Building a studio - litterally

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2001 7:28 pm

I don't know if this belongs here or not... It's kind of a follow up to the "Gear means nothing" thread... in a way.I'm finding that I'm really loosing a LOT of additional income by strickly being a mobile service.I've tried doing the referral thing with several of the other studios in the area, but everyone seems to want my ears in their project. They like the way I mix, but I don't have a brick and mortar to have clients come to... so I am SERIOUSLY thinking of taking the plunge.I found a secluded 10 acre tract with the makings of a great facility. Now to the grit of the matter...If you had it all to do over, would you hire a consulting firm to turn-key your studio? -OR- Would you go it alone as project manager and sub-contract everything out that you couldn't handle yourself?

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2001 11:07 pm

That would depend on the business plan.

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 4:55 am

I built my tiny place by living next door to it. I did little or no hands on work on it. Merely keeping an eye on contractors and the friends I got in to do it. I found I had PLENTY to do re it's build without physicaly laboring on it. We made a lot of stuff up as we went along, I had a walkie-talkie set up between my 'office' and the studio, I would zip round if needed, (and that was OFTEN) Can you afford to stop working to be at the consruction site all the time? (when it's done will you still have an audio business left?)Chums / indavidual contractors need a LOT of supervision - I recomend that you live / set up an office nearby.Hiring a pro team will allow you to work freely & live 'off site'.Will you be doubling up on gear? or using the trucks gear? Strikes me you should be designing your place so whiping gear in and out of the studio racks / truck - at short notice is always possible. I have a friend who doesn't like any gear that is not flightcased! DONT get hung up on 'fitted gear looks' - dont lose sight that you are the KEY MAN! And you are a MOBILE KINDA GUY! If your new palce has wheelable flightcase racks for outboard instead if wooden cabinets - SO BE IT! Yoo da man! Make your mobile / stationary studio dream, plan for all occaisions. I were you I would plan to be working say on a remote choir gig, but be able to rent out the studio to a trusted engineer and have enough equipment for him/her to be able to record a rock band. Two sessions at once, more money = more chance to survive.Also a studio is easyier to rent out when you are away on holiday (trusted engineer friend) than a mobile truck I immagine. Good luck! Smile

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 5:19 am

Can you afford to stop working to be at the consruction site all the time? (when it's done will you still have an audio business left?)
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That's the rub. I don't think so. If I were to give up the day gig, the income from the Mrs. alone wouldn't hold us.
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Chums / indavidual contractors need a LOT of supervision - I recomend that you live / set up an office nearby.Hiring a pro team will allow you to work freely & live 'off site'.
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The property has a house that I will live in. So I will be on site.It also has a 932 sq ft office/lounge area that has a section that could be turned into an additional 576 sq ft of sleeping accomodations. There is an unfinished barn that is 32x32 and an existing addition of 16x32 that should work fairly well as either iso booths or a drum and percussion suite. I want a quality facility when I'm done. Heck, if I'm gonna do this, I want to do it right. So, I know I'm going to need to hire a good designer/architect for the control room and any other additions plus the completion of the studio itself.I've got about half a dozen musicians who are qualified carpenters and my son-in-law is a commercial roofer. But I don't really know if this is a really practical approach or not.
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Just my 2 euro pennies.
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... and just how much is the interest rate to borrow those 2 euro pennies?
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Good luck!
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Thanx, I gonna need it...

