First-Time Home Buyer Wanting to Build a "Real" Studio in My New Digs...

Banyaban · 17th May 2007

Hey Guys & Gals,

I'm a first-time poster here but a fairly well-versed recording engineer with a few years under my belt and good ears.

Anyhow, looking to buy my first home, and therefore this will be the first time that my home recording space is something I can truly build out almost from scratch into a really well thought out space with acoustics being a ground-up priority. Which is to say that when you rent, you can't "knock holes in the wall" so-to-speak.

That said, I'm not exactly looking at ****ing palaces, because I live in the San Fran Bay Area (45 minutes north of SF) and make only a moderate income. So we're talking about something around 500 grand...maybe 1/2 acre out in the boondocks with a tiny funky house on it.

So the dilemma is this: If I am financially forced to buy a place where I'm working with a garage or granny unit or whatever that has an 8' ceiling, and after doing the double-wall thing to keep the neighbors happy and the freeway out of my recordings, come up with something like a 7' ceiling, am I acoustically ****ed as far as getting really great drum sounds and so-forth? We're talking for the sake of argument here about maybe a 500 square foot rectange footprint for the live room.

I mean, that is a lot of sound ricocheting around a small area. I realize there's a lot that can be done with asymmetrical surfaces and 703, but I'm thinking not a lot of room for trapping, and also I would love to be able to get sounds that are not completely dead as well. Is it too much to expect an acoustic design in a low-overhead space that actually exhibits a pleasing inherent room sound with a little bit of decay?

HOLLA BACK!

Joe Porto · 17th May 2007

Look for something with a detached garage, workshop or barn (something with a solid foundation. If that's not possible, look for something with a garage with a pitched roof. You could always remove the ceiling and expose the vaulted roof.

You are in a good position. Don't compromise. Take your time and find what you want. It's out there. Try to avoid sub-ground basements, as they could have moisture problems, and generally are lacking in windows. If your going to spend a lot of time in a studio, make sure it is as livable as it is acoustically sound.

drBill · 17th May 2007

If at all possible, you really want 12' ceilings - or the ability to move the ceiling up. Everything else can be dealt with.

17th May 2007	#1
Banyaban Gear interested Joined: May 2007 Posts: 1 Thread Starter	First-Time Home Buyer Wanting to Build a "Real" Studio in My New Digs... Hey Guys & Gals, I'm a first-time poster here but a fairly well-versed recording engineer with a few years under my belt and good ears. Anyhow, looking to buy my first home, and therefore this will be the first time that my home recording space is something I can truly build out almost from scratch into a really well thought out space with acoustics being a ground-up priority. Which is to say that when you rent, you can't "knock holes in the wall" so-to-speak. That said, I'm not exactly looking at **ing palaces, because I live in the San Fran Bay Area (45 minutes north of SF) and make only a moderate income. So we're talking about something around 500 grand...maybe 1/2 acre out in the boondocks with a tiny funky house on it. So the dilemma is this: If I am financially forced to buy a place where I'm working with a garage or granny unit or whatever that has an 8' ceiling, and after doing the double-wall thing to keep the neighbors happy and the freeway out of my recordings, come up with something like a 7' ceiling, am I acoustically **ed as far as getting really great drum sounds and so-forth? We're talking for the sake of argument here about maybe a 500 square foot rectange footprint for the live room. I mean, that is a lot of sound ricocheting around a small area. I realize there's a lot that can be done with asymmetrical surfaces and 703, but I'm thinking not a lot of room for trapping, and also I would love to be able to get sounds that are not completely dead as well. Is it too much to expect an acoustic design in a low-overhead space that actually exhibits a pleasing inherent room sound with a little bit of decay? HOLLA BACK!

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17th May 2007	#2
Joe Porto Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,677	Look for something with a detached garage, workshop or barn (something with a solid foundation. If that's not possible, look for something with a garage with a pitched roof. You could always remove the ceiling and expose the vaulted roof. You are in a good position. Don't compromise. Take your time and find what you want. It's out there. Try to avoid sub-ground basements, as they could have moisture problems, and generally are lacking in windows. If your going to spend a lot of time in a studio, make sure it is as livable as it is acoustically sound.

17th May 2007	#3
drBill Gear Guru Joined: Jul 2006 Location: So Cal Posts: 11,510	If at all possible, you really want 12' ceilings - or the ability to move the ceiling up. Everything else can be dealt with.