Planning for an Audio Studio

Like pre-production, preplanning your project studio is very important. Preplanning can help you to optimize the space you have. Are you planning to upgrade the facility later on or work with the minimal space you have now.

You have to make decisions about what you will be using your studio for and where it will be located (basement, garage, spare room, loft or condo, commercial office space). If you are building a recording studio you will obviously need more than one room and will have to spend more time on construction that you would on an project studio. Do you have neighbors, do they make too much noise or will you disturb them? What about accessibility, are you able to bring equipment and supplies in and out easily? Are parking and restroom facilities easily accessible to clients? Do you own the space? If you don't make sure you can get a lease and will be staying for awhile (you don't want to make a lot of renovations if you won't be able to stay). You also have to take into consideration the electrical and heating. What type of security does your build or complex have if any? An alarm is a great selling point when looking for a place to set-up. I am sure I left something out but all situation are different, just think of what you are trying to achieve and plan around that goal.

We have categorized two types of rooms:

• Audio control room.

  This room involves the most preplanning and construction, dealing mostly with soundproofing and room acoustic techniques (recording rooms).





• Project Studio.

  This room deals mostly with room acoustic techniques suitable for video post-production, midi studio, audio mastering and some CD-Rom and internet applications