\
15-05-2007
Today we finished the installation of the interior doors. Ten doors in total, all made from aluminum with an extra layer of wood panels inside. Some feature a small 15mm window - some not. We did a small soundproofing test today using the 'reliable' method of screaming...Even without completing the sealing of the doors and with one window missing, we had some good results.
09-05-2007
The air-condition and ventilation systems have been installed. Apart from some minors problems (the gypsum guys have left some water pipes hidden behind the gypsum walls..) everything else ended up nice and smoothly. We weren't able to take some acoustic measurements yet, until we have everything else ready (doors, window etc).
03-05-2007
Most of the electrical works have been finished. Everything apart from the electrical sockets in the recording spaces and some ceiling lights have been connected. We left the studio sockets last as we still wait for the hand-made wooden boxes that they will accommodate the electrical sockets and the audio plugs.
25-04-2007
I've decided to install laminated wooden floor in all recording spaces. After gathering many different opinions I've concluded to go with the hard flooring - soft ceiling option as it seems that this is the best way to control acoustics within the studio with this available ceiling height.
19-04-2007
It has been a while since my last post, however the good news is that all gypsum works have been accomplished - finally. Tomorrow we start painting and by Monday we will begin the installation of the wooden floor. The main entrance also has been partly finished, except of the...door.
04-04-2007
Construction works have left behind due to Eastern Holidays. We have managed to complete most of the gypsum layers in the studio, apart from the ceiling in the drum booth where we first need to close a small ceiling window before attaching the gypsum panels. Tomorrow holidays are officially over so I hope we start again at full speed.
23-03-2007
Today, we began attaching the second layer of the gypsum boards. Apparently though, there is a shortage of 15mm gypsum boards in Chania, mainly because there is no much interest for 15mm boards around here. For this reason they have to be a special order... I had already ordered something like 700 hundred square meters one month before, but that wasn't enough to complete the constructions. So, if I am lucky we might have some more boards until middle of next week. I’ve also gave an advance today to secure some furniture for the studio - sofas, chairs etc. I haven't made my mind yet about my main studio chair. I have a couple of options as there are mainly two Greek companies making fine chairs, Sato & Dromeas. In any case I have to be quick, as both companies need about a month to deliver. For some strange reasons it is always a month…My beautiful South!
20-03-2007
I received today a big box from thomanns. Lots of cables and a couple of DI boxes. Eventually they were quick and helpful. For the first time today I was able to partly reproduce in my apartment the forthcoming studio setup. An SM57 to a Focusrite 428 mic in, output to a TRS patchbay, inputs of the Lynx to the patchbay, half-norm, Lynx output via ADAT to Tascam DM-4800, from Tascam to Logic in the G5 using the firewire card of the Tascam. It worked straight away and without any noticeable latency. I only had to solder a couple of TRS to female XLR cables to connect the Focusrite outputs to the patchbay. I will do some more tests tomorrow.
19-03-2007
Today we begun to seal the first gypsum layer panels. We used a multipurpose elastic sealant called Sikaflex 11FC, resistant to shock, vibration and temperature changes.. It needs a lot of work and attention to details as even the smallest gap on the gypsum panels can reduce the soundproofing of the structure. We have to use exactly the same procedure for every further panels we raise onto the walls.
13-03-2007
The first gypsum layer panels have been placed horizontally on the walls in the control room. The two windows looking at the live room and vocal booth have taken shape. Two more layers to go and then flooring, doors, windows, acoustics, equipment... I hope by the end of April to have everything ready. If yes, then I would be only two months off schedule..
05-03-2007
The rockwool insulation is almost completely placed into the metal frames. In the meantime, after a detailed inspection on the constructions I found some building mistakes regarding the metal frames. The double walls have been 'coupled' in some parts, so we had to redo some of the frames again. The final wall however, between the control room and live room looks like this. Notice the distance between the two gypsum leafs.
28-02-2007
We started today to run the audio cables between the different rooms in the studio. Belden double-shield balanced cables and 12-way snake balanced cables has been used to connect the control room with the rest of the recording spaces. CAT5 cables have also been installed for the hear back monitor system, plus USB cables for connecting MIDI interfaces and computer drives.
19-02-2007
The air-conditioning conduits have been installed. I have decided to install the latest Mitsubishi inverter split system as they claim a rather acceptable 21dBA of self noise.
