[Rfu-barnraising] studio layouts!

[Andy Gunn]

hey all, i have been reading the discussion about the studio layout from today, and decided i should send along some studio setups that i have seen.  some ideas for studio layout, in general terms:
- no through traffic, just one door if possible.
- the layout should work for a solo programmer as well as for an engineer, interviewer and one to two guests.  At least one surface should be kept clear between the interviewer's and guests' microphones for glasses of water, microphone stands, books, scripts and other reference material.
- people don't like sitting with their back to the door.
- people entering the studio should be able to see the "On Air" light.
- the room doesn't need to be big, if the walls and corners are used well.
- the computer should be at a comfortable position to type at.
- turntables can be on a narrower shelf to the side.
- stand-up racks can be used for CD players and other audio equipment in corners.
- some people like to stand when on air, others like to sit - try to design so either type of programmer is comfortable.
- 32" of clearance for wheelchair accessibility is important, both for hosts and guests.  44" is needed to turn a corner.
- ff you are building from scratch, avoid constructing square or rectangular rooms.  Try to make sure no two surfaces are parallel to each other, to cut down on reverberation in the room.

from looking at the blueprint danielle sent a few days ago, and the layout doug sent yesterday, i have a few comments.  first of all, i like the layout doug sent out - it makes the space seem more open when you can move around the center 'column'.  i think removing the door on the south wall was good too - it is preferrable to only have one door to the space - through traffic can be really annoying for the dj / operator.

one thing i would change - make the wall between the on-air studio and the production studio a straight diagonal wall - instead of having a bend in it...  i would also make the short wall that angles between the pole near the double doors and the southern facing production room door angeled with a window taking up most of the space.  since there is a window between the production room and on-air studio, it makes sense to have both consoles facing towards each other, so the on-air dj and person in production can coordinate a show or interview more easily.

the production room space could be laid out more easily if the southern door was removed.  i do not know how possible it is to modify the existing wall to take out the door - this might be harder than i think.  if this is done, a continuous surface in the production room will be possible along the angled eastern wall and the southern wall.  this will allow for more room for audio equipment and a computer.  i find putting things up against the wall as much as possible increases the amount of space for people in the room.

for the on air studio, having the console up against the western angled wall will open up the space more too, and allow a counter to 'wrap around' the operator, giving them the most access to audio sources and computers.  there could be a space where the window facing the stage is, so the dj can see what is going on with the performance.  it is still an awkward angle, and the pole in the middle of the performance space cuts down on visibility as well.  i like the idea of cctv, but i think that the visibility will be pretty bad on that as well...

for the best coordination between the stage and the dj, an intercom / talkback circuit would work best.  bill, what is the make / model of the console that you have donated?  do you know if it has an intercom or talkback feature?  a talkback could feed audio from the dj booth (off air) into the stage monitors, so the performers could hear direction from the dj...  and the dj would have a full audio feed from the stage all the time, i assume.  there will likely need to be a separate sound board for the performance space.

i am not sure if this has been discussed, but will the production room be a back-up studio?  will it need to go on-air at any time?  if so, there is switching equipment that can make this a relatively easy possibility.

i have attached some quick & dirty drawings to the email.  hopefully your list will accept the attachments.  take a look at them - they are crude pencil drawings, but i think it is still easy to tell what the studio layouts are.  i didn't give any estimated measurements, but some are large and some are small - as long as the space is thought out well, you can make the best use of the space.

typically we have a meeting the night before the barnraising with any engineers and volunteers that come early, and local people that will be using the space.  we discuss the layout of the space and plan out in more detail what the furniture layout will be.  that furniture layout is built starting the first day of the barnraising, and the equipment is laid out as we go.

let me know what you think!
-a


--

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|  Andy Gunn - Technical and Training Organizer  |
| Prometheus Radio Project - prometheusradio.org |
|    andy at prometheusradio.org   215-727-9620     |
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