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[trebor_zaid]

I am at a rehearsal space that is expanding it's operaton. In thew 6,000ft area they own they are going to start construction of phase 2 of the spaces. They are giving me first dibs on room 1. I need a good size for tracking drums? I was in a 25x40x15 room before and the drums sounded huge. TOO huge at times! So I do want to scale down. Might that be a good first step? I know this for sure, the ceiling willing will be 12ft. Just need the other 2 dimensions. Currrently in a 15x14x8 room. Sounds ok. Not allot of depth or dimension compared to the 25x40x15 room

So I ask the ever so knowing group that peruses these pages. What would be a decent size for a drum room that will allow me a big sound, but that I can control. Thanks for any help.

Attached is a pic of what it may look like. Done in MS paint. Stick men attack!

[Fibes]

Real dimensions would help, and not having a square room, which is what it looks like you're getting close to.

[tom eaton]

My "big" room is 17x24.  If there had been room to do 30x20 that would have really made a difference in the way I could use the room.  Doesn't seem like a big difference, but it would have allowed me to keep all my keys and drums set up while keeping room open for people to be there, too.  

30x20x15 would make me very happy, personally.

t

[Joe Black]

Why would a 'big room' necessarily mean 'big drums'. I ask from ignorance as the last three rooms I tracked in were The Castle and Java Jive in Nashville and Ultrasuede in Cininnati (the old QCA Studio) and and none of the drums sound like they're in a 'big room', for sure a good sounding room and they do sound frigging fantastic.

I personally like the idea of tracking all in the same room.

Here's a widelux shot of Java Jive.

[Fibes]

A Big room is more forgiving than a medium room. Close micing and goboing in a BIG room yields a small room sound with BIG room options. A medium room sounds like a medium room unless you treat the piss out of it.

[trebor_zaid]

Thanks for the input. The last room I was in was freakin huge. I mic'd my drums for a project with 4mics. 2overs, 1 kick, and 1 in front of the kit. That was really all that was needed. It's like the room did the rest. Drums were really nice. Well, to me. A little on the airy side, & just sounded huge.

But alas, that is past. So I have this opportunity to get a custom room built in this warehouse. To replicate what I had, would cost too much in rent. 25x40x15 w/ old brick mortor walls and wood ceiling. NO! Smaller,...yes! I will have 12ft ceilings, I know that.

They can "curve" the inside of the room too. Would that help? Curved walls instead of straight. Won't be square. As I can tell, that might be no so beuno. The ceiling, would it help to have angles?
r

[Fibes]

It helps to have angles (at least 1" per foot)but it also helps to have room dimensions that overall don't have modal buildups.

See this: http://www.mcsquared.com/modecalc.htm

FYI see what happens when you input 12, 24 and 24.

[Etch-A-Sketch]

My friend just built a room specifically for recording drums. It's rough dimensions are 19x15 (no parallel walls).  The ceiling slopes from 12' down to 9'.  The angled ceiling makes a huge difference.  The reverb time in this little room is over 3 seconds.  It sounds like "when the levy breaks" just when standing in the room untreated.

The biggest thing (in my experience) to getting a good drum room is controlling (not necessarily killing) reflections and keeping the bottom end in check (watch out for standing waves).  

[Dave Martin]

Shorty's Got A Mule wrote on Tue, 24 April 2007 09:22

Why would a 'big room' necessarily mean 'big drums'. I ask from ignorance as the last three rooms I tracked in were The Castle and Java Jive in Nashville and Ultrasuede in Cininnati (the old QCA Studio) and and none of the drums sound like they're in a 'big room', for sure a good sounding room and they do sound frigging fantastic. I personally like the idea of tracking all in the same room. Here's a widelux shot of Java Jive.

That picture makes the room look smaller than it feels; the dimensions are 22x28, with a ceiling height that ranges from around 12 feet on the low end to around 18 feet at the hightest point.

[Steve Hudson]

One way to gain more flexibility in the liveness of a tracking space is to put panels in frames on piano hinges with one absorptive side (703) and one reflective side (wood). Open them one way to get maximum liveness, the other way to deaden the room. Check out pics of Premium Recording in Austin for an example:

http://www.premiumrecording.com/home.html