Since moving to the new house in February 2007 I have been planning on converting a small outbuilding for use as a recording studio. I currently have a very modest setup in the house using my Roland XP-60 workstation keyboard linked to my audio PC via an audio/MIDI interface (E-MU 0404 USB 2.0). Whilst this setup works very well, it has always been my intention to get things set up in the outbuilding, freeing up the space for, I suspect, more children's toys!! I have the majority of my gear in storage at the moment, including guitars, electronic drums, effects etc. I don't have a particular target set to complete the job but I hope to get the majority of the construction complete this summer.
Here are some images of the design:
I'm going to keep a diary here and show as many photographs as I can during the build.
Tooling Up!
One thing is for certain when undertaking such a job is that you'll need to spend probably as much on tools as you do on materials. So over the last few years I've been picking up various tools etc. pretty much with the idea that I'll be doing this job at some stage. Here's a rough list of the sort of things I've bought:
Power Tools:
Mitre saw - absolutely essential, best tool ever (I got hold of a sliding one that cuts a little over 300mm)
Router and profiling bits - again very useful to have around
Circular saw - great for cutting those long lengths and sheets that the mitre saw can't handle
Jigsaw - for detailed cuts
Power drill (hand held) x 2 - probably should be top of the list
Drywall screwdriver - picked up a cheapie from Screwfix
Pillar drill (bench top) - I bought a small one off ebay for about £35
Angle grinder - essential if you need to cut reinforcing mesh
Sander -
Vacuum cleaner
Hand Tools:
Folding bench - B&D workmate or similar
Quick clamps - one handed clamps that allow you to hold things together with one hand and clamp with the other
G clamps -
Woodworking tools - chisels, marking tools etc.
Masonry chisels
Trowels
Hammer
Other:
Some form of CAD software comes in very handy. I happen to use Solidworks as part of my day job, so I have made full use of this for the project design. These guys have a free version 3D CAD download http://www.alibre.com/