How much room do I really need?

[MikeS29]

I am a total newbie where home recording studios are concerned. I will be moving in with my sweetie and she has offered me a 9.5 feet x 9.5 feet (about 3 meters) detached, heated, insulated, finished living space structure to use as a recording studio. The building is well constructed and only steps from the house, but being detached makes it great for late night music making.

I will have all my guitars in there (except one accoustic in the house), all my amps... I'm looking to buy a bass, and a computer dedicated to recording. I will need an interface for input, mic stands, guitar stands...am I running out of space?

How much or how little space do you have, and how is it working out for you?

[garytelecastor]

I basically work out of the same space, and I have several guitars and amps. Be prudent. Don't forget that you not only have the space on the floor, but you have the space from the floor to the ceiling.
So you really have 9.5 X 9.5 X ? (however tall the room is).

[woodman]

a lot depends on how much "all your guitars" amounts to. that's almost 100 square feet, plenty if you keep your layout streamlined and efficient. my studio space, the Woodshed, is only 8x15, and i've managed to set it up so it's been workable over the long haul.

wall shelves, guitar hangers, standalone shelf units and stackable storage with drawers/doors are your friend. you'll be fine.

[Hiker]

Congratulations!

Have you worked out the security for the studio? I have an Uncle Luiggi that is really big and works for lasagna...

Seriously, if your gear in there is valuable to you, try to limit 'who' knows about the studio-if there's any chance that it could disappear from that location...

[woodman]

Originally Posted by Hiker

try to limit 'who' knows about the studio

that's a big 10-4 ... don't let it be known around the neighborhood. just keep it between you, your sweetie and your music buds. a little discretion goes a long way.

[JohnnyCrash]

Depends. Will there be drums recording in there? A kit can eat space.

I'd still think a 10x10 could barely be big enough with drums, and more than enough without drums.

[MikeS29]

No drums... maybe the odd floor tom or other small percussion, but no kit. Looking to get a drum machine of sorts.

As of now, I have 4 guitars, my American Standard Telecaster, a classical, and two acoustic six strings, one of which is not amplified, and will likely stay as my "house guitar."

I do want to pick up a fairly inexpensive (but not crappy) bass.

Good call on the shelving. There is one high shelf that occupies a corner of the space that has a chain that helps support it from the ceiling. I can put guitar cases on it, and some sort of set up to hang my axes from the under side of it.

I will snap some before and after pictures. I am a couple months away from the move, so plenty of time to plan.

Thanks for the info, I am psyched!

[Old Cane]

A 9x9 living space? Wow. How tall are you? This wouldn't work at all for me but just might for others. I know there are people that mix in a closet but my room is 18x22 and I'm cramped. I think Wood's setup woud be minimum since he can set up against the 8' wall and have the length behind him. I'm afraid you'll wind up mixing with headphones. Put a ton of bass traps in there unless you plan on running everything direct and mixing with headphones. I sure won't say it can't work. I mean, ya got what ya got and that's better than not having anything so give it a try. I'm sure you can find a way to make it work.

[woodman]

No kit makes it a lot easier. your mixing problem could be addressed by using small but efficient near-field powered monitors placed at ear level, and you would want to mix at low volumes (a good technique under any circumstances). i bought a roll of cork and glued it to the walls around my "console" area (actually just a computer station and a couple of speakers) to keep the sound from bouncing around. the cork doesn't completely deaden the space, but it's a lot less live than bare walls. drum machine sets to the right side of the monitor, interface and Firewire drive to the left, with a POD and tube preamp on a small shelf to the left within arm's reach, and a small writing desk to the right.

my computer is a Mac Mini with a dual-core Intel processor and 2GB of RAM — coupled with a fast Firewire drive, it provides plenty of power for the level of work i do, yet only takes up as much space as a small candy box (refurbs are going for peanuts, mucho bang for the buck). huge space-saver over my old G4!

some things are just common sense ... i set my big Fender amp on its side and stack my Deluxe on top of it. a floor-to-ceiling storage locker takes care of miscellaneous gear and extra cables, with wall hangers for headphones and a few cables that get used a lot. it's like living on a houseboat — don't accumulate too much, have a place for everything, and keep unused gear stowed.

Cane's point on bass trapping is well-taken ... standing waves can screw up your mixing ear, especially in a small space. mixing at low volumes helps, but it's good to have some room treatment also. go online for low-budget ways to DIY. the ceiling directly above your mixing station and the corners of your room are the critical focus. good luck!

[MikeS29]

Is there a thread here that gives an inventory for basic set up, including all equipment (not brand or model specific) for a newbie like me? I am sure I will be forgetting something critical and blowing my whole budget (that I am only now just trying to determine).

Thanks, guys!

[mudbean]

Originally Posted by MikeS29

... a 9.5 feet x 9.5 feet (about 3 meters) detached, heated, insulated, finished living space structure ...

Is it a casita?

How much or how little space do you have, and how is it working out for you?

I feel lucky - I have a pinch under 19x13ft, with a peaked ceiling. I have mixed in tiny square untreated bedrooms - about as much fun as hemorrhoids ... you will need treatments (fortunately, not of the ointment variety!).

mud

[BigMike]

Its not size that matters, its what you do with it, so my wife tells me......

[mudbean]

Originally Posted by BigMike

Its not size that matters, its what you do with it, so my wife tells me......

Yep, that's what they say ... wanna buy some land in Florida?

mud

[Skully]

Unless you're planning to record a band of players all at once, space shouldn't be an issue. The most important things you need to get a fast computer, good recording software, a good direct recording solution for guitar and a pair of decent microphones for vocals and guitar. Personally, I think it's better to avoid messing with amps at this level, unless you're more obsessed with playing with amp settings and mic placement than you are with making good recordings. It's easy finding a great sounding, good playing bass for under $200 these days.

The most important thing you need are ideas and creativity. You can't buy those, and no amount of acoustic room treatments and boutique preamps will make them appear.

[woodman]

Skully's pretty much got it in a nutshell there ... i totally agree that trying to mike amps in that space at this stage will cost you time better used learning the ropes of the overall process. as far as gear and software, do your homework and choose what you feel works best for the approach you envision, then replace/upgrade when you perceive the need.

one thing i discovered when i started out in serious home recording a couple of years ago was that learning to *hear* in a new and different way was much more important than the hardware/software.

[MikeS29]

Thank you, one and all, for the good info. My brother and I are already looking at DIY projects for bass traps for the room. I picked up a nice little Squire Bass (which I intend to record directly, rather than mic an amp. I do intend to record vocals and the odd acoustic instrument, so I do want to solve some "small room" problems by trapping like a mo'fo'.

I am really getting an education, and the most important thing I've learned so far is that I have so much to learn. I haven't even considered what gear I want, what software, what kind of interface. All for later threads after I have mined this forum for the ready-made opinions

To be continued!

[Old Cane]

If using OC for bass traps look at local suppliers. They place here in Nashville is less than half of sellers online and then while i do have to pay tax I don't have to pay shipping. I can get a 6 pack for well under $100 and fabric at hobby lobby.