WFH rejig

[FifeingEejit]

^ what they said

Also any idea how to stop a fan motors buzz resonating through plasterboard such that it's noisier in the rooms next to it than in the room with the fan?



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[Mr Larrington]

Looks like you’re making a better fist of it than the clowns who supplied the studio in the garden at Schloß von Brandenburg.  This was originally touted as being suitable for “live drums” – a claim which has subsequently disappeared from their webshite – but has turned out not to be any such thing, to the considerable consternation of the neighbours.  The Sunday before last Mr von Brandenburg was thumping away on the electronic practice kit that currently resides therein, with results that were clearly audible inside the Schloß itself.  Legal action is underway.

[Oscar's dad]

Wow...

Might I add a "Gracious me!"?  With regard to office spaces I think psyclist is on the podium alongside marcusjb.  I think when it comes to specialist work from home spaces the road-runners and their team are going to be hard to beat. 

@road-runner, where do you live if you don't mind my asking?

[psyclist]

road-runner, that is brilliant. I can understand why it might take a while to build, especially with any COVID-related supply delays. As well as being a superb space for music creation, I would imagine it’ll be a draw for people looking to commission stuff or indeed record there.

On the acoustics for voice, I was surprised at the setup in the BBC when I was given a tour of their building before hosting an event there. For the most part it felt like walking around a standard modern office, but with people sat alone in small meeting rooms running their shows. On the doors would be the schedule of who had the room at what times.

The live lounge was a bit different, but the interior space was largely like a meeting room, but with a few comfy chairs, and obviously mics, headphones and such like. Glass walled, but that room had an outer room with settees, acting as a waiting area for celebrities who might be waiting to enter the live lounge.

I would hazard a guess that all the glass around the rooms were sound-insulating. It was illuminating for me to see the setup, as in my mind all the DJs would be in small studios designed like yours, not in glass-walled rooms not too far from the open plan office areas.

[chrisbainbridge]

Wow...

What she said.

J

Again Wow!!

[mcshroom]

There are some amazing spaces in this thread

I'm seriously impressed with the thought and care that has been put into designing and building the offices and studios so they work so well.

I built myself a new office in the garden about 3 months back based on a cheap 6'x6' summerhouse squeezed into a corner of the garden, which does everything I need it to do. It's considerably more basic than most on here though. When I finally get round to clearing out the clutter I'll get some photos up, but it does look more like a garden shed than the shiny offices on here

[nuttycyclist]

Mine's similar.   Nice DIY self build of a purchased kit.  50% of it is full of garage overflow, so my desk is next to a pile of pieces of wood that "might come in useful", a couple of car tyres that need to go back on ebay/similar/the reels of electrical wire I need to re-wire the garage with/etc.

I planned it carefully with the sockets, but already run out and my "get a round tuit" list includes adding a couple more (wiring has capacity) as well as at some point wiring the outside light into the empty double light switch.

[Oscar's dad]

There are some amazing spaces in this thread

I'm seriously impressed with the thought and care that has been put into designing and building the offices and studios so they work so well.

I built myself a new office in the garden about 3 months back based on a cheap 6'x6' summerhouse squeezed into a corner of the garden, which does everything I need it to do. It's considerably more basic than most on here though. When I finally get round to clearing out the clutter I'll get some photos up, but it does look more like a garden shed than the shiny offices on here

We need some photos when you're ready 

What I love about this subject is the imagination folks are putting into building themselves home working environments which are truly life changing.  Whether you're working in a cheap 6x6 summerhouse, a converted garage or a state of the art pro-built installation the end result is the same.  Fantastic!

I've heard it said that thanks to COVID for many of us work is now what we do not where we go.  I'm not sure that's 100% true as its not nice if you are working in your living environment, like the kitchen table or your bedroom.  Its best if go can still go somewhere to work, even if you aren't leaving the confines of your home or garden.

[nuttycyclist]

....
I've heard it said that thanks to COVID for many of us work is now what we do not where we go.  I'm not sure that's 100% true as its not nice if you are working in your living environment, like the kitchen table or your bedroom.  Its best if go can still go somewhere to work, even if you aren't leaving the confines of your home or garden.

Maybe worthy of a new thread, but I've WFH for many years before covid.  I don't have an issue with working in living environment.

