Studio pics!

I did some recent upgrades to my home studio and finally had a double paned window installed between the console and live room.


Very nice, wish I had 2 rooms and a window :slight_smile:

That looks like a single pane window ?!

It’s a double pane actually as recommended to me by an acoustical window manufacturer when I was quoted $1200.00 for their product and I said “No #@#$ way! Too expensive!” It was real nice of him to steer me in this direction while losing a sale. Double pane has an STC rating of 45 which is fine by me for a home studio.

Do you record other people? If not, a window is of dubious use, mainly because you can’t look at yourself anyway!

When I built our studio, I decided not to go for a window. The door was difficult enough.

We are doing YouTube videos of the recordings, so we have a HDMI feed from the camera as an input to the main monitor, which makes a window sort of redundant.

Unless you have a 2 way camera system, a window isn’t redundant. At best, it’s equivalent to having a one-way mirror. I record others and as well as by myself and even when alone, the window is incredibly useful for when I need to see my physical console, meters, preamps or the DAW screens for any reason. I’ve tried streaming video but realized it was an unnecessary resource draining my DAW and also unless it is a 2 way video system, it really isn’t as effective as a window. When tracking bass and drums live, 2 way visual contact between performers is really important. That means less mistakes and more productive sessions. Oh and lastly, the window looks cool! lol Just my 2 cents.

It’s horses for courses. I only said ‘dubious’ if not recording others, and it does not preclude scenarios for which a window can be useful, as you cite.

Windows are a reliable and low-tech form of visual communication. My general preference. They just might be unnecessary for those recording themselves. Like doors, they are difficult to build to match the isolation of studio walls, so they are best avoided if not needed.

Also, having no window allows FAR more positional flexibility in the layout of the studio and the mixing area.


Our studio has its own audio interface, we have no outboard gear or desks, and we have iC Pro. There is almost nothing to look at (that could be discerned through a window), so we, like many self-recorders with no hardware predilection, do not need a window.

Plus, since we are recording video, I included a couple of HDMI patch lines into the studio anyway. But they are only used for providing a monitor screen feed in, and an out for checking the video positioning, zoom and quality. Not really for general communication.

These are my studio cans

Ya digs ma rigs? :smiley:

Beats by Dr. Oetker

Finally finished construction! Just need to install my recessed ceiling lights next month.

I get a validation error.

Hmm. Try This

Very nice setup Mr Mafia…very nice…

We are renting, and so I wanted a studio that I could strip down by myself.

I ended up building ours out of two frames made of Metal Mate (MM), ‘Tonka Toy Meccano’-like slotted soft-iron L bars. The inner frame rests on a 3 x 3 matrix of 900mm square isolated floor pieces, while the outer frame rests on industrial carpet floor pieces on tiles. In the 200mm space between them are two layers of 100mm thick Acoustisorb, offset by 100mm.

From outside looking in, showing the door, wall and ceiling construction:
SOK-MUS.Studio-open_door.2014-08-26.jpg
The door has a MM frame between the 100mm foam sheets, with the three frames joined by small pieces of MM, isolated by Neoprene.
The two silver metal blocks on the door are magnetic locks, mating to those on the door jamb, and unlocked by pressing either of the red buttons on the door. The locks are so strong that I can hold onto the door handle and lean back so that it takes a lot of my weight, without budging.
Keeping doors as sound-proof as walls is difficult. It took me several days to get the door worked out.

Outside view of the door and part of the side walls:
SOK-MUS.Studio-closed_door.2014-08-26.jpg
The door needs extra bracing to stop it twisting as it is opened.

Inside view of the back and side walls and the ceiling, showing some of the lighting and its cabling mounted to the MM:

Inside the studio, showing all the things that take advantage of the slots in MM, and the video camera:
SOK-MUS.Studio - mics and instruments.2013-10-08.jpg
Rear screen for background of YouTubes, with LED strips at the side for tingeing the sides with colour:
SOK-MUS.Studio - rear screen.2013-10-08.jpg
View of the side wall of the studio and the mixing desk, with a MM frame that clamps to the desk (with the help of some braced heavy-duty L brackets) and holds the speakers on monitor mounts and equipment over the main monitor/TV:
SOK-MUS.Studio-mixing_desk-Cubase.2014-07-09.jpg

Side view of a 900x900mm floor piece, showing some of the 16 legs on each:
SOK-MUS.Studio-floor_piece-before_foam-side.2012-12-27.jpg
Bottom shot of 16 legs:
SOK-MUS.Studio-floor_piece-before_foam-bottom.2012-12-27.jpg
Bottom shot with foam inserted, cut-outs courtesy of an electric knife:
SOK-MUS.Studio-floor_piece-after_foam-bottom.2012-12-27.jpg

Side view of completed floor piece:
SOK-MUS.Studio-floor_piece-after_foam-side.2012-12-27.jpg
Cable tie holding floor pieces together, with neoprene to isolate them:
SOK-MUS.Studio-floor_pieces-join.2012-12-30.jpg
Completed 2.7x2.7m floor:
SOK-MUS.Studio-floor-complete.2012-12-30.jpg

So that the outer frame did not get pushed away at the bottom, I made two of these multi-segment neoprene-isolated braces for each side:
SOK-MUS.Studio-frame_bracing.2012-12-30.jpg
An advantage of Acoustisorb, compared to fibre glass, is that it does not leave invisible glass fibres on your skin, so it is completely safe to handle. However, it is notoriously difficult to cut, so I built a frame out of MM, into which I mounted a 230mm-bladed 5kg angle grinder. I just did not feel like risking holding it in my hands and trying to cut 1.2m in a straight line a 100 times. One slip and whatever got it its way would instantly be cleaved without notice!

So here is my Madame Guillotine, in its standing position, showing the bed where the foam goes:
SOK-MUS.Studio-Madame_Guillotine-raised.2013-01-13.jpg
Madame Guillotine, with foam in place, ready to be plugged in and started:
SOK-MUS.Studio-Madame_Guillotine-lowered.2013-01-13.jpg

The whole studio, not including the fittings (mics, lights, etc), but including the Metal Mate, foam and $500 of cheap power tools (that were expendable), cost us under AU $5,000.

I estimate that it would take me a day or so to disassemble and load onto four palettes.

Lorra Lorra good work there…respect :slight_smile: