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Recording and Rehearsing with Musicians at Your Home Studio

L

Louie

Member
How often do you do you hold rehearsals or record musicians in your homestudio? The maximum scale I'm talking about is say, a string quartet, piano and solo instrument duet, or small chamber ensemble.

Currently, my home studio is large enough for recording myself and one or two (max) additional musicians. The acoustics and isolation are good for mixing VI and DI, but not optimal for recording a cello or violin. This space was adapted from my living room. After a lot of research, planning, some money, and my own labor putting it together, it has served me well. I now have the time, interest and budget for expanding, but am evaluating the costs. Both dollars and opportunity costs. Inside my current home, the dinning room/kitchen/utility room area is decent sized but has noise intrusion from too many windows and doors, appliances, plus line-of-sight and walkway issues. I have a spare bedroom but it has a low ceiling and not enough floor space. The attached garage has to remain a garage according to building ordinance.

I'm looking at two options:

Option A) Purpose built studio in a home addition or detached accessory structure of modest size--600-1000 sq ft. I would use this space for regular practice and self-recording the cello, upright bass, percussion, and occasional acoustic guitar. Also to record excellent recordings of string ensembles (quartet) or solo cello would be another purpose. In the future, would love to host chamber music ensemble workshops for local players (including myself) to casually get together to play and share music (they call these play-ins nowadays). If I decide to get back into playing jazz regularly, could also host a local jazz jam/workshop. I would hire a professional studio designer to design it, contract out most of the construction, along with doing some of the labor myself.

Option B) sticking with current mix space and renting rehearsal space and/or studio, hall, or church (when needed for recording). Hiring an engineer when needed.

Advantages of A) Anytime convenient access. Having instruments and recording gear already setup just right. Fun factor: Inspiration and personal enjoyment on a daily basis, and enjoying sharing with other musicians and friends. Nicer esthetics and relaxing atmosphere--no ticking clock. Save some money spent on rent.

Disadvantages of A) Huge upfront cost (financial rabbit hole?), potential hassles with city, higher taxes, higher utilities, more maintenance and associated costs, risk of theft when gone, risk of neighborhood turning bad and having to sell, being overly tied to it or not recouping investment if having to move (upfront cost likely makes it a one time deal) risk of acoustics not being appropriate for recording the cello or string quartet (likely not large enough)? Opportunity costs of being tied to the residence, not having money for a nicer instrument(s), or money that could be used to fund recording in a variety of other venues (scalability). Can be summed up with: "if you want to play you have to pay".

Advantages of B) Flexibility of choosing venue/acoustics and engineer specifically for recording the cello or string quartet, or larger ensembles given the opportunity and if future compositions warrant it. Ambiance of the occasion: does a ticking clock give better performances? Cost savings: For a rehearsal space, can split the cost of rent with other ensemble members. Scalability: can scale up or down depending on music composition and the services of recording engineer based on project needs. Mobile: If neighborhood turns, can easily dismantle current home studio, sell, and walk away with portable acoustic treatments. Privacy: not too much of a concern but worth thinking about, could be thought of as an advantage to not have musicians in your home. With the typical string players, likely not a concern.

Disadvantages of B) Paying rent, no RTO. Hassle of driving to, and coordinating rent payment of rehearsal space with other musicians. Inconvenience of not having a space right in the backyard or in the home. Inconvenience of re-recording takes. Missing out on the daily enjoyment of one's own space. Hassle of negotiating hiring a hall and engineer. Ticking clock: Does it really lead to better performance, or rising to the occasion?


Anybody go down the road of committing to a purpose built home studio and later regretting that decision (option A)?

Does it make more sense in todays economic environment to stick with a smaller home mix room with portable acoustic panels? Hiring out live recording only when needed ? (option B)

Would like to know your thoughts.

Hopefully this post is useful to other composers and echos some of their thoughts and dreams.

Edit: removed verbiage that might have been confusing and led to mistaken assumptions.
Click to read more...
 
