HIGH PERFORMANCE STUDIO ROOMS FOR SIMPLE DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTION

The Covid pandemic forced many people to think about building sound recording and mixing facilities, of professional performance, in or near their own homes. The uncertainty about the future also influenced this choice, due to the risk of committing to expensive long-term rents or leases. However, these new studios have tended to be primarily functional, without particularly having to impress attending clients with the expensive decoration or ancillaries of more typically commercial studios. The resulting ability to concentrate primarily on the acoustics has not only greatly reduced the cost of construction, but has also often permitted the achievement of ‘higher than expected’ acoustic quality for such facilities. Furthermore, this quality can usually be achieved without the need for anything other than standard building material, and with construction techniques that are within the capabilities of any person with a decent command of a hammer, screwdriver and a few saws. This paper will explore the performance-goals to be met, the basic acoustical concepts and their practical realisation, but it will also consider the difficulties in trying to simulate the results with simple computer programs, because the acoustic goals that must be achieved consist of more than ‘global’ numbers. © 2021 Institute of Acoustics. All rights reserved.