Home studio room - question about ceiling height

[clonewar]

I hope I'm posting this in the right forum..

I'm about to turn a room in my house into my small studio. I have a choice between two rooms in the house, one is approx 22 ft x 16 ft with a 7 ft ceilings, the other is approx 10 ft x 17 ft with an 8 ft ceiling. I'm planning on getting bass traps and acoustic treatments from Realtraps/GIK Acoustics and want to setup the best mixing environment that I can.

Would it be better to go with the smaller room with the taller ceiling over the larger room with the lower ceiling? In my research I've found that low ceilings aren't desireable for studios but will it make a difference if I'm going to use acoustic treatments? Right now I'm leaning towards the smaller room, it's still plenty big for what I need and it's not a perfect square.

I really appreciate any opinions on this..

Michael

[Ethan Winer]

Michael,

> 22 ft x 16 ft with a 7 ft ceilings <

That's the better room. When all else is equal, larger is better. The difference between a 7 or 8 foot ceiling is less important. Either way you'll need to treat the ceiling.

> Right now I'm leaning towards the smaller room, it's still plenty big for what I need and it's not a perfect square. <

The smaller room is also "good enough" if treated well with bass traps. But the larger room is better, which is what you asked.

--Ethan

[clonewar]

Thanks Ethan! That's exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to use the bigger room, it'll make a nicer studio anyway..

Michael

[SoundUniverse]

I've got a 17' x 13' x8' (ceiling) as my recording room too! I've got bass traps in the corners and a smattering of foam treatment on three of the walls and some heavy curtain on the ceiling. What can you suggest as a treatment material for the ceiling that doesn't give away too much height? Diffuser type? or absorbtion?

Thank you very much for any input!!

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by SoundUniverse

I've got a 17' x 13' x8' (ceiling) as my recording room too! I've got bass traps in the corners and a smattering of foam treatment on three of the walls and some heavy curtain on the ceiling. What can you suggest as a treatment material for the ceiling that doesn't give away too much height? Diffuser type? or absorbtion?

Thank you very much for any input!!

Definitely absorption. Rigid fiberglass is the best material for a given thickness.

--Ethan

[uncle duncan]

Do you own the house? 7 foot ceilings give me the willies. I'm 6 foot five, and if I wanted to stretch, I'd have to go outside. Maybe you could pull the sheetrock down and open up the ceiling.

[clonewar]

Yeah I own the house. I'm 6'2" and don't like the 7' ceiling either. The problem is that it's an addition on the back of the house and it has a flat roof, so even if I pull the sheetrock down it wont give me much more room. And the room isn't insulated that well as it is so if the ceiling insulation came down it would be unbearable during the summer.

What I'm worried about now with that room is if I treat the ceiling it might make the ceiling lower, which really would make the room uncomfortable.

Got more thinking to do..