Verry Koollll !!!

Blood, sweat, and tears, huh? That is one hell of an undertaking. I thought the drivetrain re-build on my 1987 4-Runner was a bitch ;)

I don't have any suggestions, but I don't think getting clean power should be an issue with a good inverter/alternator or even an A/C generator (I would think an alternator / inverter combo could yeild "reference" quality power with the right inverter)...

:cool:

I have a 30 KW diesel generator that will be located in one of the cargo bays to power it when not dry-docked and hooked to land power. It will be in a "sound proof" box and use the buses radiator for cooling, with the exhaust vented out the back. I hope it will be quiet enough. I believe I may need some kind of power conditioner. The digital work surfaces are really finicky about power and I wonder if generators or RV Park AC is consistent.

Your project just put the biggest ear to ear grin on my face. That is the most kick ass stuff I've ever heard and I hope to see pics of the finished product!

I'm such a nerd!

Curious - What did this set you back (if you don't mind). The raw bus, and the conversion? And, what else did you do to it mechanically (drivetrain)?

Never seen anything like this. A true work of art!!! :cool:

I think it's a fun project.

It's not finished yet. Still a long way to go, but I work on it every weekend.

I bought the bus, with freshly rebuilt Detroit 8V71 diesel and new Allison automatic transmission, for 12.5K. It belonged to the Arizona prison system and was well maintained. The new fiberglass skins, new end caps and the new dash and wheel wells were about 5K. I don't know what I paid out for all the metal and welding rod for roof raising and fabrication & restoration. there was also new lights, AC units, high tech insulation and treatment and tons of plywood for the floor, walls and ceiling, about 4500 for paint and 600 for body work materials. So far I THINK I have spent about 20K on it. I will likely put another 30K in, not including the studio gear, which I already have.

The only thing I have done to the drive train is a tune-up and change oil. That part of the bus was almost perfect.

Just to compare... A Brand new Prevost shell can cost up to 500K! A full-blown conversion on the same can cost another 500K. That makes me feel pretty good about my 1978 Silver Eagle, a few bruises and scrapes and some worn out power tools. :)

One word.

WOW!

Keep on keepin' on. You have some serious skills, my man. Please keep us updated on your progress. It's really interesting. The audio part should be REALLY cool.

:cool:

Honestly, this is the coolest thing ever. Monster Garage meets audiophile....really kick ass!

Hell yes! Paul Woodlock is posting a diary of his studio construction over at studiotips... perhaps you could do something similar. You would certainly have an enthralled audience.

I was thinking of keeping some kind of an electronic diary about the project. I was kinda' waiting until I was to the point of actually setting the studio up in it. It looks like that will not be as soon as I hoped, as I am now distracted with a couple other refits on the bus, and limited by everyones worst enemies... Time and money. Never enough of either.

When I have a little extra time on my hands, I'll be putting up a more detailed photo essay and updating as I go along.

I just know that I am looking forward to a time when I can be sitting on a beach somewhere watching the pretty girls out the window of my mobile studio. :)

NICE!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: and I thought my studio was an undertaking.... although there were some bumps and scratches in the process it doesn't touch this one lol I only put about 5k into a 20X30 room in my barn for a studio... MAN keep on the finished product is sooo worth it! later man

What a cool project! And a lotta work!!!!
Congratulations, man. Please keep us posted on your progress
8-) 8-) 8) 8-) 8-)

WOW!!!
hardcore DIY, man!

Good luck with it - keep us posted on progress
"-)

New photos up...

I now have 113 photos, documenting the bus purchase, our 2 recent moves and a few details about the conversion that weren't up before.

http://homepage.mac.com/defiantbob/BobsBus/PhotoAlbum2.html

I am feeling impatient about getting her to the point that I can start installing studio gear, but free time is hard to come by these days.

Although I don't envy you, I wish you the best of luck. :)
I was myself in a similar situation couple of years ago, where I was always on stand-by for production. That part is what I don't envy you about. I found that I really needed to have my time off now and then :? ... but anyhow, I solved it then by linking my mailbox to my cellphone, so everytime I got an order in for production, I got an SMS in my cell, and I knew I had work to do.

Very nice vehicle you got your hands on! 8-)

wow! that looks awesome
don't forget to invest in a quality security system if you're bringing your whole studio everywhere you go :-)

I was thinking the 4 dogs would work for the security thing. :)

Seriously though, it is a concern. Not so much in the class A RV parks, but out in the boondox can be scary. We are thinking about pulling a trailer with a couple Harleys as well. Leaving that behind at a camp site would be scary too.

There's time to think about it while the conversion continues. I also have to make a decision on a work-surface to run Pro Tools and Logic, with many analog inputs. I am leaving the gear I am presently using right where it is. i have lots of gear for the bus, but no console yet.

This reminds me of the way "Over the Rhine" recorded their album "films for radio." Here's a snippet from the liner notes of that album.

We wanted something a little wilder. Something unpredictable. A document of an event. So when we heard about an old bus from Texas full of vintage recording gear that was parked in Dave's back yard in Nashville, a bus with peeling paint, an old art nouveau machine which had been not only one of the first mobile recording units ever assembled, but had also once been completely submerged in a (1981) flood in Austin, something clicked and we knew somehow that we would make our next record right there beneath a few trees, while down the road, classrooms full of fourth graders worked on their "Tennessee Notebooks".