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I rehearse here in my home studio a fair amount, but just keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, sometimes a sax player, and singers
 
I'm jealous of this conundrum! My wife and I live in a small condo that we were lucky to buy before our local housing market went nuts, so we'll be here for a good long while (a three-bedroom house in our neighborhood, which we love, would be astronomically expensive). I do tons of work out of the small home studio I've built here but it's only big enough for one to two people at a time, at the VERY most, and I've honestly only ever recorded one other person besides myself here. After years in New York City, I'm grateful just to have the space – and, crucially, not be renting. But I'd love it if we had a bigger room for a full band to rehearse and record, let alone a thousand square foot home addition!

So, clearly, my solution for full-band activities will always be to rent a rehearsal space. I have relationships with some great studios in the area, so if/when I need a dedicated space and engineer for recording groups, I'll always go that route.

If I had the means, though, I wouldn't hesitate to build a dedicated studio facility at home that I could actually rent out to small groups for recording. I'd love to be tracking string quartets or other chamber ensembles, or make proper jazz quintet recordings with everyone in the room together. So I'd urge you in the direction of option (A) just out of my own selfish desires! :)

Of course, in the end, I have a feeling your choice will be made for you after you get all the real information about the logistics and costs involved with building a home addition. If it seems feasible, it'll probably add value to your home and be well worth it. If it starts looming like a nightmare, that would be a cue to pivot to (B). Good luck either way!
 
proggermusic said:
I'm jealous of this conundrum! My wife and I live in a small condo that we were lucky to buy before our local housing market went nuts, so we'll be here for a good long while (a three-bedroom house in our neighborhood, which we love, would be astronomically expensive). I do tons of work out of the small home studio I've built here but it's only big enough for one to two people at a time, at the VERY most, and I've honestly only ever recorded one other person besides myself here. After years in New York City, I'm grateful just to have the space – and, crucially, not be renting. But I'd love it if we had a bigger room for a full band to rehearse and record, let alone a thousand square foot home addition!

So, clearly, my solution for full-band activities will always be to rent a rehearsal space. I have relationships with some great studios in the area, so if/when I need a dedicated space and engineer for recording groups, I'll always go that route.

If I had the means, though, I wouldn't hesitate to build a dedicated studio facility at home that I could actually rent out to small groups for recording. I'd love to be tracking string quartets or other chamber ensembles, or make proper jazz quintet recordings with everyone in the room together. So I'd urge you in the direction of option (A) just out of my own selfish desires! :)

Of course, in the end, I have a feeling your choice will be made for you after you get all the real information about the logistics and costs involved with building a home addition. If it seems feasible, it'll probably add value to your home and be well worth it. If it starts looming like a nightmare, that would be a cue to pivot to (B). Good luck either way!
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I know, it's a good problem to have--pretty funny. But I want to get the POV of different composers/engineers who are also considering this or have already been down this road--so many variables. And yes, cost is going to be the biggest factor. Super appreciate sharing your experience/story and generous advice. This is the sort of reply I was hoping for.
 
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I have rehearsed and recorded in three different homes, and never regretted it.
My first home- I had a bedroom on the 2nd floor as the control room, and recorded in the second floor loft, or down in the living room with a vaulted ceiling. It was very rare that a recording was interrupted by outside noise. I think that was mostly because I was recording electric guitar, vocals, drums, etc...so the sound source was always close to the mic and fairly loud, so any outside sound couldn't be heard over that, other than in the silences, and that's easy to fix. If you're recording chamber music, your sound sources won't be as loud, and so outside sounds could become intrusive.
The living room was great for rehearsing.

My second home was a slump block home, so the walls were already excellent for sound blockage. I used one bedroom as the control room and another bedroom as a studio. I installed a very heavy window plug into the studio bedroom, so there was essentially no outside sound intrusion, and then used lots of bass traps in both rooms to tame the low end, and remove the dreaded 'bedroom' sound from the studio room.

My third home, I had a basement studio. So all I needed was lots of bass traps, and rehearsing and recording was sweet.

(By the way, I made my own floor to ceiling bass traps using 4" rigid fiberglass with 2"x4" framing, and wrapped in burlap. They are more effective and cost much less than almost any that can be purchased.)

