Looking for Studio Construction Consultation in SF Bay Area

[Caldo71]

Hey All,

I recently purchased my first home in the north SF Bay Area (Santa Rosa) and it has a pretty enormous Garage that I will be transforming into a project studio starting this summer.

It's my first opportunity ever to really build a permanent interior scheme that properly addresses recording in terms of dimensions, angles, trapping, diffusion, reflection, ventilation, electrical, and all that good stuff.

I've picked up and read the Rod Gervais book and can honestly say that I understand it for the most part. It's about girls, right?

Seriously, though...I feel I know just about enough to be dangerous. I wanna get this right the first time and feel that it would be a worthy investment to have a "pro" come out for a day and look at my space, take some measurements, help me draw up a plan that would accommodate all I want to achieve but at the same time empower me to start figuring these things out on my own as well.

I know some folks in this field but none of them are close enough to me geographically to come out and take a look/listen in-person...which I think is REALLY important. All of the dudes I know are through-the-roof expensive, too. I also think it would be good if the person was a working engineer (mastering or otherwise) if at all possible...theoretical knowledge takes one only so far.

Soooo...SF Bay Area + the above: any suggestions???

Cheers,
Adam

[structuredloud]

Well, John Storyk is in SF pretty regularly, has an office there etc. Expense is an issue I suppose. But, if you got somebody in and out of there quickly it wouldn't be so bad, at least not as bad as a mortgage in the bay area.

[Caldo71]

Originally Posted by structuredloud

Well, John Storyk is in SF pretty regularly, has an office there etc. Expense is an issue I suppose. But, if you got somebody in and out of there quickly it wouldn't be so bad, at least not as bad as a mortgage in the bay area.

NOTHING is as bad as a mortgage in the Bay Area. Which is of course why I have very little money left to hire consultants ironically.

I assume you're saying John is a bit pricey?

But yeah obviously if they're more than an hour away from me I get killed just on travel as it becomes a full-day gig for them whether I need them that long or not.

[balanceman]

I just finished a 1000 sf build in Oakland. I worked with Chris Pelonis on the design, and my good friend, Brian Hood, built it for me while I was across town doing sessions (yay).

I am waiting for some treatment from RPG to show up (next week we hope), but have been in the new place for two months + already getting great results.

If you need a builder in the Bay, I can recommend Hoody w/ my hand on my heart.

feel free to contact me and drop by to check it out.

I can help you figure some stuff out - it's all I have been doing for the last 14 months - I look at doorknobs, HVAC ducts, electrical panels and caulk tubes a lot differently now...

After working in a handful of commercial facilities and running my own place in three locations over the last 10 years, I feel that I have finally hit the nail on the head. . .

gotta move the AC unit of the roof though - you can hear it in the kitchen!

[Caldo71]

Originally Posted by balanceman

I just finished a 1000 sf build in Oakland. I worked with Chris Pelonis on the design, and my good friend, Brian Hood, built it for me while I was across town doing sessions (yay).

I am waiting for some treatment from RPG to show up (next week we hope), but have been in the new place for two months + already getting great results.

If you need a builder in the Bay, I can recommend Hoody w/ my hand on my heart.

feel free to contact me and drop by to check it out.

I can help you figure some stuff out - it's all I have been doing for the last 14 months - I look at doorknobs, HVAC ducts, electrical panels and caulk tubes a lot differently now...

After working in a handful of commercial facilities and running my own place in three locations over the last 10 years, I feel that I have finally hit the nail on the head. . .

gotta move the AC unit of the roof though - you can hear it in the kitchen!

I will be doing all construction myself (with a little help from my friends) but I would LOVE to come down and see you new space and get some tips. I'll PM ya...

Adam

[dan p]

There is a guy in Concord ca named CHips Davis and he built out a studio i work at ocassionally.Dont know his number but you can google him and you may be able to find him.Good Luck with the build out.

Dan P

[gullfo]

while we're waiting... i thought i'd sketch something out. one thought if you don't need a bathroom (or one that is ADA compliant) then you can free up the space for an isolation booth...



cheers!

[Caldo71]

Originally Posted by gullfo

while we're waiting... i thought I'd sketch something out. one thought if you don't need a bathroom (or one that is ADA compliant) then you can free up the space for an isolation booth...



cheers!

Holy crap you created this rendering "custom" from my floorplan and photos, didn't you? The dimensions all check out. DAMN! Talk about pro-bono goddness! Here's your rendering overlaid on-top of my floorplan...


Well, screw California...I think we should chat about long-distance consultation. Thanks for the early inspiration. I checked out your website...very cool. I'll call you.

Adam

[gullfo]

yea, i actually modeled it in 3D with full roof lines and beams but saved it as 2D since its just a quickie sketch. yea, long distance often works in cases like this because the acoustics of your building won't be anything like what they are now, so measuring the acoustics of the space as-is can be somewhat unnecessary. that said, getting the environmental noise levels, first hand look at the structure, and playing what-if on site, etc is all very useful too...