studio

Hey guys, I'm currently in the process of purchasing a house.
Unfortuneately the ideal house in the right area only has a 3rd room of 7ft by 8ft for my studio.
Now i dont do any recording of insturments and such, I'm mainly in the box being a dance producer.
No I have been doing some reading and it does seem possible to make this room workable for mixing and mastering.
I'm just after any extra advice or personal experience with bass traps, acoustic tiles and working in a small studio.
Cheers.

Hi,


  your first issue is whether you can work without disturbing anyone. More important than how it sounds, actually. Bearing in mind that it is well nigh impossible to "Soundproof" your 3rd bedroom!


  It is very hard to get it right in such a small space, especially since you have so little room to build any treatment in.


  It can be done, but only with a lot of compromise.


      I'd keep looking personally, but it depends how much you need a studio!



    Good luck,


    ANdyP

Thats pretty small, but workable.

Make some bass traps and some acoustic hangers using rockwool or related materials.

This will help in getting a more accurate response from your room. The smaller the room, the more difficult to get a more accurate response.

Get some decent 6 inch monitors and keep them away from corners or close to the walls.

I found a big heavy Curtain on the back wall spaced about 15 cms away from the wall can help and is a cheap alternative.

canidoit said:

Thats pretty small, but workable.

Make some bass traps and some acoustic hangers using rockwool or related materials.

This will help in getting a more accurate response from your room. The smaller the room, the more difficult to get a more accurate response.

Get some decent 6 inch monitors and keep them away from corners or close to the walls.

I found a big heavy Curtain on the back wall spaced about 15 cms away from the wall can help and is a cheap alternative.

Click to expand...

Yeah not an ideal room i know, but first time buyer ill have to settle, perhaps next year ill hire some space.
The curtain sounds like an excellent idea.
In terms of software for measuring reflections, standing waves and resonant frequencies what should i get? I've not used it before but I would assume there is something simple where you create the studio space inside the computer, then place the microphone in the operators spot then fire the test tones and it will show you where the problems lie?
Am I assuming this is too user friendly?

As a desperate measure, you can also pull apart a couple of sleeping bags and hang them instead of curtains. Heavier damping.

Hi,



  you can buy the same type of foam as is used in Sculptured Tiles(ie fireproofed etc) with an adhesive backing either 1/2" or 1" thick for much much less than the tiles. Supplier is Siderise in SW London. Phone is 0208 391 3650.


  I would stay away from Rockwool, or any other kind of fibreglass. It is no where near as efficient as foam, ie you need far more to achieve the same, and space is at a premium, innit! Also, it is NOT nice to work with. I come out in a rash just thinking about it!. All those particle in the air for years cannot be good, especially with singers. I know a singer who loves working with us, 'cos she gets asthma in most studios, not ours. Co-incidence? Maybe . . .


  Keep your monitors small, and away from corners, and not directly against the wall. You will have to do this by trial and error. IMHO, you do not have enough space for bass trapping. You might want to try some "tubetraps". I have not used them, but they make some good claims.



    Good luck!



    ANdyP

just had a look at the siderise site, good pointer cheers andy, i'll be calling them as soon as im settled.
I dont need to wory about recording vocals as its something i dont do, well not for my own music at least.

You have a US equivalent for that foam? My room will be about 10x14...

I think small monitors off the walls is key. My wife will make some nice artsy draperies to hang on the walls in spots for damping. Also, I am carpeting the room as that damps at least HF content from one large surface...

The key is not to excite modes in the room, does not need to be "soundproofed". Well, my wife would like me to be soundproofed I suppose!!

Good idea to get some foam behind your drapes. Even thick curtains will only take off the highest of frequencies

Yeah, curtains will not do much and cost a fortune, especially thick ones.
Be prepared to offer 30% of your space for acoustic treadment. Do you have a high ceiling?
If so...here's were you can stuff most bass traps..i.e. a lower ceiling made of 10cm foam , 25 cm
below the real ceiling or as low you can get away with withoud getting back problems ;-)

thanks for all the advice, from what i gather, this room is just about doable if im careful.
Sounds like a challenge to me, and i love a challenge.
I'll keep you posted, putting the offer in tomorrow.

I think I'm going to treat all 4 walls with tiles or foam, does anyone know which ones are the best?
I've found loads of manufacturers, there are quite a few different patterns, is one more efficient than another?

strangeandbouncy said:

I would stay away from Rockwool, or any other kind of fibreglass. It is no where near as efficient as foam, ie you need far more to achieve the same, and space is at a premium, innit!

Click to expand...

What is everyone's thoughts on this statement? I was under the impression that rigid fiberglass was more effective in treating a room this size. A room this small will always have problems with low end, correct? Isn't rigid fiberglass the most effective way to deal with bass reflections? I know the cons of using fiberglass is that it will obviously take up more space. I'm asking this question because i too have a small room (11' W x 15' L x 8' H) and was getting ready to treat it with 4" rigid fiberglass panels. Is acoustic foam better suited for this?

Thanks!

-jay

Fibreglass is NOT the best way to deal with bass reflections!!! you need a very great depth. I use something much, much more efficient. I am not about to broadcast the niceties to the world. - Sorry!. I will always NOT use fibreglass for mid/top duties either. Not only is it less absorbant, but I HATE the stuff. The particulate size is really not that much bigger than asbestos,  a substance that formerly was used everywhere without any comprehension of the long term effects. YEUCH!



  Just the benefit of more than 25 years at the coalface . . .

Well shit... I'd rather not use all that fiberglass either. I'll have to see if we can get that stuff you mentioned in the US! Thanks..

-jay

FWIW, on more reaserch i found this.
http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/24/page/1
if it turns out to be as friendly and informany as group DIY then I'm onto a winner