Now, I just do composing, so I have a small bedroom dedicated to that only. I join other people at rehearsal studios. It's much less convenient, as everything has to be brought in and setup, and then torn down and carried out within the allotted time. And trying to record something there means being rehearsed and prepared to a much greater degree than in my own home, where there are fewer time constraints, and we are much freer to experiment and have fun trying different ideas.
I don't know all your specifics, but bass traps, gobos, and careful mic placement can overcome a lot of recording issues in an existing home setup. And would be much much much cheaper than building a recording space from scratch.

Hope you found something I said helpful!

Steven
 
weeeeve said:
I have rehearsed and recorded in three different homes, and never regretted it.
My first home- I had a bedroom on the 2nd floor as the control room, and recorded in the second floor loft, or down in the living room with a vaulted ceiling. It was very rare that a recording was interrupted by outside noise. I think that was mostly because I was recording electric guitar, vocals, drums, etc...so the sound source was always close to the mic and fairly loud, so any outside sound couldn't be heard over that, other than in the silences, and that's easy to fix. If you're recording chamber music, your sound sources won't be as loud, and so outside sounds could become intrusive.
The living room was great for rehearsing.

My second home was a slump block home, so the walls were already excellent for sound blockage. I used one bedroom as the control room and another bedroom as a studio. I installed a very heavy window plug into the studio bedroom, so there was essentially no outside sound intrusion, and then used lots of bass traps in both rooms to tame the low end, and remove the dreaded 'bedroom' sound from the studio room.

My third home, I had a basement studio. So all I needed was lots of bass traps, and rehearsing and recording was sweet.

(By the way, I made my own floor to ceiling bass traps using 4" rigid fiberglass with 2"x4" framing, and wrapped in burlap. They are more effective and cost much less than almost any that can be purchased.)

Now, I just do composing, so I have a small bedroom dedicated to that only. I join other people at rehearsal studios. It's much less convenient, as everything has to be brought in and setup, and then torn down and carried out within the allotted time. And trying to record something there means being rehearsed and prepared to a much greater degree than in my own home, where there are fewer time constraints, and we are much freer to experiment and have fun trying different ideas.
I don't know all your specifics, but bass traps, gobos, and careful mic placement can overcome a lot of recording issues in an existing home setup. And would be much much much cheaper than building a recording space from scratch.

Hope you found something I said helpful!

Steven
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Hi Steven, I found your detailed response very helpful, and thanks very much for taking the time sharing what you have run across. You covered a lot of pros and cons and make a good case for recording live ensembles at home. Good point about close mic band instruments versus bowed string acoustic instruments where the mics are placed further from the instrument, and the instruments are lower SPL. I live a few miles away from a municipal (small engine aircraft mostly) airport so in the mornings the noise is too loud to record. I tend to do music before they take off (really early) or at night. I also have a heavy window plug, beefed up the entry door with extra mass and seals, and added a laminated glass storm door. This at least makes it possible to do composing and smaller scale rehearsal whenever I like--even recording single acoustic instruments during quiet times. With the outside noise level I'm considering room inside a room construction for recording and that's why I'm digging in and researching carefully.

As far as treatments go. When you described your DYI floor to ceiling bass traps. Are you describing placement in vertical corners only, or from floor to ceiling around the entire room perimeter?
 
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My "studio" is quite small (12x12' or 12x14' - basically a small bedroom in the house), and in addition to my working desk, it's filled with a couple of bookcases and another small desk, so there's not a lot of wide open walking around room.

The room has lots of Auralex foam treatment on the walls and ceiling, so it's pretty dead. I also have Auralex bass traps, but they barely do anything to eliminate standing waves. There's simply no space to hang proper bass traps, so I've learned where the bass buildups and dropouts are in the room, and set the mix position in an optimal place to assess bass response.

