VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:35 pm Post subject: Need some advice

I'm in a situation where I'm getting more and more audition requests and I am potentially many months away from moving into my new home.

In the new house, I have allocated a 10 x 14 space that I'll be building out as my recording space. I've been waiting to pay the consulting fee to have George Whittam from Eldorado Recording evaluate it because this is a short sale and things could go south on the deal at the very end.

So, I have a decision to make, buy a Whisper Room so I can record without interruption right now, or just suffer through, cross my fingers that the deal will close and build out things exactly as I want them later.

The thing is, my current space is good as far as noise floor, but if my family is knocking about, it's a nightmare, so I mostly record late at night when they are sleeping.

If I do get a booth, do you think I can successfully incorporate it into the studio, or am I limiting my options for the setup I'm building later on?

Also, will I need to do the more expensive double walled model to ensure I don't still get unwanted sounds in my recording, not to mention am I gonna be cooking alive in there? My room is already hot, and I don't know how good the ventilation is going to be.

Lots of questions, hopefully you have some good answers!

Thanks!
_________________
Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo

georgethetech · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:18 pm Post subject:

If a move is imminent, I wouldn't invest in the Whisper Room unless the new location will have the same noise issues as your current home. You are buying, so investing the cost of a WR into isolating and treating the entire room might be a nice way to go. But the costs add up quick if the windows and doors need to be upgraded, and you STILL get noise from the HVAC, walls, floor or ceiling.
Remember, the good thing about the WR is it has a resale value. You aren't stuck with it for life. The double wall booth is MUCH more expensive, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you are doing ISDN/Source Connect daily and need the best isolation possible 24/7. The units are ventilated, but they still get hot if the ambient temp outside the booth rises. Your WR will ALWAYS be warmer than the space outside it.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:35 pm Post subject:

Wow, from the man himself, no less! Thanks for the response.

So, to clarify, if you were in my shoes, if feasible you'd invest in the build out of the room at the new house, correct?

As far as the same noise conditions, we're talking about an active 5-year old, so yes, the same issues. I was hoping to soundproof that room completely. Is that a reasonable expectation? Also, I want to dampen the A/C sound and eliminate any extraneous noise coming into that 10 x 14 room, so perhaps that expense is quite a lot as well (compared to a double walled/paned WR)?
_________________
Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo

georgethetech · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:49 pm Post subject:

A "room in a room" that uses the entire 10x14 space, and is as soundproof as feasibly possible... Expensive, yes. Much more than a WR.
Benjamin, it seems to me you want to do something like this

What is your realistic budget?
How much sweat equity do you want to invest?
Where will you work in the meantime?
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:04 pm Post subject:

Yes! That's what I want.

I'd like to keep it at a budget of 10K if possible.

I'd like to build this out BEFORE I move from my current location, so once I know the deal is final I want to begin as soon as possible, so maybe a 30-60 day turnaround.

Am I being realistic?

EDIT: As far as "sweat equity" is concerned, if it saves me some on cost, I'm willing to do whatever is needed.
_________________
Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo

georgethetech · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:40 pm Post subject:

That was a $30K project, built by licensed and permitted contractors. No architect, just me as designer. It was built in 3 weeks, pretty tight time frame, and we used the existing building's HVAC tied into the studio, which can really be hit-or-miss.
This client uses it for ISDN sessions and can't afford interruptions.
Can you?
It's got completely independent ceiling joists and double studded walls, dual sliding patio doors. The floor we cut corners since it already had separate floor joists from the ceiling joists below, a lucky break. The only noise that gets in is structure born, vibrations that shake the entire frame of the build, like pounding feet on the staircase from below. Otherwise, it is very quiet in there, like a -70db noise floor.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:39 am Post subject:

The most I can put into this is half that. How big was the space? How much of that cost was materials vs labor?

I can see I'll have to compromise, but I'm sure I can get something that will work better than what I've got now. Can I deal with interruptions? Yes. Do I WANT to? No. Smile

If I can't have a noiseless environment for 15K then I'll just get a booth.
_________________
Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo

ballenberg · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:27 am Post subject:

Hey George--

Let me ask you to take us back a step if you can--

Mike McColl is very successful and this is his dream studio, yes? But he was still very successful before--so what what his setup before this really, really nice space? How did it sound--what were the problems?

georgethetech · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:47 am Post subject:

It was an Acoustic Systems booth, which he sold to an up-and-coming VO.
You can do what we did acoustically to your room for $2000 or less.
Seal/beef up doors, seal up/replace windows, silence the HVAC best you can, or install a "mini-split" system for about $3500 all in, and spend the rest on isolation channels, GreenGlue, Drywall, and acoustic sealant to create a small gap between existing wall and ceiling surfaces. Labor is over 2/3's the cost. Noise issues will still through the floor and structure. Even at $30K you won't get "silence".

Look for a WR on craigslist and get to work saving for the dream studio, that's my best advice.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:24 am Post subject:

Thanks, George. That really helped me think about how to approach things.
_________________
Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject: Update

Thought I'd post an update of which way I went with this.

Taking George's perspective and advice into mind, I started searching for deals online and found this gem on Craigslist:

Professional Whisper room for SALE! MDL 8484ENV - Retail for $11,700, (that's not factoring in the optionally added 3 windows and triple ventilation/silencers) - actual worth is $15,000+ Asking $5,600 OBO. Cosmetically in perfect condition!

FEATURES: 7 X 7, Double walled, 3 windows, triple ventilation with Ventilation Silencing Systems on each (the VSS go for $1395 apiece), curtains for the windows, door locks with key to secure equipment inside. ALSO has anti-vibration pads to help block low frequencies.

Sounded pretty good to me, so I went to check it out and it was just as described. Bought it on the spot for $5400.00 total.

I do realize that the windows are adding reflective surfaces, but the curtains are quite nice and very thick which will most likely help with that. Also, it's a fact that a "cube" should be avoided if possible for a recording space to get the best acoustic ratio, but I'm fairly sure that with the right treatment (bass traps, Auralex, etc.), it will sound as good as is necessary.

I've heard from others that the ventilation doesn't work well and the fans are too noisy on their Whisper Rooms so they don't use them. The owner told me that the optionally added triple ventilation system and VSS's worked really well for him in this unit, keeping him cool and eliminating all fan noise, so I'm hopeful that will hold true for me as well.

All-in-all, I think I got a good deal and that this will satisfy my needs until I can save up to do things the way I really want to.

EDIT: Here are some photos the previous owner took of it:

_________________
Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo

georgethetech · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:52 am Post subject:

Yeah, saw that on CL and thought that's a KILLER deal for the right person.
Glad you snagged it! I hope your on the ground floor, LOL. That thing weighs way north of one ton. The VSS's are essential to use the ventilation while recording.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder