Unconventional Studio Apartment "Studio"

EighthAveLocal · #1 09-28-2014, 05:39 AM

The title says most of it but I am trying to set up a small "studio" in my apartment. What I'm planning on doing is putting the microphone and stand in my closet and running the cables to my main room where the computer is. These are the components I have selected.

DAW: Reaper
Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M40
Monitors: M-Audio AV 40
Mic: Audio-Technica AT2035
Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

This is solely going to be for my recordings and as a hobby so what do you guys think?

Should I dump the Monitors and upgrade the Headphones since the main room is not acoustically treated?

Bob Womack · #2 09-28-2014, 06:50 AM

Were it me, I would put the computer in the closet while recording and record in the main room. I would do that because enclosed spaces add unpleasant near reflections that are near-impossible to remove from the recording.

Bob

Rudy4 · #3 09-28-2014, 08:39 AM

I totally agree with Bob on the re-locating the PC if possible. I moved my PC to the other side of the wall in my mini-studio and it was a 1000% improvement for many reasons. I did before / after move recordings with a LDC and high gain settings for comparison. Needless to say the amount of ambient noise from the PC was really obvious in the pre-move examples.

Since my room is small I've down-sized my monitors and now have Presonus Eris 5's, which I like quite a lot. Going from Event 20/20s to the smaller monitors was a bit of adjustment, but it's worth it to me in my efforts to uncomplicate and simplify my recording environment. I would suggest you audition a lot of headphones to get a clear picture of what you want your mixes to sound like. My main phones are Beyerdynamic DT770s and I much prefer them to anything else I have.

You can see the details of the wall poke-through for my PC on my "Simplified Homestyle Recording" page:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageRecording1.html

rickwaugh · #4 09-28-2014, 03:53 PM

I'd have to concur with the above. Play out in the main room.

I'm using my iPad with Auria on it to record now, and it sounds pretty darned fine. The bonus with it is there is no fan, no noise whatsoever, so it's just sitting right beside me when I'm recording.

I don't have great monitors, I have headphones. With the untreated room, look at better headphones. The Focal Spirit Professionals are getting rave reviews for mixing, and they are under $400. Might be more appropriate in an apartment with an untreated room.

EighthAveLocal · #5 09-29-2014, 01:22 AM

Interesting, thanks for the advice guys. I guess I will have to play around.

philjs · #6 09-29-2014, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickwaugh

I'm using my iPad with Auria on it to record now, and it sounds pretty darned fine. The bonus with it is there is no fan, no noise whatsoever, so it's just sitting right beside me when I'm recording.

I don't have great monitors, I have headphones. With the untreated room, look at better headphones. The Focal Spirit Professionals are getting rave reviews for mixing, and they are under $400. Might be more appropriate in an apartment with an untreated room.

Using a Mac Mini is another way to eliminate the noise of a "big box" computer. As for monitors vs. headphones for mixing, might I suggest the Focusrite VRM Box? It's a great way to audition mixes in a number of "environments".

Phil

EighthAveLocal · #7 09-29-2014, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philjs

Using a Mac Mini is another way to eliminate the noise of a "big box" computer. As for monitors vs. headphones for mixing, might I suggest the Focusrite VRM Box? It's a great way to audition mixes in a number of "environments".

Phil

I'll be using my laptop and it's pretty quiet so I'm not too concerned about the noise should I move it into the closet with me.
I will also look into the VRM box. Thanks for the response.

Bob Womack · #8 09-29-2014, 05:23 AM

Do remember to use the rejection pattern of the mic to cut down on the computer noise. If the mic has a cardioid pattern simply put the computer behind the mic.

Bob

MikeBmusic · #9 09-29-2014, 09:05 AM

I had a computer with a noisy (whiney) hard drive, putting the 'null' of the mic towards the computer and keeping 5-6 away from it was all that was needed.

Ditto what everyone else said about avoiding the closet for recording.

The M Audio speakers are ok to 'check' your mixes, but have little bass response. Most headphones emphasize the bass. For mixing you'll have to 'learn your system' - listen to professionally made songs on your system and listen to how they sound on it. Burn a CD wiht your mix (or transfer it to an iDevice) and listen to it on other systems to see how it translates.

Build (or buy) some bass traps - 2'x4'x4" ones with rockwool, covered in nice sound-transparent cloth. You can move them around to use as sound-blocking gobos, stack in the corners for bass trapping when mixing, and most importantly - take them with you when you move!

Bowie · #10 09-29-2014, 09:10 PM

If your main room sounds bad, don't be afraid to use the closet. Clothing can really dampen reflections and I'd rather mix a song with no reflections than bad ones. Bottom line is, perform in your best sounding room and don't let blind opinions decide what room that is. Test them out yourself.

rockabilly69 · #11 10-13-2014, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowie

If your main room sounds bad, don't be afraid to use the closet. Clothing can really dampen reflections and I'd rather mix a song with no reflections than bad ones. Bottom line is, perform in your best sounding room and don't let blind opinions decide what room that is. Test them out yourself.

