John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello John,

Can't tell you how excited I am to find your site. My wife and I are buying a new house and I'll be moving into a new studio. Currently I'm in a single car garage that we converted long ago. Pretty much I use Digital Performer and record acoustic guitar, SSWG's (singer songwriters with guitar) and Bluegrass music. So Acoustics are quite important. I have a Mackie 32 channel board in a 7 foot argosy console. I also have a live rig and we will be using this space for our bluegrass band rehearsal as well.

The ceiling is sloped and so far I am not thinking of having a seperate control room. I am going to add a vocal iso booth that doubles as mic stand/Amp storage. I have no idea how to build a studio but I am going to try to remodel this garage into one. Do you think I can do this for around 8500.00 US? I've attached a jpg of the floor plan and dimensions.

Any advice you or others can give me is sincerely appreciated. I may have to take you up on that phone call service.

Hi mate - that's a good sized room and you've laid it out pretty well.
Some questions.
What monitoring system are you using? are you looking at near/mid/soffit?
Are the doors/windows fixed or is this where you plan to put it?
Does the bathroom exist??
What isolation do you need - where are the neighbours??

cheers
JOhn

hi john,

Thanks for acknowledging my post. To answer your questions first, here ya go.

I currently use Event 20/20 bas nearfields and a Mackie HRS 120. I plan to add Mackie 824's. I don't know whether to soffit mount or not. They'd take less room and wouldn't have to sit atop my argosy console. I like being able to pop the lids off and get to things without pulling heavy monitors off.

No, the doors and windows are not fixed. My architect suggested that since the south wall (garage door) has to be built that it would be a cost savings to put windows, possibly bathroom there. Opinions? I favored the wall I drew since it faces a forest and is prettier. Great reason Right? Oh he wants pretty.

Isolation. I would like some, neighbors are only one that is close. Dead end street without much traffic. 1.25 acre lot. Closest neigbor is on the studio side. About 30 yards away. I'm thinking of punching holes in the sheet rock and pumping insulation in, sealing the doors and windows. and putting up sheet rock over slats to achieve the design enclosed. I would really like to get your opinion first. Also i do not know the best size for a vocal iso booth. I've been thinking about building two rooms one for a closet and the other for iso. Rather than trying to accomplish both in a single room. My wife pointed out that currently my machine storage room is 5x9 and is full. Uh, okay.


thanks for the help to a newbie in studio construction.