Building a small home studio

see_jay

I'm after getting back into dj'ing after 7 years out of the saddle and starting a production course and I'm looking to build a very small 1m x 1.2m room in my hall to be able to practice playing my decks and getting used to producing as I have to headphone mix currently as I don't want to disturb my neighbours as I'm living in an apartment.

Has anyone done this and does anyone know/recommend any builders/companies to do the job? I had a quote before Christmas of 800 to do it but funds didn't materialise at the time. I know you can't advertise but a pm would be great. The quote included the partition and also soundproofing under the floor and filling the surrounding wall space and ceiling.

Any help suggestions would be greatly appreciated

ICN

Lord thats a small space.

What is it? Is it just the hallway and you're partitioning it off a bit?


Best of luck with it Mate :cool:

Sacred_git

see_jay wrote: »

I'm after getting back into dj'ing after 7 years out of the saddle and starting a production course and I'm looking to build a very small 1m x 1.2m room in my hall to be able to practice playing my decks and getting used to producing as I have to headphone mix currently as I don't want to disturb my neighbours as I'm living in an apartment.

Has anyone done this and does anyone know/recommend any builders/companies to do the job? I had a quote before Christmas of 800 to do it but funds didn't materialise at the time. I know you can't advertise but a pm would be great. The quote included the partition and also soundproofing under the floor and filling the surrounding wall space and ceiling.

Any help suggestions would be greatly appreciated

jeez you won't be able to move!!!

see_jay

Haha

No, it's just spot on I used to study Architecture in college and I've done it out ergonomically and it just works. All I need it is for me, don't intend having the lads in with me.

Basically I'm partitioning off an area in the hall, originally wanted to do 1.2 by 2 but it would have cost 5k with the building work, moving structural concrete walls, doors etc....

Basically I've measured out all the equipment I'll be using and it just fits into that space.I need somewhere to bash it out as I'm sick of headphone mixing and not having anywhere to store my records & decks etc...

see_jay

Basically can anyone recommend a builder or company by PM that will do a good job and have experience doing it....

seannash

im not going to question your architechural knowlege but i would question your knowlege about acoustics.


this "studio" will basically be like living inside a speaker.it will be a box shape(not good) and so small that the sound will bounce around the flat surfaces and it would be almost impossible to mix down convincingly let alone trying to compare it to a headphone mix.


bottom line while the dimensions will work in terms of how much eqipment and people you can fit in there it wont work as a mixdown room.

i will say though that all your mixes in that room will sound awesome(in that room) and weak when played outside of that room.

Rockshamrover

Sounds way to small. You'd do just as well spending half the 800 on a top notch set of mixing headphones.

see_jay

I understand where ye are coming from and my knowledge of acoustics is absolutely minimal.

It's more a room for practicing decks as I can't play loudly anywhere and all the equipment takes up too much room in a 1 bed apt.

I'd be mixing down on headphones anyhow as I've been told acoustics are a big problem in basic set ups. I'm only going to be in this apartment for 18 more months so it's a stop gap measure really but it's really needed.

ICN

see_jay wrote: »

Haha

No, it's just spot on I used to study Architecture in college and I've done it out ergonomically and it just works. All I need it is for me, don't intend having the lads in with me.

Basically I'm partitioning off an area in the hall, originally wanted to do 1.2 by 2 but it would have cost 5k with the building work, moving structural concrete walls, doors etc....

Basically I've measured out all the equipment I'll be using and it just fits into that space.I need somewhere to bash it out as I'm sick of headphone mixing and not having anywhere to store my records & decks etc...

Its more than just the ergonomics - The others are right.

Even the Guy doing the job for you would probably know it was not the ideal & probably a waste of time & money.

He probably thought you were making a gimp room! Haha!

The Headphones advice sounds cool. You can always sell them if you change your mind after a couple of months.

sound accoustic

i will be able to look at this for you we curently work for a number of djs and studios

oootini

lol at the under the stairs jacks dj.

jiltloop

That room sounds really small, also I'd be fairly skeptical about anyone being able to make it sound proof (especially for 800 quid). Acoustics would also be a serious issue. If I were you I would abandon the idea and get a very decent set of headphones and wait until a better option is possible.

ICN

sound accoustic wrote: »

i will be able to look at this for you we curently work for a number of djs and studios

Everytime someone pays - someone gets paid.

Be careful you dont get sold the Emperor's new clothes.

Elevator

is this see jay from ic? if ya want my advice don't go spending €800 on this and ya moving out n all, Jesus if it was your own place I'd still say not to do it, absolute waste of money. everythng about your whole plan sounds of fail. even with thousands of euros soundproofing ya wouldn't kill the sound in such a small space. if ya got it to burn then donations to the we hate djs fund can be sent to wehatedjs@gmail.com

move to a bigger space or just bank the money til ya moved out. serious waste of good euros if ya don't

see_jay

Tis yeah, who's that?

It's my own gaff that I just bought and it is my only option really. It'll also add value to the place as a storage room/office space

Elevator

hi See jay, its your gaff like but considering what I learned at music tech this year what you propose to have built is of no benefit to you at all. I spend 10+ hours at my studio, no way would I spend a half hour in a tiny 1m x 1.2m box in the hall tryin to make tunes. if you think it will inspire you somehow then knock yourself out but it still seems like a mad plan to me and everyone I've talked to about it.

if this was dragons den i'd be tellin ya that I think you're mad and I'm out.

xlr8

seannash

just a thought.

if its your own house is the attic space big enough to accommodate you standing up(is it a high pitched roof).

if it is,get an attic ladder installed and some flooring(just basic plywood sheets) and get a power source installed.


like i said just a thought,if theres space up there use it.alot of roofs are surprisingly large

Elevator

it's an appartment afaik, I'd have my set up in the bedroom and be done with it. couldn't do it in the kitchen/sitting room cos the gear would be wrecked over time

oootini

why not set the decks up in the jacks? that way you could bust a log while also practising your transitions.

Sacred_git

seannash wrote: »

just a thought.

if its your own house is the attic space big enough to accommodate you standing up(is it a high pitched roof).

if it is,get an attic ladder installed and some flooring(just basic plywood sheets) and get a power source installed.


like i said just a thought,if theres space up there use it.alot of roofs are surprisingly large

Best place for a home studio in my opinion, some nice skylight windows on the roof and nice lighting and it can be heaven working in this environment, you could use rockwoll as wll if your attic isn't converted with, this will help with acoustics.

hans aus dtschl

We need pics of this disaster room once it's built. To lol at.