OT....Studio Construction

[The Mighty Burner]

Hello DUC

I've just aquired a two floor barn in NY which I would like to convert into a studio (along with two other partners/investors), and I am in serious need of design consultation and a contractor to execute the construction.

If anyone would like to help me by discussing the issues, or if anyone can recommend a studio contractor in the NY area, it would be very much appreciated.

Here is a link to photos of the basic structure as it is:

http://themightyburner.com/pics/TheB...multiangle.jpg

To be quite honest, I'm pretty clueless at this point.
What I need is someone to consult with regarding all
the issues in the various stages of construction.
Right now, I need to figure out how to:

1) make sure the structure is water tight

2) reinforce the floor (to hold the weight of the
control room)

3) remove unwanted windows and doors, replacing them
as walls, and change the garage door to bay doors

4) construct the inner structure for proper sound
proofing and acoustic properties

5) fufill proper power requirements, condition that
power, and wire the structure for power and audio
signals

6) ventilate and light the structure

If there is ANYTHING you could advise me on related to
these (or any) issues, I would be very grateful.

Thanks for your time guys...looking forward to your comments.

[Son of David]

Check this out....lots of good info.

Acoustics 101

[andyo]

Post deleted by andyo

[supro]

Hey Burner, cool place. Post your question on this forum:

psw

Lots of knowledge about studio design.

[sean shannon]

Boy, would I love to get my hands on that project. I have designed and constructed complete studios here in Florida from the ground up, which are running smoothly, and I have always wanted a 2 story barn myself. Budget? Specs? That's what I need, as well as an idea of what sort of recording you will be doing (rock bands, acoustic guitar demos, etc.), and what sort of gear will be going in there (large/small format console, 24 track/DAW, etc.). Drop me an email, and I'd be happy to help you out, even though I am way down here. Maybe I could design your plans for you. Check out my site for floor plan of my home studio, one my personal designs. Where in New York are you? I have family there.....
Sean [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]
[email protected]

[The Mighty Burner]

Thanks for the replies guys...

I wish I could be more specific regarding a budget, but I as I said...I'm pretty much clueless. I don't really have any reference point for what this project might cost, so I can't really speculate on my budget. I can say this, though...it would be extremely modest!

I'm just trying to get a handle on the issues involved right now. We hope to do alot of the work ourselves in order to save money, but we would be willing to pay someone else to do certain things if it was appropriate.

What type of budget do you guys think this would require? We're basically talking about creating a "box within a box" type of structure.

Thanks again for the replies fellas...I'll be sure to check out that forum....thanks!

[AE]

The budget for a project like this can range from minimal to outlandish. The most difficult and potentially pricey aspect will be noise transmission and related factors. You are fortunate to have a seperate building without upstairs or downstairs neighbors, but then again if you're located in a quiet (residential?) neighborhood you could still have major problems. Are you zoned for commercial work? If so, great; if not, then you need to be extra careful about sound levels. Otherwise, you'll soon be out of business.

Here's a not-too-complex initial exercise. Determine the maximum ambient sound level that's acceptable outside of the studio. Get a chart that gives you equivalences. For example, can you tolerate the sound level of a busy office? That's approximatley 60 dBA. Perhaps you need to keep the sound transmission at a level no higher than a quiet residential neighborhood at night. That's around 45 dBA. Now, determine how loud you'd like to work in the studio. Are you recording loud rock bands with bass and drums? Then you should be prepared for 110 dBA or more. The difference will be the overall STC rating you need from your structure. Just to give you a general idea, it's not too hard to get STC ratings in the 40s, moderately expensive to get ratings in the 50s, and very expensive when you get above 60.

Of course, there are numerous other issues including the one's you've mentioned. But I think this is a good place to start. Do this little exercise and at least you'll have a preliminary sense of how bad it's gonna be...