+1 it's easier to add a little verb than it is to remove bad waves from a crap room! That's exactly why vocal booths are so dead!

Dan Lampton · #12 10-13-2014, 03:12 PM

Lots of great music has been recorded in one room studios. Just track with headphones and listen to the playbacks with the monitors. Use the closet for storing cases and all the gold records you will earn.

azbluesplayer · #13 10-14-2014, 02:03 AM

Good day All,

I currently play my harmonica/vocals only and hope this will help. I usually play both the guitar, harp and vocals. Using the ole work horse now. Shure beta 57a and 58a for vocals, then have Mic for playing the harmonica either shaker mic's or JT-30cm nice and hot or my workhorse shure 58a/57a that I will use for busking when my health permits again down the road next year.

Due to an back injury been down since June and not able to do many things like working, playing my guitar going out to stores, restaurants, things you take for granted until they are gone.

So I have just started learning more about recording, pro-tools, mic,s, playing my harmonica, networking with musicians instead until my surgery & rehab are completed.

Currently my recordings are in my R.R Studio or the CR room for the oversea folks, you ready, my restroom.

Lol!

Hey better than the previous noisy studio in the garage, nice n hot and sweaty here in Arizona! So I moved into the deluxe R.R studio until I get enough panels built to move into the spare room studio.

So my Studio is primarly my restroom that is probably 6x4 has a tub & shower. I record in there thought the acoustics were better than the spare room I am suppose to have for my studio. I started playing my didgeridoo,s in the RR studio due to harmonics, may record ok just get a buss at times" have been told I need a DI box, just which one not sure yet, still reading and watching videos.

I was told to stay away from cheap ones. Then there's passive vs active still reading and watching videos, sounds good to step the signal from high to low impedance signal. I knew playing out I would need one for the PA systems.

The range is like $29 to $249 and of course the music store I deal with suggested a very nice one over the phone a radial jdi for a low cost of only $199 would be fine, so being out on short term disability will be a few before I can. So I have to deal with the buss. You don,t hear it once I start playing probably just muds up the recording, not sure.

Heres the room I,m suppose to be using, the recordings never turn out so great. Just pickups noises more and sounds hollow. Until then will be playing in the restroom. Wife is tired of all my equipment so I will need to slowly start making the absorbers you showed here.

For now I could hang a moving blanket over the shower curtain would square off the room to a 4x4 the mirrors probably cause the sound to bounce some.

Maybe make some panels for the restroom when my health permits would take less panels until I get the $$ to do the spare room. My wife would probably like the restroom more sound proofed, lol!

Things we do to play music!!
Cheers,
Robert

azbluesplayer · #14 10-15-2014, 12:18 AM

Make your own vocal booth Video #1
make your own Vocal booth video #2

Had a big music chain the last month had me convinced a two expensive Mic's would be the biggest bang for my buck! Finally was set on a MA-301 and royer r121, figure it was an investment for music. Just like a nice martin or taylor, or electric fender strat, gibson les paul. After playing a cheap guitar and your play your first martin dreadnut or whatever moves you, you know the difference and most don,t mind paying for quality instrument. Will it make you the next star, probably not!!! You feel more motivated playing something that sounds good in my opinion.

Just thought from what the big music chains have been telling me that was the same for home studio, microphones, wow was I wrong I guess, cheap Mic's the way too go and was told here that a cheap Mic would serve just the same as a expensive mic if the room is not acoustically treated! Looks like that could be correct from what so many are telling me here. Then again I was told an expensive Mic was the biggest bang for the buck.

So trial n error will have to find out for myself, stop watching the useless videos other than listening to dome good music. So now I will spend some more weeks, months reading the lies about acoustical insulation on whats the best after a month of lies about Mic,s. Funny it,s already started with the insulation, being told egg crate foam is the best, pyramid foam, moving blankets, bass baffles, mattress, one theory after another.

So you better spend sometime reading and even then its a persons personal opinion. I,m finding that the Microphone shoot out videos are useless, don,t do much good when people are using software manipulation. Took me a few to understand what a few here have been trying to tell me here and other sites over the last few weeks. I have just as many thou tell me just the opposite.

You notice some of these shoot outs, have zero acoustical treated rooms, are outside playing, yet they sound awesome, guess thats the Pro-tools, Cubase, Reaper, etc, software manipulation. Was pretty excited about getting a new one and over the last month, that excitement has turned to dread now!

So will roll on.........

So now that process begins again with the acoustical treatment, all the stories of this works, that works, that don,t etc.....just like anything in life live n learn, crash n burn!!!
Cheers