Starting to worry - your thoughts guys

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:38 pm

After reading those last 2 comments it makes me reiterate, it is better to get as close to The Best solution as possible rather than have headache after headache and get caught up in the endless money pit spending bug...

I was a Guerilla Recording engineer, using any spoace availabe. We got by, but the results were less than stellar and oftimes lackluster. I learned, I adapted. When it was time to build my 1st personal deal (Mobile Recording Truck) I used every ounce of experience and knowledge I could find to build a truck I could get great recordings from (because the acoustics were as close to right as I knew how, etc.... #1 reason why I say Auralex is BS.

Take advantage of this advice and slow down a bit to get it right...... Cutting corners IMO is when you are broke, but if you take some time you can find inexpensive ways to get it right.

Realize I was "broke" when I built this studio, I lost a lot of major contracts and went from $110K/year as a freelance A/V Tech, FOH Engineer to $600.00/month barely find a gig....My wifes 1st Album paid for our Studio(s). Blood Sweat tears and eating in everyday...The End result was well worth it.....911 was a PITA - Cost me a Major touring gig with a VERY well known Young artist. We were scheduled to Hit Austrailia the weekend after 9/11 and of course air travel was suspended, by the time they regrouped (45 days later) a new crew of guys had organized a US tour for this artist and replaced myself and the other engineer slated for the tour with their "in house" engineers.... Life is a....

and then you kiss your wife.

The studio I built that is in those pics cost me a total of 4k in materials after all costs were counted. I actually disassembled part of it cuz I did it wrong and I didnt want the headache later.....

Trust me it is worth it. A good room/rooms will improve your hearing more than you can imagine.....

len-morgan · Post by **len-morgan** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 10:41 pm

Very sound advice (no pun intended).

Believe me, I'm not advocating doing everything on the cheap or just building to make sound rather than music. I have been chastised, scorned, ridiculed, and worse (kinda like Bill Cosby's Noah) because of my insistance on things like double walls, splayed walls, rooms that have certain dimentions and outlines even though I could get "more room" another way (I've got lots of "room" in the parking lot) because I am trying to do things the right way.

As I believe Knightfly said, "A carpenter is not an accoustic engineer, an HVAC man is not an AE, a plumber is not an AE, etc."

Bryan, I'm trying to do it right. In fact MORE than right if that makes sense so that I end up with the best possible recording space my talent and begging ability will allow me to build.

len

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 12:22 am

I agree with Steve.... I am an engineer, not a carpenter, so it took some time to build this thing cuz I had to learan I went. Home remodeling and this are too totally different ballgames.

I understadn the asking if this or if that. I did plenty of it...Evntually just doing what the pro's said do.

Post by **sharward** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:26 am

Great story, Bryan... Very heart-felt.

JohnGardner · Post by **JohnGardner** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:31 am

Hey Bryan,
Do you have any photo's of your studio anywhere I could look at?
Thanks
JohnG

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:58 am

Check out Giles117 studio (Kensee entertainment group, ltd...)

it is on Johns Studio under construction section of the site.

JohnGardner · Post by **JohnGardner** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:34 am

Hi Bryan,
The timber slats in your live room - I want to do a wall(s) like that in mine but I am not sure if I should do it directly behind where the drum kit will go or down the other end of the live room in front of the drums.
If I did it behind the drums do you think I would get to many reflections from the timber.
I was going to use 1x6 dressed pine with 1" gaps inbetween.
The walls on each side and in front will be cloth covered 2" 705.
Any ideas appreciated
JG

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 2:23 pm

If angled properly, the reflections off the timber give your drums a much more open live sound. Too dead and your drums sound suffocated......

You want the wood......

JohnGardner · Post by **JohnGardner** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 6:33 am

I am not sure what you mean by angled. The wall behind the drums is straight up and down and square so when I attach the slats they will also be straight up and down and square.
Only one of the side walls is angled. The rest of the rooms walls are sqaure.
You can see the angled control room wall to the right and the square walls left and front. I am taking the photo where the kit will go and the wall behind me is just a wider version of the one you can see in front.
Thanks
JohnG

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 6:47 am

As I have been away for a while, do you have a copy of the floorplan you are working from???

Mybe that will answer my question as posed....

JohnGardner · Post by **JohnGardner** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 7:16 am

Sure Bryan,

Here's the floor plan.

Plan is drums down the 2.8m end facing into the room and vocals will be done in the middle of the room faccing the window, gtars amps down the skinny end.

Floor is particleboard.

Ceiling is drywall

All walls are/will be cloth covered 705 rigid insluation

Thanks

JohnG

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:27 am

As you install treatments, I would do an angle on that north wall. You can use that West wall as a resonator wall and with an angled resonator on that north wall you'll end up with a nice sounding drum room.

You dont want dead drums. They sound suffocated and void of life....