I hated being in the office and the dullness of sitting at a desk with a headset on in a conference call.  Some days if I knew it would be a long call I'd take in some bike parts that needed fettling as that didn't distract from the call.  Once I made the switch to WFH it was more efficient as I could prepare the dinner/load the washing machine/etc whilst still focussed on a call and watching the screen.  Hell, for some calls where I know in advance I don't need the laptop I've even gone out for a walk to get fresh air and lost in the woods.

All that I need is a guaranteed quiet space should it be a call I need to put more focus on or host, hence the DIY build, but in the main during summer the garden table is more than enough. 

WFH for me has been a freedom.  In a way I'm glad that covid has enabled others to experience this although I'd never wish covid on anybody and acknowledge that WFH isn't everybody's cup of tea.

[TimC]

RR, that's a mega project. Very jealous! Mine is just a toy studio in comparison, but it works well enough for what I need. I will never be recording other people, and I go to bigger studios for stuff which is for paid work. But it's inspiring nonetheless, and adds lots of ideas to the wishlist if I ever decide to upgrade!

[Oscar's dad]

Yeah, like you nutty, I have WFH for years (since 2000) but I have always had a dedicated workspace.  When I lived in Portsmouth I worked from a really nice loft conversion in our house.  Post divorce and move to Mid-Essex I started working from a garden shed, then moved into the garage, then last autumn completely revamped the garage, there are photos further down this thread.

WFH is just great, as you describe nutty, but you need dedicated space.

[psyclist]

What I love about this subject is the imagination folks are putting into building themselves home working environments which are truly life changing. 

I concur with this. I've been working at home either 1 or 2 days or week, or full-time on occasions, for quite a few years. I was thinking about building something myself, but never got sufficient motivation to get things moving. It was only when I started to see what you'd been doing OD that I started to realise what I was missing.

I would have preferred to have built something myself, but having now seen what it took to put my studio together, I realise it would have taken a huge amount of time.

[Mr Larrington]

@road-runner: I dare say regular updates will come my way from Miss von Brandenburg, so I'll keep you posted.  AIUI they've a pretty good idea of what actually needs to be done and the legal action is mostly over who pays for it; Miss von Brandenburg is an architect and Mr von Brandenburg has worked as a techie in divers studios and has a bunch of mates in The Business.  The practice kit is a Remo of some description though he’s a big fan of Earwig Ludwig hardware when doing it for real.

[Oscar's dad]

What I love about this subject is the imagination folks are putting into building themselves home working environments which are truly life changing. 

I concur with this... It was only when I started to see what you'd been doing OD that I started to realise what I was missing.

 

[ravenbait]

Concur with all the wows above.

My home office was the first room after the bathroom we renovated in this house when we moved in. I need controlled space to write, so it was a priority for me even before moving to full time working from home in the dayjob. Mr Bait did a fantastic job, but it's nothing like as extraordinary as what some of you are doing.

Sam

[Mrs Pingu]

This thread is making me quite jealous now. One day maybe I'll get a room...

[citoyen]

With regard to office spaces I think psyclist is on the podium alongside marcusjb.  I think when it comes to specialist work from home spaces the road-runners and their team are going to be hard to beat. 

Can't disagree with any of that. I now have serious office envy.

[chrisbainbridge]

roadrunner, I was wondering if your floor is suspended as well or is it so much a solid piece of concrete that it is irrelevant to the noise?

[FifeingEejit]

Also any idea how to stop a fan motors buzz resonating through plasterboard such that it's noisier in the rooms next to it than in the room with the fan?

The reason it is happening is because the plasterboard is acting as a big soundboard, just like in a piano.

Often the best thing is be to replace the fan with a newer, quieter one. The plasterboard wall possibly has nothing to dampen vibrations and as that would be a major job I would add some flexible duct and move the fan away from the wall, mounting it on the ceiling using sorbothane and a compression plate. Send me a PM with photos of your fan in context if you want to explore this further. I am by no means an expert but have had to understand how unwanted sounds travel.

