VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Deirdre · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:23 am Post subject: Camp Cooper Huttie Update

I know everyone says this, but renovations always take longer than you think they will.

Packing up. With a helper.

I got the idea from Maiku. This was a closet, very wide, but shallow and it had a regular-sized door on it, so a great deal of space was unreachable.
The door is off and the first part of the frame and part of the plaster is off. The door in the foreground is a new exterior door, solid core,, double-glazed.

The carpenter is Ethan Hardy, my husband's son. He was not happy that I asked him to tear out most of the other side of the closet front "wall". He didn't think taking out 15 inches to create a 6" return was worth it.

Here's the whole area opened up and trimmed out.

Couple members of the family are happy all the banging is over.

I've got sound-catching foam inside the alcove, but it's not the most expensive stuff, I'm afraid. And I really don't want to look at it all day— so I bought a spiffy big fat comforter to hang over the foam stuff. More sound absorption and kinder to the eye. It was long, so I cut off 30 inches and put the bedskirt on it as an edge.

Put some grommets in it and got it placed.

And did some work last night.

I have a rig coming so I can pull some heavy drapery around the recording area and softly block part of the ceiling . In the mean time, I'm using mic and cymbal stands to hold another quilt.

man! I've got a lot more room with this little alcove and exchanging my aircraft-carrier desk (5' x 3') for this nifty counter-height table. (4' x2')

Things are no where near in order yet— the floor isn't finished, I have another rack to assemble, there are new storage pieces to put put together and then I have to move back in. I've got my work cut out for me, but I'm really looking forward to it.
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Edo · Guest

Congrats on the build Deirdre!

Suggestion: Don't forget to treat the ceiling right above your head with some (preferably 4 inch thick) acoustic material... sound remains a threedimensional thing and as long as you have 'early reflections' (in this case bouncing back off the ceiling) reaching your microphone you can still improve things. You can do the ceiling pad (often called "cloud") on a budget BTW. Just get some mineral wool (Rockwool/Roxul) or if you can find it (little more expensive but better specs) Owens Corning 703 or 705 rigid fiberglass panels from your local DIY-shop. Wrap 2 layers in some cloth and hang it on the ceiling above your head. A 20 x 20 inch cloud will probably do, wider is always good and it doesn't really have to be square.

Good luck!!

Lizden · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:57 am Post subject:

ÜBER SPIFFY!!!!! Laugh

L.
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Deirdre · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:30 am Post subject:

The ceiling is definitely getting treatment, Edo!
I just need to figure out how to easily get a hold of the stuff I need. That Owens-Corning stuff seems to require an act of congress to get.
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ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:33 am Post subject:

The comforter looks so New England - functional and goes with the house!
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Deirdre · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:59 am Post subject:

OK— I just ordered some O/C 703 panels to go on the ceiling and in the rest of the room.

At Ready Acoustics the stuff was on sale.

I have to quit pinching pennies at the wrong time. The sound suck I have coming for the alcove is a "memory foam" mattress topper I'm getting from Overstock.com. I've got something up now that I had on hand and it is really quite swell, but this stuff I'm expecting is massive and doesn't smell.

Thanks, Connie! I hope it doesn't clash with the other stuff that I've had in my office forever— the stuff that's black and red.
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Edo · Guest

Deirdre, if there is anything left of the OC703 when you're done, also think of the wooden frame where your huttie is in between. Those are hard reflecting surfaces as well, that WILL affect your mic. You might want to do the same there as well, even though it looks really nice as it is and you'd lose the wooden atmosphere a bit. Placing the mic a bit further inside the huttie could also work miracles.

Deirdre · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 11:05 am Post subject:

Thanks for that reminder!

There will be curtains (more comforter-style, way thick) that will be drawn around the recording area once I get the metal rod made. I wouldn't have thought of the alcove's frame, so thanks!
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject:

I love the hammered tin ceiling and plaster and lathe seen in the pics.

I also appreciate all the pics, generally, ad especially Edo's feedback. I'll
have many things to keep in mind as I expand and move equipment around. Thinking twice about removing some clapboards (clapboards!) on a natural, roofline alcove in the other room into which I'll expand ... eventually.

Keep 'em coming, Deebs. Oh, and the regal style of the sound baffle is swell.
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bobsouer · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:32 pm Post subject:

Deirdre,

It's wonderful to see all of these photos. Thank you for sharing them with us. Terrific ideas here.
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Frank F · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject:

DB, Remember that reflections CAN be your friend. Tuning your studio requires both sound absorbing features and sound reflecting features. Your ears are one of the best measures of what works and what does not.

Camp Coopers Studio is looking GOOD! Smile

Toodles

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roger · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject:

DB's Audio Alter. First impression. Looks wonderfully snazzy and functional.
-rog
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Gp · Guest

LOOKIN Sweet. Can't wait to see it all done. I keep thinking it's time to redo mine too. However, there are a few more things I need first.
I like the site too. Ready acoustics they have some nice stuff that I can use down the road.

Jowillie · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject:

Seriously, Nice.
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todd ellis · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject:

totally dig it! love the style & the functionality! i did the same thing with a closet in my other house - although with not nearly as much flair.
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