garage studio

[kambo]

what are the chances of getting a good sound, out of a standard US double car garage,
approx 60-65sqm for mixing only!
but lo ceiling is a big worry. will use main speakers too! no sub, or two sub:  depends on mains i get!

 

[boji]

Judicious use of absorption / reflection, corner traps, etc will help.  Can't knock out the ceiling?  ;D

What about the garage doors?  Plan on building a wall in front of it?  If so, I recommend homasote.

 

[iomegaman]

Anything that needs more than 6" of air before it hits the microphone is gonna be a problem...

The other issue is going to be the reality that garages are not exactly designed to eliminate street noise...I've never built a garage that had insulation in it...typically this is where the contractor skimps on material and even if it does have drywall half the time its unfinished...(depends on local codes of course)...like boji has pointed out garage doors are also a place where environment is not as big an issue as security and ease of access for the owner...

I'm sure you are aware of all of this...and of course a lot of this might not matter depending on the source material...lots of punk records and Kiss wannabe bands have recorded in garages...hell grunge was originally how potheads spelled garage...(jk)...

 

[ruairioflaherty]

what are the chances of getting a good sound, out of a standard US double car garage,
approx 60-65sqm for mixing only!
but lo ceiling is a big worry. will use main speakers too! no sub, or two sub:  depends on mains i get!

Define "Good Sound".  Mine is likely very different from yours, and many others.

"The chances" of reaching my definition of good sound are very slim without getting a competent designer onboard.  Someone who can weigh expenditure vs sonic return confidently.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Anything that needs more than 6" of air before it hits the microphone is gonna be a problem...

OP wrote "mixing only"...

 

[abbey road d enfer]

what are the chances of getting a good sound, out of a standard US double car garage,
approx 60-65sqm for mixing only!

That's a nice space for a mixing room. Allows you applying serious acoustic treatment, taht you'll need in order to avoid rattles and buzzes from the structure.

  but lo ceiling is a big worry.

  You'll need to apply absorption to both ceiling AND floor (carpet).

  will use main speakers too! no sub, or two sub:  depends on mains i get!

There are some techniques that allow better LF distribution, eliminating hot spots. Particularly using subwoofers in pairs, one countering the reflection of the other. It's a quite elaborate solution, requiring some processing (delay), but gives excellent results in difficult spaces.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I live in nowhere MS, and routinely hear loud cars and pick up trucks drive past (indoors through closed windows). Not to mention distorted clipped bass from overloaded car stereos and even the occasional motorcycle with loudspeakers.  Of course these ambient noises should not print to your final mixes so if you can ignore them, you can work around them.

Any space could be treated for mix down only. Perhaps keep the sonic treatments portable so you can move them to a more permanent space... if and when.

JR

 

[kambo]

thank you all. will get back with some drawings! 

 

[boji]

It's a quite elaborate solution, requiring some processing (delay), but gives excellent results in difficult spaces.

Hi Abby, is it a RTA software thing or is there a rule of thumb with delay unit for this setup?

 

[kambo]

i am planning to cover/seal all walls, ceiling, floor with min 1" dense/heavy boards..
and garage  door with 6"+ with air gaps as wall to cut some noise.
and also try resize to one of those magic numbers, if possible!
no problem getting track load of rockwool ! home depot is just around the corner too

 

[Gold]

Remember sound isolation and internal acoustics are two very separate things. The better the sound isolation is the worse the internal acoustics will
be. Free field is the ideal. Anything short of that needs a plan.

 

[kambo]

Remember sound isolation and internal acoustics are two very separate things. The better the sound isolation is the worse the internal acoustics will
be. Free field is the ideal. Anything short of that needs a plan.

i totally agree...


edit: i am actually abandoning the idea... ceiling is too lo... by the time i place cloud and all that etc... no go!
but, thank you all again! already saved money