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 5:32 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Ang1970:
That would depend on the business plan.<hr></blockquote>Seriously, I'm not being a smart-ass... but this IS part of the process of putting my business plan together.i.e. If I'm the contractor, then I can build the studio as I have the funds and time to do it. But if it's a foolish way to proceed with the physical aspect of the studio, then I would need to write the business plan to reflect the needs/requirements for the additional funding for a turnkey operation.If it's a generally acceptable risk to build as funds are available then I can possibly build the studio for less than $150-$175 US per sq ft. Otherwise I will be looking at a $250-$350 US per sq ft cost.So, are the cost savings worth going after to use on gear to outfit the studio? I dunno. Any ideas?Thanx,
Max

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 8:20 am

If you haven't built at least half a dozen studios from the ground up, hire someone who has. You can read books on acoustics, but they will not replace an experienced acoustician. You can use friends who are skilled carpenters, but if they've never built a studio before, you will at very least require a project manager that has. A recording studio is a very labor intensive bit of construction. It starts to look like something quickly, then can languish for weeks before you see any real noticable changes. This is often one of the largest causes of frustration during the process. This frustration can lead to corners being cut, which will lead to your studio being less than it should/could be.There are a million and a half "little" details that all need to be addressed, from wire troughs to 120vac/audio line separation. How to best build the floor to accomodate both, so you can use the shortest runs possible, while avoiding stray field induction. Power into the building...3 phase? Single phase? The pro's and con's of each (they're often different for each application), do you want to run the majority of your equipment on 220vac rather than 110vac? Why? If it's done properly, it can take 2-3 days to mount the main monitors in the front wall...down to whether the control room will be on one level all the way across, and if the rest of the facility will have the same level floor, or if there will be ramps. I would never presume to give advice on such things on an internet bulletin board, but I would definitely advise you to hire a professional to design and oversee the project. In the long run, the results should be superior, and just the reduced number of "ahshits" will more than justify the added expense.[FYI, an "ahshit" is when you realize you forgot something seemingly minor that turns out to be rather critical].Best of luck with the project!!

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 9:08 am

I believe you're in the same neck of the woods as Wes Lachot, who's a studio designer who was profiled in Tape Op and did an article for them on bass cancelations in the control room. I don't know his work personally, but the profile piece says he shoots for making studios from new construction no more expensive per square foot then a residential house. Maybe treat him to lunch to get a rough idea of what he could do for the place.Bear

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 9:53 am

Note:
I kinda fell out with ALL the chums I got in to work for me. Smile

Perhaps alert the studio builder co to the local talent you have, but let him decide to use em or not. Keep your friends and things cool with relations!!!

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2001 11:39 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by xaMdaM:
i.e. If I'm the contractor, then I can build the studio as I have the funds and time to do it. But if it's a foolish way to proceed with the physical aspect of the studio, then I would need to write the business plan to reflect the needs/requirements for the additional funding for a turnkey operation.<hr></blockquote>I mean what do you intend to do with the studio once it's built? I know you want to scoop up the loose bucks that are flying past you, but you haven't really described what kind of clientele you're going after, what specific services they need, and what they will be likely to pay for them. You've calculated the investment risk, but it doesn't quite seem like you've calculated how you're going to pay it all off. Think more long term, and that will help you with the decision immediately in front of you.

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2001 5:26 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Fletcher:
If you haven't built at least half a dozen studios from the ground up, hire someone who has. You can read books on acoustics, but they will not replace an experienced acoustician. You can use friends who are skilled carpenters, but if they've never built a studio before, you will at very least require a project manager that has. <hr></blockquote>Thanx for the heads up. That's EXACTLY what I was wanting to know. While I had no plans to design the studio/controlroom itself, I wasn't really sure if I should attempt to tackle the project management. <blockquote>quote:<hr>A recording studio is a [b]very labor intensive bit of construction. It starts to look like something quickly, then can languish for weeks before you see any real noticable changes. This is often one of the largest causes of frustration during the process. This frustration can lead to corners being cut, which will lead to your studio being less than it should/could be.There are a million and a half "little" details that all need to be addressed, from wire troughs to 120vac/audio line separation. How to best build the floor to accomodate both, so you can use the shortest runs possible, while avoiding stray field induction. Power into the building...3 phase? Single phase? The pro's and con's of each (they're often different for each application), do you want to run the majority of your equipment on 220vac rather than 110vac? Why? If it's done properly, it can take 2-3 days to mount the main monitors in the front wall...down to whether the control room will be on one level all the way across, and if the rest of the facility will have the same level floor, or if there will be ramps. I would never presume to give advice on such things on an internet bulletin board, but I would definitely advise you to hire a professional to design and oversee the project. In the long run, the results should be superior, and just the reduced number of "ahshits" will more than justify the added expense.[FYI, an "ahshit" is when you realize you forgot something seemingly minor that turns out to be rather critical].Best of luck with the project!![/b]<hr></blockquote>Thanx Fletcher! ...BTW, I did contact most of the firms you've suggested and figured that they 'll call after the first of the year.xaMdaM