Well sure enough, we got started in the attic of our leaning house and then boxed up our tapes and headed south.

Dave pointed the microphones toward the instruments and we prayed to Jesus you would hear what we were hearing in our heads. As always, our prayers were answered in ways that made us wonder if they were answered at all. Maybe that's the beauty of recording: even after all these years, we have no idea what to expect. Capturing songs is something we've never been able to control or quantify: sooner or later, we surrender all, and something emerges with a life all its own.

Those words remind me that recording is an art...not a job.

How many buses for the bus?

Sorry, I couldn't resist! :wink: That is too great. I want one.

-Erik

My bus must have at least 16 buses. Don't you think? My feeling is that one can never have too many buses. :)

Holy god damn...that bus arouses me.

Rumor has it , the new Disney Hall in LA, has "fart removing seats" .....that is, there's a vacume system sucking all "odors" away. But in a small space like yours, you might think of.....................?

Anyway,...... do I even need to mention LoJack?

Looks great! Too bad you already painted it, I do murals. O well.
Where does the hot tub go?

=RR=

Fart removing seats? Now, that's useful technology! Now I can benefit from the expensive studies and design done by Disney. :)

The black paint is just a base coat. It is "Emron" paint. very hard. It has to be on the bus 2 years before I can wax it or put any other paint over it. I was thinking of flames or maybe Ghost Flames. Some kind of Flames would be consistent with my stupid logo.

If I have my way, the bus will be filled with technology, including some wicked theft prevention measures.

You mean wicked theft prevention measures like the ones used by 007 and Mad Max.........3......2.....1.......BOOM!!
???

...that'll teach them from mess'n with your rig.

=RR=

Heh!

I was thinking more along the lines of saving up all those farts that the disney inspired seats collect and storing them in a pressurized container that explodes in your face if you attempt to break in. That way, if I am camping in a high-crime area, I can be sure to eat lots of big Burritos and Cabbage the day before and really punish the would-be criminals. :lol:

bump

Oakman, what's the latest on the bus?

uh, guh...

Oakman, you are officially my newest hero!!! I've been wishing and wanting to get/build a mobile studio and man did you NAIL it right on the head...and apparently the hand and neck, and who knows WHAT else!??

I almost needed to change my clothes when I saw the pics...drool, etc... She's GORGEOUS!!! I can only DREAM about that kind of thing...

Stay cool, brother!!!

-G- (y) :D

Hey , cool project, lots of work, sure hope that finger heeled OK, looked like it hurt some...

Ideas for security, wireless video

( http://home.att.net/~wzmicro/wireless_video_cam_.htm )

this can be used to monitor your investment... same with the home studio guys,,,

check out aftermarket auto shops for kill switches, or set up special way to make bus run other the ignition key... that only you and your staff will know...

G'luck with all...

SI

Ahhh, the latest on the bus? Well, not too much new. My studio upgrades keep sucking money out of my bus account. I am still tinkering around with the new dash. Putting in digital gauges, new steering wheel, etc. The studio has also been sucking up all my time. I did find time for a long weekend and we flew up to Minnesota and spent some time sleeping in a tent. I was really wishing we had the bus. I have decided to go with Logic Pro for tracking on the bus. At first I was concerned about stability of any DAW for tracking larger projects, and was considering some kind of digital tape. My years with the occasional glitches in Pro Tools scared me. Since I have been working with Logic and experiencing no problems, I have changed my mind. I can't wait to get to the studio construction part of the bus project.

Injuries so far: Cut neck, smashed finger and broken rib. All power tool related. For fathers Day my wife bought me a chain saw. :P

We now tune in to the first annual RO awards, already in progress...

audiokid: And now, the moment we've been waiting for. The award for the most insanely brilliant recording studio design. Kurt, may I have the envolope please?

Kurt: Okay, but it's not like this is going to be a surprise.

audiokid: Yeah I know, but we gotta keep it official.

AND THE WINNER IS.....

IT'S THAT GUY AGAIN!!!

Kurt: What?!?!?

audiokid: Naw, I'm just messing with you, of course it's Oakman!!!

Cheers, whistles from audience, there's a tearful standing 'O' as his wife pushes him to the podium in his wheelchair to receive his award...

Besides the injuries, this bus project has become rather bothersome. Not that I intend to give up on it, but the problem is time. (isn't it always?) My studio has gotten so busy that I barely have time to piss, much less spend the hours required to rewire a 40 foot bus. If I sacrifice some other home projects, I could possibly allocate more time for the bus, but the lil' misses won't hear of it.

I really wanted to have a lot more progress to report by now. I am hiring another guy soon. Maybe then I'll have time to finish.

Now I am rethinking the mixing desk I want to put in there. I have used the Yamaha DM2000 and was very impressed by the sound of the D/A-A/D converters. Holy Crap! It was great! However, the thing is expensive. Any other suggestions?

Man..nice setup u made for ur studio. its all neat. :)