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1FD STUDIOS
The private recording studio built by Dale Harris in Hertfordshire, England.
The Construction Process
A story of the building and wiring of F1D Studios
by Dale Harris
This is a three bedroom cottage. First, the main studio live room had the bedroom door removed. Fellow Sheppertonian Larry Lucas cut out the wall in order to fit the double-glazed doors.The following decribes the next stages of the studio construction and development process pictorially.
Live Room Pic 1. The membrane layer
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Live Room Pic 2. Internal shutters fitted
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Live Room Pic 3. Chipboard and cable channel
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Live Room Pic 4. 2nd layer chipboard
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Live Room Pic 5. Cable running under door
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Live Room Pic 6. Pine floor: tongue & groove
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Live Room Pic 7. Pine floor
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Live Room Pic 8. Side packed felt 'isolation'
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Live Room Pic 9. Cable to studio box
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Live Room Pic 10. Box: 16 XLR / 8 TRS Line
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Control Room Pic 11. Washed walls for painting
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Control Room Pic 12. Painted walls
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Control Room Pic 13. Cable run for 2nd live room
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Control Room Pic 14. Internal shutters fitted
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Control Room Pic 15. Raise fireplace height
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Control Room Pic 16. Membrane layed
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Control Room Pic 17. Chipboard & cable channel
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Control Room Pic 18. 2nd layer chipboard started
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Control Room Pic 19. 2nd layer chipboard
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Control Room Pic 20. Pine laminate floor
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Control Room Pic 21. Cables fed through floor
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Control Room Pic22. Skirting board fitted
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Control room Pic 23. Keyboard 8 TRS lines
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Control Room Pic 24. Mixing desk installed
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Control Room Pic 25. Patchbay installed
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Control Room Pic 26. Live room XLR's soldered
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Live Room Pic 27. Microphones set up
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Second live room pic 28. Cable installed
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Since the studio live-room was finished, I recorded all of my third CD Reverie On A Hill there, plus some items for future classical guitar solo CD projects. I found that the live room was perhaps too lively for my solo guitar work. Thus, as you can see in the pictures, I installed a few moveable soundboards near the walls and placed a rug to cut down any unwanted reflections.
Moreover, I always shield and consequently dampen off the radiator as I find it reflects the high end frequencies which upset the frequency balance of the microphones.
On the whole, considering this was my first attempt at building a studio, I can say that the results are extremely pleasing. That said, don't under-estimate the time spent in preparation: e.g., sourcing materials and tools, asking others for advice (expect a variety of opinions as well). It's also wirth talking to other studio owner-builders. The producer Pat Collier gave some invaluable hints regarding aspects of the building process in addition to sound-related matters.
Most of the chipboard wood was cut using a circular saw, a rather dangerous but neccesary tool.
As long as you think about what you are about to do, and let the saw do the work (and don't ever force it) then I don't see why anyone cannot do this.The same can be said for drilling. I had one accident when drilling the holes into the concrete for the cable runs. I found that the drill can suddently grip the surface and the handle turns instead to the drill-bit. My hand was smashed into the ground, momentarily crushing my middle finger! Luckily it was only bruised but that action could have meant a broken finger or two so I would advise more caution when your fingers or hands are in the firing line.
The depth of the chipboard was a crucial factor as the other rooms in the house all need to be met at the same height.
It is best to avoid there being any steps to trip-up over for dreaded health and safety reasons.
You don't want to invite Eric Clapton over for a jam only for him to trip-up on his way to the bathroom and break his neck now do you?!
Dale Harris, January 2009
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