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2001 5:30 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Bear's Gone Fission:
I believe you're in the same neck of the woods as Wes Lachot, who's a studio designer who was profiled in Tape Op and did an article for them on bass cancelations in the control room. I don't know his work personally, but the profile piece says he shoots for making studios from new construction no more expensive per square foot then a residential house. Maybe treat him to lunch to get a rough idea of what he could do for the place.Bear<hr></blockquote>Hey Bear,Thanx for the remider about Wes. He's got a great reputation around here as a good designer. Any ideas as to any project managers in my area?xaMdaM

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2001 5:53 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Ang1970:
I mean what do you intend to do with the studio once it's built? I know you want to scoop up the loose bucks that are flying past you, but you haven't really described what kind of clientele you're going after, what specific services they need, and what they will be likely to pay for them. <hr></blockquote>My current clientele is comprised of choirs, gospel groups, acoustic acts, percussion ensembles, jazz, fusion, and rock bands.I'm tracking everything from 5 song demos to full blown album projects. The work I'm missing is everything from the whole project to the mix-down with overdubs... and only because I don't have a decent facility to come back to to do the work. <blockquote>quote:<hr> You've calculated the investment risk, but it doesn't quite seem like you've calculated how you're going to pay it all off. Think more long term, and that will help you with the decision immediately in front of you.<hr></blockquote>I think I'm following what your saying here... i.e. owning a studio for the sake of owning a studio is the wrong reason for building one. If I can get bookings for the mobile because I've got a decent facility to do the mix/overdubs/etc., then the reverse should also be true. I'm not sure if there is really a calculation or some type of measurable formula that I can plug in here, is there?I know that I lost 6 complete projects this past year due to no extra facility. I've also seen 5 other projects become MAJOR "awshit" Mad

situations as I have had to utilize what limited space I have here now for overdubs and the like... besides, mixing on nearfields is a bitch. Getting a good mix is tough enough without the added hassle of having to redo the damn thing because of issues related to the lack of a well built mixing room.xaMdaM

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2001 9:37 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by xaMdaM:
If I can get bookings for the mobile because I've got a decent facility to do the mix/overdubs/etc., then the reverse should also be true. I'm not sure if there is really a calculation or some type of measurable formula that I can plug in here, is there?<hr></blockquote>There is, actually. But you have to have a degree in business to convince anyone that it isn't complete bullshit. Smile

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2001 3:37 pm

I would give it a go on your own. Check out the F. Alton Everest books availble at Amazon.com. I personally liked the "Sound Studio Construction on a Budget" the best. also check out this link.http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.htmlJoe

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2002 11:20 am

Bear brought up Wes Lachot before I did- I have heard good things about him. I wouldn't worry so much about finding a project manager yet- if you follow Angelo's rough estimation plan, and then contact Wes, you will have a budget to hand him, and I'm 99% sure that he is going to be more plugged in to the project managers/ builders/ contractors around your area than you. Let him help you through that part, as well as the actual design. Keep us all posted, too! <blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by xaMdaM:
Hey Bear,Thanx for the remider about Wes. He's got a great reputation around here as a good designer. Any ideas as to any project managers in my area?xaMdaM<hr></blockquote>

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