There's enough space for two cellos to record comfortably, but of course, without any isolation from each other. I've recorded vocalists, violin, mandolin, harmonica, guitar, light percussion, and bass players, all while having a producer sitting in the room as well, and it's worked out very well. I've seen videos of James Hetfield (Metallica) recording his vocals while sitting in the control room, so having the talent with you while you're engineering is totally workable.

But it's definitely not an ideal space to rehearse in. That happens in my living room, where there's also a spinet piano and enough room to accomodate a 6-piece jazz ensemble.


Just as an added aside, here's a funny little story... on one project, the artist wanted to have a small gospel choir singing backgrounds on a song. So I managed to squeeze 5 amply-sized female gospel singers from a local church into my studio, plus the artist and producer were in the room (standing) as well, during the recording! It was a tight squeeze to say the least.

Luckily, the singers could be recorded as a unit with one mic (they did multiple takes, and I used the two best takes to create a doubled stereo image). The problem was, I didn't have enough headphones for everyone in the studio, so I had to come up with a makeshift solution that would enable them to hear the track, but still give me a recording I could use in the mix.

What I did was pipe the song into the room thru a lowpass filter set at around 250hz. This was enough for them to hear the music and record their parts. Of course, the mic picked up both their voices and the filtered song, but since they sang in a high register, during mixing I was able to roll off everything below 250hz to eliminate the song portion and just isolate their vocals. It worked out great.

Necessity is the mother of invention! :sneaky:


Don't know if any of that was the least bit helpful, but I thought I'd chime in, if for no other reason, than to have an excuse to relate my gospel singer story :laugh:
 
Louie said:
Hi Steven, I found your detailed response very helpful, and thanks very much for taking the time sharing what you have run across. You covered a lot of pros and cons and make a good case for recording live ensembles at home. Good point about close mic band instruments versus bowed string acoustic instruments where the mics are placed further from the instrument, and the instruments are lower SPL. I live a few miles away from a municipal (small engine aircraft mostly) airport so in the mornings the noise is too loud to record. I tend to do music before they take off (really early) or at night. I also have a heavy window plug, beefed up the entry door with extra mass and seals, and added a laminated glass storm door. This at least makes it possible to do composing and smaller scale rehearsal whenever I like--even recording single acoustic instruments during quiet times. With the outside noise level I'm considering room inside a room construction for recording and that's why I'm digging in and researching carefully.

As far as treatments go. When you described your DYI floor to ceiling bass traps. Are you describing placement in vertical corners only, or from floor to ceiling around the entire room perimeter?
Click to expand...
I'm in a semi similar boat, but my situation is tricker in some ways... I live within 300 feet of 3 train lines, one of which being a high speed rail from Boston to NYC... In 2016 I converted 1/2 of my second floor into a studio. It's great for mixing, composing, even mastering... But for tracking it's not ideal, and on top of that, the ambient noise in the rest of my place has always bothered me...

Since there's a structural component that I'll never be able to completely solve, (vibrations from the train) I'm about to install soundproof windows (window covers technically - it's the same 'room-in-a-room approach, but with windows... ) in all rooms to isolate everything about 100 hz or so, (minus sub-sonic rumble from the train)... Depending on how many windows you have in or near the room(s) you're referring to you might at least explore it, if nothing else... (They also do fully sound proof doors, custom panels, etc).

I'm going with the same place Berklee used to isolate all of the windows in their recording/production department... The guy who owns the company really does knows his shit, something you might at least look into if you're still exploring different options...

www.ezsoundproof.com

About - EZ Sound Proof

About Mass Soundproof, LLC Windows & Doors GET A QUOTE Noise reduction can be easy and affordable. Since 1998, headquartered just outside of Boston, Massachusetts and working in conjunction with our 60,000 square foot manufacturers facilities in Iowa; we have empowered home and business property...
www.ezsoundproof.com

Their video page has tons of real world examples of treatments they've done...

www.ezsoundproof.com

Videos - EZ Sound Proof

Sound Proofing Videos GET A QUOTE Demonstration Videos Testimonial Videos Native Language Videos # 1 # 4 # 7 # 10 # 13 # 16 # 19 # 22 # 2 # 5 # 8 # 11 # 14 # 17 # 20 # 23 # 3 # 6 # 9 # 12 # 15 […]
www.ezsoundproof.com
 
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NekujaK said:
My "studio" is quite small (12x12' or 12x14' - basically a small bedroom in the house), and in addition to my working desk, it's filled with a couple of bookcases and another small desk, so there's not a lot of wide open walking around room.