Thanks, its a relatively new fan with supposed quiet certification, flexible duct and mounted on a wooden board attached to the plaster board as the previous fans hole was bigger.
The Sorbothanes probably the start point on the missing link

[TimC]

I'm curious, RR. What level would you put yourselves at in the industry? It seems to me that this is a very significant investment, even with the help of your itinerant friends! Add the that the investment in the audio and electronic equipment which is yet to come, and I assume we're looking at the cost of a reasonable home.

I've recorded in some very professional studios in the last year or so, and I can't think of any that have gone to the lengths you're going to. You must have some very demanding clients!

[Bledlow]

More interestingly I clicked on your image psyclist and it took me to a page featuring adverts picturing young ladies in a state of undress!   

Didn't work for me. 

[road-runner]

@road-runner, where do you live if you don't mind my asking?

This is all happening in Poprad, Slovakia.

roadrunner, I was wondering if your floor is suspended as well or is it so much a solid piece of concrete that it is irrelevant to the noise?

No, Chris, it is not a suspended floor. It was deemed not necessary as the floor is on the concrete foundation which is naturally acoustically dampened.

I'm curious, RR.

As a semi-pro musician I previously rented a space (after neighbours complained when I worked at home) but that room had its limitations and so the opportunity to buy a room on the ground floor of our building at a price we could just afford was too good to pass by.

Regarding my doing more than pro studios do, every studio needs to ask two questions:
1, How much noise gets into or out of our studio that we need to stop?
The answer in decibels leads us to how much soundproofing we need to do.
2, How correct would I like the sound to be in the control room, the room where the engineer mixes the recordings?
If you don't do enough then your mixes can sound poor when played elsewhere. You can go to extremes, and the massive budget you hinted at could well exceed £1 million.

My studio is only a control room, no live room, and we are on course to spend about 30,000 euros (c£26,000) to convert it from the office it was into a studio, and then all I plan to do is buy a pair of good monitors, somewhere around 5,000 euros (c£4,000) There are no itinerant friends involved, just me, my wife, and a few tradesmen we employ as and when we need. I am now in my 60s and I see this as an investment to see me through until my dying day.

If you want to know more about me, see my old YACF topic The next chapter of life. If you want to see more details about my studio, see the build topic Private studio in Slovakia.

Tim, does that answer your questions to your satisfaction?

[TimC]

Absolutely! I'll have a look at your links. As I think I said earlier, I'm well jel! But it sounds like you've achieved terrific value for money. Yes, of course you're right that it's very difficult to tell what work those studios I've been in have done, and as I'm not in any way a sound engineer nor indeed the client - just the (lack of) 'talent' - I must assume that what they achieve is more than good enough for the projects I'm employed for.

I have to say thank you for your comprehensive explanations - while I don't aspire to this level of professionalism for my own little studio, I am learning all sorts of useful stuff from your posts!

[marcusjb]

We need more photos!

It is now a very pleasant working environment, with the artisan bookshelves in place. Next tasks are to construct the acoustic panels, which will also feature artworks (by a talented artist, not me!), and to get the ground around the studio sorted. Still undecided between environmentally-friendly decking, stone, or a low growing grass-alternative.

That looks fantastic - the setting looks amazing!

Enjoy.

No significant changes to mine - figuring out how to manage the sunnier days now summer is a little more here! (North-East facing, so sun for the morning; blinds shut etc. in the evening to reduce heat in the morning. Has been around 26 degrees in the office this weekend (but have been away all week, so locked up) - opening the windows on 2 sides reduced that to a much more pleasant 20 degrees within minutes really).

Have just ordered a one of these - https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-ultrasharp-40-curved-wuhd-monitor-u4021qw/apd/210-ayjf/monitors-monitor-accessories to clean up my current 2*27 and 1*24 (portrait). Not 100% what I am going to do with everything yet - I can't fit a 27 in portrait under the shelves, so I may just keep the 24 and then move on the 2 * 27s.

[psyclist]

That looks fantastic - the setting looks amazing!

Thank you. It does feel great to be somewhat remote from the house, surrounded by birds, squirrels, and the occasional cat and fox. I’m just hoping the birds are not too noisy now that the windows / doors are needing to be kept open to keep it cool inside.

As an aside, I’ve just read your account of the Super Randonee you rode in 2013. Sounded like a tremendous trip. I’m riding the Cambrian one in 2 weeks time. I’m expecting tough, but without the sleep deprivation of a typical Audax.