Help me with Studio Layout

[mcollinge]

I just rented a little studio/jam space -- my first outside of my home. I am very excited! For now, I will mostly be recording myself and my friends, but later on I might try and get gigs recording strangers' bands.

The room is roughly 13' by 40' with 10' ceilings. I am struggling with how to lay it out -- where to put the mixing desk and such. I thought that I would open it up for some GS help, since you guys rule.

I have included a very rough, ugly sketch of my proposed layout.

As per Ethan Winer's advice, I am thinking that I will locate the desk in such a way as to have the listening station 38% into the depth of the room in order to balance reflection problems with standing wave problems. Behind this desk will be instruments and drums. I will install as many broadband absorbers as I can, starting in corners.

Consider that the space is a storefront near the downtown, so I am concerned with street noise (any suggestions about how to mitigate this?) and theft (I want to keep the gear out of view).

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Mike

[bpape]

Am I correct to assume that the angled wall on the bottom of the sketch with the door on it is the side that faces the street? If so, I'd kill 2 birds and spend a couple bucks and build a wall maybe 3' inside to square things off a bit, reduce street noise, and hide what's really going on. Paint a mural or something on it to make it look like an empty building that they're trying to look nice.

Plan on more bass control in the space. Something that long will have VERY low modes. Use other absorbtion judiciously if it's a dual use space. We want enough to knock down the decay but still act nice and lively.

Bryan

[rainy-taxi]

Im dutch so I dont know what the measurements are in just meters but if you did your drawing pretty much in scale then I think deviding the room in 2 halfs is a good option. Use one as a control room and the other one as your drumrecording booth (and for other instruments maybe aswell? I dont know what kind of plans you have on recording instruments or if drums are your main thing)

The layout for the desk is good I think and absorbers will do the trick. Interesting to hear other opinions though :)

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by mcollinge

I have included a very rough, ugly sketch of my proposed layout.

That looks about right. Speakers at one end facing toward the other is best. You can see below how I did my home studio which is a single large (and long) room.

--Ethan

[mcollinge]

Originally Posted by bpape

Am I correct to assume that the angled wall on the bottom of the sketch with the door on it is the side that faces the street?

No, the street is at the top, with the windows. I plan to use a lot of bass traps to control the bass issues you describe, i haven't really planned it out completely, yet.

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

That looks about right. Speakers at one end facing toward the other is best. You can see below how I did my home studio which is a single large (and long) room.

Great. I am glad it looks OK to you, Ethan.

Mike