The room has lots of Auralex foam treatment on the walls and ceiling, so it's pretty dead. I also have Auralex bass traps, but they barely do anything to eliminate standing waves. There's simply no space to hang proper bass traps, so I've learned where the bass buildups and dropouts are in the room, and set the mix position in an optimal place to assess bass response.

There's enough space for two cellos to record comfortably, but of course, without any isolation from each other. I've recorded vocalists, violin, mandolin, harmonica, guitar, light percussion, and bass players, all while having a producer sitting in the room as well, and it's worked out very well. I've seen videos of James Hetfield (Metallica) recording his vocals while sitting in the control room, so having the talent with you while you're engineering is totally workable.

But it's definitely not an ideal space to rehearse in. That happens in my living room, where there's also a spinet piano and enough room to accomodate a 6-piece jazz ensemble.


Just as an added aside, here's a funny little story... on one project, the artist wanted to have a small gospel choir singing backgrounds on a song. So I managed to squeeze 5 amply-sized female gospel singers from a local church into my studio, plus the artist and producer were in the room (standing) as well, during the recording! It was a tight squeeze to say the least.

Luckily, the singers could be recorded as a unit with one mic (they did multiple takes, and I used the two best takes to create a doubled stereo image). The problem was, I didn't have enough headphones for everyone in the studio, so I had to come up with a makeshift solution that would enable them to hear the track, but still give me a recording I could use in the mix.

What I did was pipe the song into the room thru a lowpass filter set at around 250hz. This was enough for them to hear the music and record their parts. Of course, the mic picked up both their voices and the filtered song, but since they sang in a high register, during mixing I was able to roll off everything below 250hz to eliminate the song portion and just isolate their vocals. It worked out great.

Necessity is the mother of invention! :sneaky:


Don't know if any of that was the least bit helpful, but I thought I'd chime in, if for no other reason, than to have an excuse to relate my gospel singer story :laugh:
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Nekujak, very interesting and thanks much, these are exactly the kind of stories I'm looking for. You are literally squeezing every inch out of your available space! Seriously, I think all the people in there for that background vocal session you described were part of the room treatment. Was wondering, why not record the choir in the local church, which is their natural performance space, and what they are accustomed to, plus capturing the nicer acoustics? Was it a question of logistics (not being able to rent or borrow the church in time)? It seems like carrying computer, interface, renting a wedge monitor, and mics, cables, and headphones would have covered the gig, but I'm sure I'm missing something. This gets right to the heart of what I'm curious about. It seems like there are plenty of composers/engineers making due inside their homes for ensemble recording, when they could potentially do remote recording, then one additional for mixing session in the home studio with the decision maker(s) present (or not).

Also curious if you have had any issues with noise intruding into your space (from outside), and how you have approached that problem?

Would love to hear the two cello recording, if you are allowed to share that.
 
jcrosby said:
I'm in a semi similar boat, but my situation is tricker in some ways... I live within 300 feet of 3 train lines, one of which being a high speed rail from Boston to NYC... In 2016 I converted 1/2 of my second floor into a studio. It's great for mixing, composing, even mastering... But for tracking it's not ideal, and on top of that, the ambient noise in the rest of my place has always bothered me...

Since there's a structural component that I'll never be able to completely solve, (vibrations from the train) I'm about to install soundproof windows (window covers technically - it's the same 'room-in-a-room approach, but with windows... ) in all rooms to isolate everything about 100 hz or so, (minus sub-sonic rumble from the train)... Depending on how many windows you have in or near the room(s) you're referring to you might at least explore it, if nothing else... (They also do fully sound proof doors, custom panels, etc).