08-02-2007
The electrician started today to run electrical cables through various walls. Precautions have to be taken not to go parallel with audio cables. Unfortunately, due to the electrician’s busy schedule his able to work only Monday & Wednesday evenings. This will slow things down a lot as all cables conduits must be installed before the gypsum panels.
4-02-2007
I have decided to make a custom-made furniture desk for the Tascam (after talking to the Argosy Greek distributor who kindly informed me that a furniture would take something like two months to arrived), so today I gave my desk design drawings - based on the Argosy desk for Tascam DM-4800 - to my carpenter friend. He estimates about two weeks to finish it.
30-01-2007
I’ve ordered some digital cables from thomanns.de - hard to found them around here. Doesn't anybody uses TDIF or TRS Dsub cables in Athens ? ? ? Even from thomanns I have to wait for a month. My Aurora also has to wait.
26-01-2007
The first big day has finally arrived. The builders were on-site 08:30 in the morning sharp and ready to rock the building. After a brief explanation about my soundproofing ideas, the building constructions finally have began. Eight hours later and the aluminum metal frames have already begun to give the studio a shape.
22-01-2007
Final decisions have been taken for soundproofing the walls of the studio. With some good help from the members at the johnsayers forum I finally decided to go for: isolated double gypsum walls, three layers of 15mm gypsum panels each, plus rockwool on the studs.
See my wall construction design here.
15-01-2007
The Tascam DM-4800 desk has arrived together with some pres and FX. By now, I have transformed my small apartment into a sound recording equipment warehouse. My girlfriend’s worst nightmare is true.
11-01-2007
I’ve gathered all the necessary information regarding the building constructions. Besides one SMALL detail - soundproofing - I am ready to go.
31-12-2006
Flying to London for a quick break. On the return I will have some serious work ahead..
15-12-2007
The G5 is finally here…and suddenly after 15 years of Windows now I have a Mac. And all these just for Logic. Now I have to wait for it for another couple of weeks since Logic is not available from Apple’s official distributor in Crete yet.
13-12-2006
Studio constructions postponed until 2007 in order to gather more information and due to Xmas holidays. One of the mic-pres & the matched pair of the AKG 414s microphones however arrived today. If I continue to receive one piece of equipment each month or even two, then probably by the end of winter I might have the studio ready..
10-12-2006
Inevitable delays mainly because I haven't yet made any final decisions regarding the soundproofing of the studio walls. I have to re-open the Master Handbook of Acoustics and re-visit johnlsayers.com. No room for mistakes here. If you really want to do something right, do it by yourself.
01-12-2006
All water pipes going through recording spaces have been successfully soundproofed by replacing the original pipes with thicker ones, plus covering all pipe areas with special soundproofing material. Now I am just waiting for someone from upstairs to open the tap or flush the toilet.
The vocal booth has been expanded by a couple of square meters.
23-11-2006
Most of the studio equipment has been ordered. Here in Greece, to buy many different equipment for a recording studio needs a good planning. You have to contact lots of different music retailers as we do not have any big music recording shop selling many of the major brands. In Crete in particular. No shops like Digital Village or Turnkey in London for example. Therefore I had to contact something like ten different retailers to complete my orders and even then I had to order some equipment from abroad.
See the equipment list here.
20-11-2006
Before major constructions begin, I have to arrange for water connections in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Some flooding precautions also have to be arranged and soundproofing the water pipes running through the recording areas.
11-11-2006
After many different ideas about the final layout of the studio, talking to architects and gathering opinions all around, the final studio plan has been accomplished today (see here). The only drawback is that the drum booth cannot be directly connected to the control room area. Otherwise all of the recording areas would be considerably smaller. To get a visual communication with the artists I 've decided to connect the drum booth with a CCTV camera to the other recording areas. The vocal booth has to be also expanded towards the control room area and give it a bit more space for the artists inside.
02-11-2006
First studio plan has been accomplished. It looks hard, but not impossible to get four separate recording spaces within the studio (Vocal / Drum Booths - Live Room & Control Room).
29-10-2006
Arrangements have been made for a three-phase electrical connection with the only Greek electricity company, DEH. Now I have to wait for about a month to actually get power for the building.
10-10-2006
The studio space has been found. It is a semi-underground 110m2 space, thus fewer requirements for soundproofing, close enough to the Chania’s town center and in a relative quiet area. If things gets hot in the summer, there is the beautiful beach of Aptera just 15 minutes walk from the studio. The building was intended to be a car parking - therefore is completely empty inside. That's a big plus, as it will be much easier for me to plan & design everything from ground up.