Studio Tour at request of KevWind

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Thanks, guys!



The highly technical method of drying the socks.

Bob

What bit depth do prefer for this ??? Funny how that John Prine song immediately popped in my head

[gfsark]

Bob, thanks for sharing. This is really an amazing studio. I trust it sounds as good as it looks.

What are the outside dimensions? It looks to be 30'x30' or bigger.

[Bob Womack]

I'm glad you enjoyed the nickel tour! I just went out and paced the one wall that can be measured and the suite appears to occupy right around 40'x40' on the outside.

Bob

[Eire]

Simply fascinating. Like others, I'll be reading this post many, many times. I've gained so much insight from you over the years, Bob, and grateful for how much insight and experience you share with us so consistently and patiently. Thank you for this detailed peek into your life. Amazing, the depth of knowledge you put into practice day-in and day-out. I'm awed and appreciative.

[MaurysMusic]

This is certainly nominated for most fun post of 2017.

I can't tell from the pictures... what's going on in terms of broadband absorption & bass trapping? I see the back wall diffusors.

[Bob Womack]

I had to go back to the drawings for the absorptive question. There aren't any bass traps in this design because the non-parallel walled shell is designed to prevent the need. In measuring and tuning the rooms we found that the theory played out well into the practical because we found very little bass buildup in the significant listening locations and in the performance locations. The room EQs are set to six db mode, meaning that they only offer six db of boost or cut. We are mainly using two to three db deflections in a couple of spots with one tab on one speaker more around four db of cut on the latest tuning, done a couple of months ago. The left-right sound field is pretty nice without much comb filtering as you move your head. There is good continuity as you move towards the ends of the console as well. Some specs:

1. The absorptive product we used to surface-treat the medium-dead recording room and front (anechoic) shell of the control room is two layers of three-inch thick Owens-Corning 703 fiberglass. The fiberglass is covered with speaker grille cloth. we actually found a company that specialized in installing these fabric walls. Dual layers of O-C 703 are also used on the center of each shell's three walls to reduce transmission within the walls.
2. The rubber block in fiberglass suspension system for the concrete floor pans was Kinetics RIM-L-2-12 roll-out isolation mats.
3. The walls are built on 1/4" machine rubber boots that rest on the floated slabs.
4. When I checked the plans I saw that there are actually six walls between the control room and studio rooms, the triple shell for each wasn't reduced at the meeting points. I was trying to be modest and ended up inaccurate. Sorry.
5. The overlapping joints are back-filled and caulked with non-hardening acoustic caulk.
6. The three panes of glass between the control and the medium-dead room are 3/8," 1/2," and 3/8" Amerada Acousta-Pane 36 Sound-Rated glass and are splayed at three different angles and mounted in neoprene glazing channels.
7. HVAC: We had a custom high-volume, low-velocity system built with interior absorptive to reduce noise. The supply enters each of the rooms via its own labyrinthine absorptive box so that sound isn't transmitted into or out of the structure or between the rooms via the HVAC system.
8. Track lighting is furnished twelve volts. The original 120v systems caused both acoustic noise and induced hash into the power system when dimmed so we rewired with a twelve-volt transformer and use sealed quartz lamps.
9. The entire complex is on an uninteruptable power supply featuring a interim battery continuity supply and the engine/alternator from a diesel-electric locomotive that kicks in automatically and can run for more than a week. The power is also conditioned to remove ripple and spikes.
10. Fire suppression is via a water sprinkler system. During a dump, the system cuts the technical power supply to reduce risk of equipment damage. Several of the spaces in this complex are halon protected but EPA regs have made it necessary to procure that from overseas so this room was spec'd as water protected. I wasn't happy, but we've never had a dump.
11. There are two 20"w x 12"d cable channels built into the control room design to carry cables from console to rack and both console and rack to machine room. Cable access to the recording rooms is via conduits to reduce acoustic spill.
12. Besides conduits, the soffit video recess is fed its own air conditioning feed to prevent monitor and electrical gear from overheating. It was originally installed because the monitors were CRTs but has still proven useful in the flat panel TV monitor world. We've got a monitor amp up in there right now for the TV monitor speakers that has nothing to fear from heat.
13. In the back of the control room there are four covered boxes above the diffuser units that hold the surround monitors.

I'll be glad to take any more questions.

Bob

[MaurysMusic]

I need to take a day off of work to digest this. SO cool.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

"the engine/alternator from a diesel-electric locomotive that kicks in automatically and can run for more than a week"

nice backup

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I had to go back to the drawings for the absorptive question. There aren't any bass traps in this design because the non-parallel walled shell is designed to prevent the need.

4. When I checked the plans I saw that there are actually six walls between the control room and studio rooms, the triple shell for each wasn't reduced at the meeting points. I was trying to be modest and ended up inaccurate. Sorry.



I'll be glad to take any more questions.

Bob

I think the contribution of non parallel walls is hard to overstate. And for the home studio is often either fairly problematic or not possible in terms of reconstruction or room within a room solution. But the other factor evident in the the drawings of you studio, is the symmetry involved.
Unfortunately the importance of which is often either unknown, or overlooked in the home studio. And while the non parallel walls can be problematic or even not possible, the symmetry is often just a matter of rethinking the room arrangement.

[JakeStone]

Wow.. I really enjoyed your tour. Thanks !

[Bob Womack]

Thanks for the kind words, guys! I did forget to mention on feature of the studio. There's this excellent watch my scheduler gave me sitting on the producer's desk:



Really cute!

Bob

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Thanks for the kind words, guys! I did forget to mention on feature of the studio. There's this excellent watch my scheduler gave me sitting on the producer's desk:



Really cute!

Bob

That's pretty cool No lava lamps ? or is that just too cliche ?

[min7b5]

That place looks fantastic

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by min7b5

That place looks fantastic

Thank you! I'm blessed... and spoiled.

Bob

[j3ffr0]

Thanks for sharing! Great tour! My new favorite AGF thread!