I'm going with the same place Berklee used to isolate all of the windows in their recording/production department... The guy who owns the company really does knows his shit, something you might at least look into if you're still exploring different options...

www.ezsoundproof.com

About - EZ Sound Proof

About Mass Soundproof, LLC Windows & Doors GET A QUOTE Noise reduction can be easy and affordable. Since 1998, headquartered just outside of Boston, Massachusetts and working in conjunction with our 60,000 square foot manufacturers facilities in Iowa; we have empowered home and business property...
www.ezsoundproof.com

Their video page has tons of real world examples of treatments they've done...

www.ezsoundproof.com

Videos - EZ Sound Proof

Sound Proofing Videos GET A QUOTE Demonstration Videos Testimonial Videos Native Language Videos # 1 # 4 # 7 # 10 # 13 # 16 # 19 # 22 # 2 # 5 # 8 # 11 # 14 # 17 # 20 # 23 # 3 # 6 # 9 # 12 # 15 […]
www.ezsoundproof.com
Click to expand...
Thanks much @jcrosby I'll check those out. I have windows of a similar type inside my master bedroom. Outside pane is a little thicker version of argon filled thermal glass. Inside pane is laminated glass. I can report they absolute work for higher to upper bass frequencies, but engine noise vibrates the entire house sometimes. The roof is a big drum and the noise travels down through the walls. Also, inside the studio I built a window plug, which works even better. It is to the point where at least the noise is muffled and not obtrusive, so fine for composing and mixing.

Train lines--good grief. That ultra low frequency rumble is impossible to deal with unless in a fully floated, massive airtight structure inside another airtight building which only institutions can afford (on the other hand, it's possible to roll off for recording higher range instruments or voice).Your situation is more extreme than mine because of the train vibration especially if they are running day and night. Personally, I would move, and that brings up a good point which is another option: moving to a quieter area for recording (easier said than done I know). I live in an area I like overall and all my other activities work out here so it's a tough choice.
 
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Louie said:
Thanks much @jcrosby I'll check those out. Train lines--good grief. That ultra low frequency rumble is impossible to deal with unless in a fully floated, massive airtight structure inside another airtight building which only institutions can afford (on the other hand, it's possible to roll off for recording higher range instruments or voice). I have windows of a similar type inside my master bedroom. Outside pane is a little thicker version of argon filled thermal glass. Inside pane is laminated glass. I can report they absolute work for higher to upper bass frequencies, but engine noise vibrates the entire house sometimes. The roof is a big drum and the sound travels down through the walls.

Your situation is more extreme than mine because of the train vibration. Personally, I would move, and that brings up a good point which is another option: moving to a quieter area (easier said than done I know). I live in an area I like overall and all my other activities work out here so it's a tough choice. My main music focus is still creative composition. The recording thing is something I love as well, but it's not the main priority--probably why I'm still here.
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Thanks Louie. I've in my place for over 10 years, I've made it work despite the challenges... But for sure, the living room's noisy, and the bedroom could be quieter as well... It's been grating on me for a while, but I really want to make this place work considering I have for a decade now, and I like the area I'm in...

I've looked at other solutions as well, (including 2 and 3 pane argon filled windows), these are completely different from those... They're equivalent to what you'll see in a control room, two panes of heavy glass sandwiching a plexiglass laminate in the center. They're (apparently) bulletproof and blast resistant.... Basically these are specifically designed for soundproofing, and aren't actual windows, they're basically a second interior-only window with a 3 inch air cavity...

If you haven't checked their site yet you should look at video '# 17', titled 'Eliminating Noise Penetration Through a Wall of Windows', and video '21' where he shows you the construction... Granted I haven't had them installed yet, but I do know my stuff in terms of sound isolation, and I figure if Berklee has them in their mixing and production rooms I can't imagine they aren't on par with windows you'll find in commercial recording facilities...

Either way I hope you find a solution!
 
I have a perspective on this. I lived in Brooklyn and built a two-room studio in the basement of my brownstone. It was about 200' from a subway line, and the live room was floated on springs, box-in-a-box construction. The isolation was great, not world-class but totally adequate even with the train line next door. I used the space as a combo of my own personal studio for composing and producing (mostly singer/songwriter stuff) and a space for outside artists to come in and record.

