound.

Currently, I've been working my ass off on the live room. I installed the electrical and lighting a few days ago, and textured some of the walls today. Pictures will come next time I can steal my girlfriend's camera for a day.

Thanks again for all the responses!


-Sammy

[goldenlotus]

We want a progress report! : )

[metrognome]

Ok finally, heres some some pics of the live room after painting and installing the lights. Catie also decided to make the lounge table a little sexier.

Since then we have finished patch painting thin spots, installed carpet and trim, and covered the wood boards along the bottom parts of the walls with extra thick moving blankets. The live room is now finished, only needs acoustic treatment. For now I'll just be using thick foam panels, but I plan to deck out the room with OC 703 panels and bass traps when the cash starts coming in. I'll have more pics of all this in a few days.

-Sammy

[goldenlotus]

I'm diggin like a shovel

Nice work!

[atavacron]

Metrognome, I'm in Oakland. There's really no source for 703 around here?

[metrognome]

Originally Posted by atavacron

Metrognome, I'm in Oakland. There's really no source for 703 around here?

As far as I know there really isnt. There are a few places that carry corning products, but unfortunately, no 703 or 705. If you find it somewhere please let me know. I would love to avoid shipping costs for that stuff.

Thanks


-Sammy

[atavacron]

Originally Posted by metrognome

As far as I know there really isnt. There are a few places that carry corning products, but unfortunately, no 703 or 705. If you find it somewhere please let me know. I would love to avoid shipping costs for that stuff.

Thanks


-Sammy

Hey Sammy -

Sorry to skew this off topic, but hey...this should be interesting...

So tell me - which places did you call, so I can start working on the other places? Gotta make some homemade bass traps for the control room here in February.

Jonah

[metrognome]

Originally Posted by atavacron

Hey Sammy -

Sorry to skew this off topic, but hey...this should be interesting...

So tell me - which places did you call, so I can start working on the other places? Gotta make some homemade bass traps for the control room here in February.

Jonah

I called ashby lumber, all the home depots in the area, some place in concord....it was the only place that showed up when I searched for corning products sellers on the owens corning website. I ended up just ordering from ready acoustics. I imagine you could probably find SOMEWHERE that sells it in the bay area, with some extensive research. I asked around a lot at my school (Expression College) and noone knew of anywhere besides online. One of my instructors did say that corning 703 is sometimes used in cubicles, so if you can get ahold of a few cubicles somehow and are willing to delve into a lot of trial and error.....maybe you'll score some 703! Anyways, best of luck finding some.


-Sammy

[djgizmo]

Originally Posted by metrognome

I called ashby lumber, all the home depots in the area, some place in concord....it was the only place that showed up when I searched for corning products sellers on the owens corning website. I ended up just ordering from ready acoustics. I imagine you could probably find SOMEWHERE that sells it in the bay area, with some extensive research. I asked around a lot at my school (Expression College) and noone knew of anywhere besides online. One of my instructors did say that corning 703 is sometimes used in cubicles, so if you can get ahold of a few cubicles somehow and are willing to delve into a lot of trial and error.....maybe you'll score some 703! Anyways, best of luck finding some.


-Sammy

Sammy, if you don't mind me asking why did you decide on 703 vs mineral wool?

Also, if you're able to call OC and ask to speak with someone in sales, they can usually email you a list of OC distributors in your state. Looking good. It's nice to see some people taking pride in their work.

[metrognome]

Originally Posted by djgizmo

Sammy, if you don't mind me asking why did you decide on 703 vs mineral wool?

Also, if you're able to call OC and ask to speak with someone in sales, they can usually email you a list of OC distributors in your state. Looking good. It's nice to see some people taking pride in their work.

I went with 703 because its more rigid than mineral wool, and can be used to make traps and absorption panels without having to build wood frames. I love the look of frames, but that would have been a project in itself, which I did not have time to take on.

Thats good to know, I'll need some more 703 soon, maybe I'll try that. Did you call them? find anywhere within an hours drive?

Thanks, I've been working quite hard the last 6-7 months on the studio build. Its so close to being done....I cannot wait.

[metrognome]

Ok, finally finished the acoustic treatments. 2 inch OC 703 absorption panels and 4 inch OC 703 bass traps in the corners.

1. How do you they look?

2. How is the placement?


Thanks


-Sammy

[Weasel9992]

Nice looking space.

One suggestion though...monitors on their sides isn't a good idea. Monitors that are designed to sit vertically are designed that way to preserve correct low driver/tweeter alignment. You're changing the distance between the low end drivers and the tweeters as they sit now, which is almost sure to cause phase problems. If you need the tweeters lower than they'd be with the woofers on the bottom, then just put the speakers on the stands upside-down.

Frank

[metrognome]

Originally Posted by Weasel9992

Nice looking space.

One suggestion though...monitors on their sides isn't a good idea. Monitors that are designed to sit vertically are designed that way to preserve correct low driver/tweeter alignment. You're changing the distance between the low end drivers and the tweeters as they sit now, which is almost sure to cause phase problems. If you need the tweeters lower than they'd be with the woofers on the bottom, then just put the speakers on the stands upside-down.

Frank

Thanks Frank, I'll give that a try. I have them on their sides so the tweeters are right at ear level, but I never thought of putting them upside down.


-Sammy

[goldenlotus]

Great work! Time to round up all those Berkeley college kids : )

[metrognome]

Originally Posted by goldenlotus

Great work! Time to round up all those Berkeley college kids : )

Yep, good thing my roommate is a music major at berkeley.

[metrognome]

Here are some pics of the live room. For the time being, I just have foam on the wall and one absorption panel over the drum area, but soon I will be ordering a bunch more OC 703.

[metrognome]

And the lounge (Sorry about the blurry pictures)

[LeMauce]

Love the vibe men... really. I dig it @ 100%!