New garage studio layout. See what you think...

[Tom Fodor]

This is just a 3D mock up of one layout I was considering for my garage studio. pretty basic but any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks guys

[John White]

Nice big space! Do you need two isolation rooms?
Would love to see more detail about the doors from room to room.

-john

[MadMax]

Tom,

I know you're limited to the space you have... but those iso's are mighty small. (The coffee station will be all but impossible to navigate.)

Rather than eating up all that space and money with walls, you might want to consider making some iso boxes instead, and only having one larger iso along with the storage/iso.

Max

[soapfloats]

I was thinking the same thing, Max - getting to, in and around both the coffee room and powder room look suspect.

Otherwise it looks like a fine setup.

Keep in mind that the control room can also be used in a pinch for an iso room, as can a storage room (esp. for amps) like Max suggested.
Our second iso room will likely be just that - our storage/utility room.
Also, gobos can help isolate a room. Done creatively, you can make iso boxes (again as Max suggested), separate two amps (or horn players) in one room, etc.

In my short time dealing w/ less than perfect spaces, I prefer a semi-modular room, and larger, open spaces...

[Space]

I'm not in love with the control room design myself. Too many zigs and zags in the front wall that could create distraction from early reflections and a possible build up...maybe both?

I would attempt to clean up the basic wall lines to minimize these potential sonic nuisance points in the room you are needing the least amount of distraction.

[kmetal]

the multi-room studio is determined by the the 'most' amount of instruments you'd cut live. Any 'hallway/lounge' areas can/will be used. Double walls/independent ceilings eat up A-lot of Cubic Footage. (approx. 1 s.q.f. per 'double wall line) Spread your boundries, to maintain 'good' sounding rooms, as well as iso. otherwise, you'll have a bunch of dead-rooms, when iso boxes will work just as well. You really do want 'character' in each of your rooms. That is the physical design/construction complexity, and what people will pay for. oterwise, they just use digital/analog reverb+anechoic place.
You have a substantial amount of paralell walls in your CR design, 'Splay EM'. Both the inner (CR), and outer walls will benefit from broken up standing Waves!
Cool design tho! Make sure, I MEAN SURE, you know every last nails' purposed position, before you put any $ into your build!
-pep talk: it'll be sweeet! cost ya 3-5x more. frustration+5x$. won't be 'right' for a while. timeframes= when(if-ever) 'its done'. 5/8 Drywall is wicked heavy, get your friends. Mark your studs 'as built' (ALL PHASES), cuz surface treaments need to go into them! Good Luck! Don't forget how much s.q.f. surface treaments takes, another 1 sqf?
My propsotion- One comfortable CR, 1 Drum area. People are gonna hang in the CR anyway. You could always make a 'vocal booth' sized room outside of your existing strcture. Make each room is 'worth it', as the (assembly/design) will make you work FOR it. It does work, just takes time, $, work, more time, more $.
It's priceless when you hear your first recrording of the space! You'll inevitably want to change something, but love something(s) too!

[Big K]

Is the "powder room" also soundproof?
What do you record it there?

[kmetal]

uhh... better hope thats smellproof, if i'm in there.

[kmetal]

Okay here goes. where are the exits/entrances? keep rodies away from delicate/expensive surface treatment. you don't want your clients to have to go through a tracking area to get to the hangout area either. Swap your hangout with iso 1/lock. Build proper walls/doors to keep noise out. also don't kill your live room too much, use absorbsion where you need it, surrounding the kit, or whatever. Let your room speak, room mics love reflections. Plus, the iso-rooms are quite close, it's going to be super-difficult to isolate loud instruments from each other wen rooms are back-to-back. Consider centralizing your main room, w/ iso's on each side.

[Space]

"You have a substantial amount of paralell walls in your CR design, 'Splay Em'. Both the inner (CR), and outer walls will benefit from broken up standing waves!"

Parallel walls can be dealt with using standard treatments, splaying walls willy-nilly is not going to gain you anything. Even the best designer has tried and working methods that they use since the act of canting a wall does add some diffusion. It does not remove or break up standing waves, but may push the frequency of an existing standing wave down. What this does do (splaying walls) is make the actual frequencies harder to predict since the room is no longer a simple rectangle.

In the interest of a balanced and serviceable control room, unless you have a hand with making these changes, a simple rectangle is still a desirable and usable room.