It sounds great - and it was - but definitely not all sunshine and roses. Here are some things to consider before going down that road.

1) Construction cost - making an acoustically isolated and good-sounding space is not cheap. I built my studio myself so my costs were time (it took me a year and a half) and materials. If I had to hire out the building work I could never have afforded to get up and running. I don't remember exactly, but I think my material cost for the space (~600 sq ft/55 sq meters) was around $40-$50k, and this was back in the early 2000's when materials were cheaper

2) Equipment cost - if you are planning on operating as a commercial or semi-commercial facility, you will need more gear than what you use just for your own composing and self-tracking purposes. Generally when you move from tracking one or two inputs at a time to a more full-fledged setup, you are going to need a bunch of gear that will, unfortunately, sit unused 90% of the time. You will need more mic pres, more microphones, and as Nekujak illustrated, a proper headphone monitoring system for multiple musicians

So depending on your total costs, you may find that you need to become a studio operator (rather than a composer with a great room) in order to cover the outlay. In other words, your focus will have to shift away from composing and more toward running your studio.

One more caveat - if you are operating commercially, with outside musicians coming in to your space, be aware that they will not treat it with the same respect you do. I cannot believe that stuff I had to clean up after sessions at my place - gum on the hardwood floor, spilled cans of Red Bull, salt on t he stairs from the mf'ers who don't take their boots off in the winter, etc etc.

I loved having that space, but I was in a unique position to make it happen and take advantage of it. I don't want to discourage anyone from doing something similar, just go into it with your eyes open!
 
Louie said:
Was wondering, why not record the choir in the local church, which is their natural performance space, and what they are accustomed to, plus capturing the nicer acoustics? Was it a question of logistics (not being able to rent or borrow the church in time)?
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There were a couple of factors that steered the gospel singers into my small space. The primary one being budget. The artist had spent nearly all her money to record her band in a big commercial studio. By the time the tracks came to me, she had just enough money to pay for mixing. The gospel choir was an unplanned idea that popped up during mixing, so we needed to do it as inexpensively as possible.

The second factor is that I'm really not a recording engineer - mixing is my thing - I actually hate fussing with mics and all the details involved in setting up a good recording, and the thought of lugging gear and setting it all up remotely makes me cringe :eek:. Plus I don't really have the necessary gear to record properly outside my studio, nor do I have the expertise to know how to get the best recordings from different environments. Within the familiar setting of my humble home studio, I know what to expect and am able to setup quickly and get predictable results.

Louie said:
Also curious if you have had any issues with noise intruding into your space (from outside), and how you have approached that problem?
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I'm fortunate to live in a relatively quiet location on the side of a hill. The houses are all detached and car traffic is pretty much confined to local residents or visitors. But that's not to say there isn't noise. Something I quickly discovered when I bought this house some 30 years ago, is that sounds travel up a hill amazingly well. People talking and other activity from the streets and homes below are all very audible. But double-paned windows are all that's needed to keep most loud noises at bay, at least enough so a mic doesn't pick them up.

Louie said:
Would love to hear the two cello recording, if you are allowed to share that.
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Oh sorry... I didn't say I actually recorded two cellos, just that there's enough room for two cellists to sit comfortably and play :thumbsup: I have yet to record a cello.
 
Wow, some great input on this thread!

I relate to much of what has been shared. I recorded a number of musicians in my basement studio, and when a group of them comes down the stairs with big gulps, sandwiches, fritos, and starbucks drinks overflowing with whipped cream...oye!

Louie- regarding the bass traps, in the first home, it was just foam corner traps in the 'control room' bedroom, as the room was rather small (10'x9'). And I discovered that those traps weren't nearly enough, as bass nodes were all over. Moving one foot in any direction meant the bass was booming or inaudible. My living room with the vaulted ceiling didn't really need bass traps, and was great for rehearsing. It was great for recording to a point, as it was a very live sounding room, so I had to position performers and mics carefully so as to not get too much unwanted ambience into the recording.

