TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1

Chapter 1 - Some Studio History

The Origin Of Acoustics

    The Greek Theater

    The Roman Amphitheater

    The Great Minds

Modern Acoustics

    1900 to 1940

    The Rise Of The Tape Machine

    The Disco Era

    Live End Dead End

    The Reflection-Free Zone

Studio Design Pioneers

    Bill Putnam

    Tom Hidley

    George Augspurger

Chapter 2 - Design Ideas

Individual Needs

    Engineers

    Drummers

    Guitarists

    The All-In-One Room

    Vocalists And Voice-Over Artists

Personal Studio Parameters

    Production/Mixing Room

        Isolation

        Size

        Shape

        Recording

    Tracking/Rehearsal Room

        Size

        Acoustics

        HVAC

        Monitoring

Commercial Studio Parameters

    Different Types Of Studios

        Dialog

        Audio Post

        Foley

        Music

        Scoring Stage

    Common Concerns

        Problem Neighbors

        Storage

        The Lounge

        Amenities

        The Bathroom

Chapter 3 - Some Basic Acoustics

Soundproofing

    What Won’t Work

    Two Basic Isolation Principles

    The Ceiling

    The Door

    Windows

Acoustic Control

    Your Room

        Standing Waves

        Room Modes

        The Size Of The Room

        The Shape Of The Room

        Parallel Walls

        The Curse Of Low Ceilings

        The Floor

        Reverb Time

    Acoustic Control Methods

        Absorption

        The Reflection-Free Zone

        Acoustic Panels

            The Basic Material

            How Many Panels?

            Placement

    Bass Traps

        The Tuned Trap

    Diffusers

Chapter 4 - Isolation Techniques

Measuring Sound Transmission

    Transmission Loss In The Real World

Increasing STC

    The Studio Walls

        How Can We Improve That

        Isolation Rules

    The Ceiling

    Windows

    Doors

        Sliding Glass Door

    Floating Your Floor

        Building A Floating Floor

Flanking Transmission

Chapter 5 - Making A Plan

Determine Your Needs

    General Needs

    isolation Needs

    Acoustic Needs

    Construction Needs

Measure Your Space

    Considerations

        Material Storage

        Air Conditioning

        Electrical

Make Your Lists

    Make A Materials List

    Make A To-Do List

    Make A Schedule

        It Always Takes Longer Than You Think

Finding Good Help

    Contractors

Permits

Chapter 6 - Building A Personal-Use Studio

Determining The Listening Position

    Standing Waves

    Symmetry

Controlling The Acoustics

    Creating A Reflection-Free Zone

    Treating The Rest Of The Room

        The Rear Wall

        The Corners

        The Side Walls

        The Front Wall

        The Floor

        The Ceiling

        Doors

        Windows

Chapter 7 - Building A Commercial Studio

Design

    The Decor

        What Are Your Clients Looking For?

        The Design Concept

        Utilizing Your Space

Getting Some Help

    Hiring A Designer

    Hiring An Architect

        Getting Permits

    Hiring A Contractor

    Prepping Your Space

Commercial Studio Isolation

    Floating Your Floors

    Building Your Walls

    Building Your Ceiling

        Lighting

        HVAC Ducting

            The Mini Split

    Your Door

        Weatherstripping

        The Threshold

    Sliding Glass Door And Airlock

Electrical

    Electrical Conduits

    The Power Outlets

Audio Wiring

    Wiring Behind The Wall

    Floor Cable Troughs

    Wiring Help

Acoustics

    Acoustic Panels

    Bass Traps

The Lounge

    Lounge Decor

    Lounge Amenities

Storage

The Restroom

Chapter 8 - Purchasing The Materials

Flooring Materials

    Wood Flooring

    Carpet

        Carpet Padding

    Floating Floor Materials

General Building Supplies

    Lumber

    Metal Studs

    Screws And Nails

Isolation Materials

    Drywall Alternatives

    Lead Sheets And Mass Loaded Vinyl

    Caulk

    Fiberglass Batting

    Resilient Channel

    Green Glue

    Acoustic Putty

    Gaskets And Weather Stripping

Acoustic Materials

    Panel Material

        Owens Corning 703

        Mineral Wool

        Untratouch Cotton

        Foam Padding

    Frames

    Fabric

    Finish Materials

Sample Materials List

Chapter 9 - Pre-Made Acoustic Components

Materials

Pre-made Acoustic Panels

Mounting Accessories

Full Room Kits

Vocal Booths

Chapter 10 - Oops, I Forgot

Security

    What You’ll Need

    Alarm Plans

Video

Wireless DSL

Backup

    System Backups

    Client Backups

    Online Backups

Online Storage

Supplies

Storage

    Client Drives

        Spring Cleaning

Chapter 11 - Speaker Setup

Choosing Your Monitors

    Tips For Choosing A Set Of Monitors

Basic Monitor Setup

Chapter 12 - Choosing Your Gear

Step 1: Purchase A Computer And DAW

Step 2: Mic Panels

Step 3: Microphones

    Vocal Mics

    Instrument Mics

    Keyboard Mics

    Drum Mics

    Mic Extras

    Going Direct

Step 4: The Input Chain

Step 5: Signal Processors

Step 6: The Headphone System

    Personal Headphone Mixers

    Headphone Types

Step 7: Speakers

Step 8: Cables

    Adapters

Extra: Video Posting

Chapter 13 - You Have a Studio - Now What?

The Studio Business

    The Business Structure

    Insurance

    Booking The Gig

        Before The Session

Keep Your Expenses Down

Studio Promotion

    Your Website

    Your Email List

    Social Networking

        Your Blog

        Twitter

        You Tube

    Traditional Media

    Word Of Mouth

Finally

PART 2 - Interviews

Carl Tatz - Studio Designer

Eddy Shreyer - Mastering Engineer/Studio Owner

Keith Olsen - Producer/Co-Owner MSR

Felix Nunez - General Contractor/Bass Player

Sheldon Sims - Wiring Integrator