Y'all

My garage is 20X23 sq ft with a pitched ceiling. I am planning to build a 8x11 sound room in the corner while the rest of the garage will be for tracking. I want to keep the ceiling pitched and hang clouds and move baffles where needed. My concern isn't necessarily sound leakage going out, but rather not making it sound too crappy, especially for drums and amps - I'll be recording pop/acoustic/rock stuff and would like some ambience.

My question is this, after I stuff the ceiling framing with R-30(19), is there a lighter, cheaper material to cover the ceiling/insulation other than drywall? I don't want to leave the insulation exposed nor do I want to drop the ceiling.
I am pretty much a non-factor when it comes to construction and have a very limitied budget after the control room and electrical are done. But if their is a material that would be easy to work with.........

Thanks for any suggestions.

Chuck

drool brothers

IMO I'd go with a one room setup, it would be a major bitch to mix in a control room that small.

oops forgot the rest of it, drywall is the most economical product for the application. You might need some bass trapping at the peak of the ceiling but I'd wait and hear how it sounds without it first

Thanks Eddie - these are the suggestions I need. I've been seriously contenplating a 1 room set up as well. The deciding factor being the exposure to loud volumes. I want to preserve my hearing (all the rock n' roll throughout the years has taken it's toll). Therefore, being in a seperate room away from drummers is the goal. I still may do the one room thing with maybe a vocal booth.

The goal for the small control room was to put 703 in the front corners and overhead - sonex in the middle and a diffuser in the back.

Is it a complete loosing battle with that small of a room?

Thanks again! Chuck

drool brothers

the one room is probably a good idea. I think after 3 studios with separate rooms my next one might be one room with a vocal/iso area. In your situation perhaps the vocal booth idea is a good one instead of making your control room that small. At that point you're compromising the thing that is possibly the most important aspect of recording, where you spend nearly all of your time making the most decisions; your control room.
as far as your ceiling, whatever you decide to cover up the ceiling joists with will be reflective to a certain point once it's structurally sound enough to mount over the insulation. So, I'd say go with either nice shiplap plywood and leave it somewhat organic looking or finished drywall. You could look into Celotex too. Then go about treating with apropriate acoustic clouds or whatever. That you'll have to do regardless or what surface is up there.

Just make sure that leaking sound going out isn't truly an issue...not only that but sounds leaking in your garage too. I find the GT33 to be great mics for a Harley driving by !

KEL - great advice and I appreciate it. Now I am seriously contemplating a one room set up. But how does one set up a decent mix position given that the room is now open (23X20)- I will have a 1) drum area, keyboard area, vocal booth and dunking booth (for bad drummers)

I think this is a new thread but any ideas are welcome!!

Chuck

drool brothers

easy, now you'll have more inside volume, which is always better for room mode issues. It'll spread out the room modes and you'll be able to trap 'em! Making some movable gobos that could be placed around the drum kit or anything for that matter would be a solution to creating separate-type spaces. Vocal booth too. 3 panels could be enough to create isolation good enough to track. Even a couple pairs of hinged doors with some soft stuff on the drum side w ill make a cool gobo..and they fold up out of the way. You won't be able to blast out your monitors of course and headphones will become more valuable tools to you. You just track a little something and play it back...
It's best to have the longest dimension behind you so reflections have a longer round trip back to your ears.
a trap door for bad drummers might be better, place it right under the drum throne.

I use the Vic Firth Iso headphones during tracking. Cheap, great isolation and they sound like shit,perfect I think . My drum kit is 3' behind my head at the mixing position, it works out pretty good with the phones. The front half of the room is treated for mixing and the back half is treated for tracking. It IS a reality that both ends can sound quite good, it just takes a little work and a little more money.

These are great ideas - if anyone has pics of their 1 room studio, send them my way. I know that Daniel Lanois records in an open space.

I am warming to the idea that you just go for it, and not over analyize and tweak too much.
The one room leans toward this theory. Plus I can save some money by not having to spring for building materials and labor - money better spent on GEAR perhaps

Eddie your studio looks amazing - live floors for the drums - very cool, Cheers

Chuck

drool brothers

Thanks flapp, I enjoy being in that room a whole bunch! Those are old pics and I've had to make a few changes. The ceiling tiles above the drum kit were replaced with 703 with a fabric face,major improvement. I added a couple more absorbers on the side walls to help with imaging and I'm in the process of doing away with the ceiling lights and going with something a bit softer and cheaper to replace. Those bulbs create alot of heat quickly and cost 4 bucks each and don't seem to last that long.
Keep us posted,
Eddie