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Author Topic: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread  (Read 85166 times)

Viitalahde

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Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« on: September 20, 2010, 01:18:44 PM »

The time has come for me to move forward.

For years, me & my wife had been planning to move to the countryside and almost a year ago we finally made the move and bought a new home from Kuhmoinen, Finland.

The new location of nearly 200km from the location of my current room is most likely to change a few things, but the business has been growing steadily and I'm doing a lot of unattended sessions, so I look at the future with trust.

I've been working for about 4 years at Studio Kuu's room B in Helsinki, the last year commuting back and forth. The new room will be built inside a cold farming house that practically only works as an outer shell and a fine roof. The mastering room itself will be built on a dedicated frame and a new concrete slab.

I will try to do an update at least once a week. I'm targeting to move in by early January, but only after I'm sure the room is functioning as I expect it to. I've hired a pair of excellent carpenters for the job, and they will be building it to the state from where I can continue with the acoustics. My carpenters are a father and a son that also happen to play in the same band - a guitarist and a drummer!

First, I would like to show off a few photos of the actual location. These photos were mostly taken in August.

http://www.virtalahde.com/pihatie.jpg
..Entering our yard, the construction site to-be on the left.

http://www.virtalahde.com/piha.jpg
..The yard from another angle. Our house is on the left. This end was built in the early 1900's, the other end before the mid 1850's. Healthy, old house with a history, just as we wanted.

http://www.virtalahde.com/sauna.jpg
...We've got a sauna. What'd you expect?

http://www.virtalahde.com/koski.jpg
..There's a pink noise generator behind the sauna. It was a dry, hot summer so the water level is pretty low compared to the one in April:

http://www.virtalahde.com/koski_kevat.jpg

Here's a few drawings of the actual plan (small and pixelated for a purpose). The acoustics design was done by Janne Riionheimo, who has done quite a few smaller rooms with excellent results.

http://www.virtalahde.com/pohjapiirros_1.gif

http://www.virtalahde.com/pohjapiirros_2.gif

The actual space is 34 square meters in size to begin with. After the basic, insulated room is built, we're at about 28 square meters, and after the internal walls and acoustic treatment is in place, the size is about 22 square meters.

I would have wanted a slightly bigger room, but here comes the part I liked about the space:

http://www.virtalahde.com/sivupiirros_1.gif

The height is 3,5 metres at maximum (minus those clouds), and the angled roof and the sloped front should be working out excellent.

http://www.virtalahde.com/etupiirros_1.gif
..This is the front wall, exploded.

http://www.virtalahde.com/takapiirros_1.gif
..And the back wall.

What I wanted was a fairly live but a controlled, well-behaving room. A big plus in this construction is that there is no need to do any kind of soundproofing, which makes controlling the low end much easier as there's less of it that gets trapped inside the room. Thus, a smaller room like this should be working out just fine. This was one of my key design goals. I'm targeting for a listening distance of about 2,3 metres, or whatever sounds the best.
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Jaakko Viitalähde
Virtalähde Mastering, Kuhmoinen/Finland
http://www.virtalahde.com
   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Helsinki-Finland/Virtalahde-Ma stering/278311633180

Viitalahde

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering - the build thread
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2010, 01:21:23 PM »

This is what the actual space looks like today:

http://www.virtalahde.com/etupaa.jpg

http://www.virtalahde.com/oikea_etu.jpg

http://www.virtalahde.com/vasen_etu.jpg

http://www.virtalahde.com/etupaa_ylhaalta.jpg
..This is the front wall from various angles.

http://www.virtalahde.com/vasen_taka.jpg
..The back wall from the left corner. I only have one photo of it at hand right now.

http://www.virtalahde.com/katto_profiili.jpg
..This is how the existing roof is constructed. The old hay visible in the back will soon be carried out and burned (cough).

As can be seen from the photos, the building is very basic. However, the winter with its shitload of heavy snow proved that it's a strong building and worth renovating. The studio space is the first step, the rest will be worked on during the next years.

Today's work started out by digging around the building, changing some soil. Underdrains (or whatever they're called in English) will be installed all around the building for keeping the place dry and steady in the future. The winter and the frozen ground tends to slowly break buildings, and some damage was done to the other end of the building. The shape of the building didn't change and it's still standing solid, so we can only go for the better from here.

http://www.virtalahde.com/salaoja_oikea.jpg

http://www.virtalahde.com/salaoja_etu1.jpg

http://www.virtalahde.com/salaoja_vasen1.jpg

http://www.virtalahde.com/rappu_salaoja.jpg
..This is the state we're at as I'm writing this. The underdrain part should be finished tomorrow, and after that the work on the foundations of the actual room begins.

It's going to take a while until there's music playing in that space, but if everything works out as planned, I will be working in a great new room in an inspiring environment within just a few months.
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Jaakko Viitalähde
Virtalähde Mastering, Kuhmoinen/Finland
http://www.virtalahde.com
   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Helsinki-Finland/Virtalahde-Ma stering/278311633180

dietrich

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2010, 01:58:44 PM »

enjoy! looks like will be great live/work soon

resolectric

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2010, 02:01:45 PM »

Wow!
Wonderful place and a great project!
Will surely follow this thread with interest.

The best of luck to you and congratulations on the move.
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cass anawaty

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2010, 02:14:25 PM »

I'm so jealous, but happy for you.   Very Happy
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Cass Anawaty, Chief Engineer
Sunbreak Music, LLC
High Resolution Stereo Mastering
www.sunbreakmusic.com

odeon-mastering

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2010, 02:29:48 PM »

Stunning location
As I am in the process of building a new room myself (unfortunately at a city center) I just want to wish you good luck.
I will be following this thread closely.

All the best,
Apostolos

lowland

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2010, 03:21:09 PM »

All the best with it, Jaakko! My new build will be a broadly similar volume, although the apex runs the opposite way to yours and it's ground-up, no existing structure. The thing about not needing soundproofing (same here) is very liberating Smile
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Nigel Palmer
Lowland Masters
Essex, UK
www.lowlandmasters.com

bblackwood

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2010, 03:23:08 PM »

Awesome, can't wait to watch this come together, Jaakko!
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Brad Blackwood
euphonic masters

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2010, 03:39:31 PM »

Looks like a great location Jaakko. Best of luck.
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Paul Gold
www.saltmastering.com

On the silk road, looking for uranium.

mcsnare

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2010, 03:46:31 PM »

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing the build and very best of luck to you.

Dave

mastertone

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2010, 04:18:47 PM »

Truly inspiring!

Wish you all the best with it Jaakko.

Sweden-Finland road trip could be ahead next summer Smile
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Jonas Ekstrom
Mastertone Mastering
www.mastertone.se

jdg

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2010, 04:23:40 PM »

good luck! looks like you got your work cutout for you for sure.
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure

Greg Reierson

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2010, 04:23:41 PM »

Looks awesome!


GR
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Thomas W. Bethel

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2010, 04:47:11 PM »

NICE
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-TOM-

Thomas W. Bethel
Managing Director
Acoustik Musik, Ltd.
Room With a View Productions
http://www.acoustikmusik.com/

Doing what you love is freedom.
Loving what you do is happiness.

bkuijt

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Re: Virtalähde Mastering, Finland - the build thread
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2010, 04:50:24 PM »

Wow! Inspiring.

Good luck with the build.
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Bastiaan Kuijt  //  BK Audio  //  www.bkaudio.nl

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