In my slump block home, the bedrooms were large (15'x11'), and so in both rooms there were my home-made floor to ceiling bass traps in the corners and completely along one wall, about 6 inches off the wall. That made a huge difference. The low end was fairly balanced, and the woofy bedroom sound was gone. The recording room was a little bit dead sounding, which isn't as nice for the performer, but makes it easier to record and mix, as it's much easier to add ambience in a recording than remove it!

In my basement studio, with a 25' x 27' room, three walls were concrete, and the fourth was brick, so acoustic treatment was really needed! I had floor to ceiling bass traps in all corners plus across two walls. Then I hung several 2'x4' traps over the mix position. Again, they made a huge difference; it was very easy to mix in, and easy to track in. I pulled up the carpet and installed hardwood floors, so the room didn't sound too dead/dry for the performers.

Given your situation, recording and rehearsing acoustic music, your need for bass traps probably isn't as pronounced, since the low end energy is less than what I was experiencing with drums, electric bass, electric guitars, etc...Corner treatment should be plenty.

It has always been a dream to build a purpose-built recording facility, but given the costs and time required, and given the results I've had using my homes, I don't think I can justify the money and effort needed for that facility. And has been stated previously, with a little creativity, it's amazing how good a recording can be made in a less than ideal environment.

Thank you all for sharing your perspectives!

Steven
 
I built a 1000 SF garage. No car has ever seen the inside of that space, but lots of work went into the interior. Who but you and your guests need to know that your new garage is anything more than a typical Autohaus? And if you ever sell, your home will feature a perfect "Man Cave."
 
@Louie - rereading your OP I see you gave more specific options than I had remembered.

I think you will find that building an addition or freestanding structure specifically for music is going to be prohibitively expensive. I mentioned material costs for a 600 sq ft space above ($40-50k) and that was inside an existing basement with thick stone walls. Depends where you are located, but I have to guess that for a freestanding structure with adequate sound isolation (prob a minimum of 60dBNR or more given that you are near an airport) you are probably going in for $150k at a bare minimum. Could easily be twice that if you run into issues along the way (digging a foundation? drainage? permits?). And that just gets you a bare building and maybe some acoustical treatment. Then you need the recording gear (which I also mentioned above) and stuff like cabling and oh yeah since you're all in you should prob rig it up for cameras because Youtube and Insta and down the hole you go...

I'd agree with weeeve - rig up your existing space the best you can. You can DIY quite a lot, or pay someone like GIK or Real Traps to make nice-looking things for you. Get the most you can out of your existing space, and rent a better studio or recording space when you really need it.
 
danstein said:
One more caveat - if you are operating commercially, with outside musicians coming in to your space, be aware that they will not treat it with the same respect you do.
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An additional consideration is theft. The more gear a studio is equipped with, the more it becomes an attractive target for burglary. I've known several small studio owners who had the unfortunate experience of losing tens of thousands of dollars of equipment to theft.

A good preventative security system becomes yet another cost required to run and maintain a studio/recording space that outside musicians can use.
 
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Well worth it if your gear is used professionally. If your music is STRICTLY a hobby (which means you are not earning any money with it and are not writing off gear purchases against your taxable income), your Homeowners or Renters policy will probably cover your music equipment.
 
Last thing I'll say, since I've already chimed in! Putting myself in your place, I would definitely go the "home addition" route if, and really only if, these factors were all in place:

1. I had the budget to really do it right: architect, acoustical engineer, HVAC, plumbing, etc

2. I had extra budget to make sure things would be ok in the event of unforeseen circumstances (which seem to always come up with projects like this!)

3. My spouse were totally onboard and felt good about it

If done properly, an addition like that could add value to the home regardless of what it's used for. If done poorly, it could be a money-pit that actually damages the value of the home... of course, nobody wants that! So I'd be most likely to stick with what's already built and optimize that to the best of my ability.

But MAN... a dedicated (and big) studio space like that sounds dreamy. If those three factors were in place, hell yeah, warp speed ahead!
 
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