Smaller room, bigger room, which to record in? (home studio)

[SoulSpace]

Hi All,

I currently have a 1-room home studio about 20'(L)X 17'(W) X 8'(H). Adjacent to it is...my "living room", about 20'(L) X 21'(W) X 11'(H, at the apex). I am in the process of treating room-1 with mobile traps, ala Real Traps. I have tracked bands in room-1 and been ok to happy with the results, but I am upgrading a WHOLE LOT of stuff. I mainly do overdubs (jazzy R&B mostly).

I am going to be tracking more bands and was generally going to keep tracking everything (bands included) in room-1, but I thought that drums and full band situations with amplification might record better in the bigger room, room-2. Attached are some photos of room-1 and room-2.

Possible advantages to tracking in room-2; higher ceiling and bigger overall, all wood floors vs. wood and carpet in room-1, bigger sound?

Disadvantages to tracking in room-2; I can't see the players! I would have to just use a talkback mic, longer cable runs of about 40+ feet, I would probably put all of my preamps in a rolling rack in room-2 and then run the already preamped signals back to my console. Trying to set up all of the preamps, compression would be a pain in the a$$, as I would have to constantly go back and forth between the rooms.

Given the dimensions, and what I stated above, what do you guys think? Is it worth it to track in room-2? Anyone gone through the same exercise?

I'm looking for some input since 40+ foot Mogami snakes ain't cheap!

Thanks!

[everybody's x]

buy a long snake, track your drums in the bigger (taller) room
overdub everything else in the smaller room,

thats what I do anyway


i set up the drummer with headphones through the snake

bass and guitars in the cr just playing along with the bigs

talkback into the board

bonus is when the drums are done I get my living room back

[Jules]

Another vote for the big room..

Looks good!

[SoulSpace]

I was afraid you guys were going to say that. So I take it I would have to also add some traps (treat) to room-2 as well...?

[everybody's x]

I would try some stuff out and see where you may or may not have problems. sometimes a well-placed futon or bookcase is all the treatment a room needs


see the "favorite albums recorded in a house" thread.


borrow a snake if you have to and track some drums, you might just love it as-is

[SoulSpace]

Thanks Dave,

How do you get past not being able to see the performers and them not being able to see you while recording? That is really freakin' me out. I like to be able to have eye contact, as well as being able to use talkback.

I was even considering a webcam and monitor in room-2 so that everybody would be able to see each other while recording...

[everybody's x]

I have done that actually (with a cam and a monitor) nowdays I have pretty much acclimated to just using the talkback. BTW I can see all of them except the drummer, I have them behind the board in the CR playing into the board (bass direct, gtr through an iso cab and piped into the board
during pre-production I have the drummer/whole band practice to a click. then when he gets set up it isn't so weird to him to be in the room by himself.
generally I try to get them to come in prepared with all their tempos/clicks/basically have their sh%T together before i record them

sound easy doesnt it?


most bands I have dealt with have been fine with it
*knocking on wood now*


I have of course put the whole band in there sans vocals with headphones, but I figure that if they hate tracking with them as much as I do then they can do everything in the CR, the drummer however must suffer thumbsup

[SoulSpace]

Poor drummer! All alone by hisself...

What do you think about putting all of my pres in a rolling rack and setting that up in room-2? The thought was that 40+ feet is pretty long for a mic cable before it hits the pre. But it would be soooo much easier to keep them in my console...

I am going to ordering Mogami with Switchcraft connectors.

What do you think?

[everybody's x]

sounds like a huge PITA to me, it would work, but you can run 100 feet or so with no negligible loss. I would at least try it with the snake and see what you think before you go dropping buttloads of cash moving all your pres.
of course Im lazy I suppose it would be cool to have them out there but you know as soon as you cozy up in front of the board you are going to NEED that pre out there for something

[SoulSpace]

I agree. Plus I am lazy too... It's only like 40+ feet and I KNOW pro studios run longer cable lengths before they hit the pre. The pres are staying with me! If the Mogami's can't handle that length before degrading the sound then fine, the drummer is coming back in room-1. Thanks.

[SoulSpace]

You mentioned you have the bass/guitar in the control room playing into the "bigs"(sans headphones). Maybe a stupid question, but does that mean you have sound coming out of your control room monitors WHILE you are recording? I mean wouldn't you get the drums and everything (bass, guitar) bleeding from the speakers into the drum mics in the other room in a non-isolated house environment?

[tINY]

The big room looks pretty "live" this may be a good or bad thing.

The 20x21x11 may end up giving you a boom at 57 and 115 Hz. If you can open those windows when recording, it will change that, though.



-tINY

[SoulSpace]

The big room is all wood...wood floors, wood walls, wood ceiling. It looked like a ski lodge before I painted the walls. Sure I can open the windows, but the neighbors.....awwww f#@k em!

[everybody's x]

Originally Posted by SoulSpace

You mentioned you have the bass/guitar in the control room playing into the "bigs"(sans headphones). Maybe a stupid question, but does that mean you have sound coming out of your control room monitors WHILE you are recording? I mean wouldn't you get the drums and everything (bass, guitar) bleeding from the speakers into the drum mics in the other room in a non-isolated house environment?

well in my case the Cr is in the basement and isolated from the living (drum) room

[Ethan Winer]

Here's another vote for using the larger room. You can get a video camera and small monitor for not much money, and that will help with communications. And as others said, running microphone cables 40 feet is not a problem. The only downside I see is the added expense and effort to treat the larger space. You mentioned "mobile traps" which implies traps on stands. So you could move them to the large room while recording, and bring them back into the control room to mix.

--Ethan

[joeq]

you will get better acoustical results if you move that fire truck into the small room.