Where to set up a new studio Home or Commercial

[Rachelle Productions]

Hello Turtle Rockers. I cant remember my old email or password so its back to square one i'm afraid, i like that! Kinda fresh and fitting

Anyway
I have recently sold my house and i had a reasonably good home studio that pretended to be professional.

We have done the big interstate move and are currently renting whilst looking to buy/build and i gotta say not having a studio is unworkable for my business.

My question is
And its about trying to achieve the best life balance

1. Do I go with
a bigger set up on land (ie like a rockinghorse) and put all the eggs in one basket
or
2. Do I get a commercial space and do it like most professionals do it.

The studio wouldnt be a studio for hire so i dont need to make it for the public
but there is something cool about going to work and leaving work.

what is important to me is in this order

1. time with my family.
2. A great space to work in that inspires me and others and makes great music
3. No or minimum Traffic or hassles getting to work
4. A place to go where work is work and thats where it stays.
5. Man Cave to do my work



cheers
Mark

[Wiz]

I used to have my home studios, in the house(s). I bit the bullet a couple of years back and built one in the backyard.

Its the best thing I ever did, as far as my sanity and that of my family is concerned.

I would say, pick the area you want to live, and the house you want to live in, make the right choice for your wife and kids and yourself.

Allow enough budget to build an out building that will be your personal workspace..and more importantly, escape space..8) Now i know why my dad had a shed....8).

The thing I did this time, was make sure I had an abundance of natural light (acoustics took a second) I knew I could make the room usuable...and I was sick of sitting in a dark closed off room all day.

If I had the studio further than walking distance, it would be a great inconvenience to me...

[jkhuri44]

i used to think "going" to work was cool..nothing is cool about cursing in traffic. Go out when you need to go out, nothing is better than working right where you are. At least thats my opinion, the stress and money saved...is of great benefit.

[mylesgm]

Two words: Overheads, Rent.

If you can make it work at a place you own and that costs nothing to commute to I think you are on to a winner so it would be backyard or similar to for me.

[Manning]

I rented a place way out of town, which is brilliant for two reasons, it is huge and very cheap (ridiculously cheap).

Having said that, if I could do it all over I think the backyard idea would be the best. That drive is annoying on a low-traffic day, let alone the evening rush-hour nightmare.

[Chinagraf]

Just to be contrary, I'm in the opposite camp. I have a studio close to inner city and love not having any gear at home. I have one guitar and my macbook, the rest is all at the studio. My place is not for hire, just for me, but it still a nice place, although I am setup with 2 other mates so it's in a nice big old building with 3 other separate studios in it.
It really depends on the area you've moved to I reckon, but my place is about 8 minutes drive (I live St Kilda beach, studio South Melbourne) so still close. I like that when I'm at work I'm there to work, and when I'm at home I don't end up tinkering with mixes, or getting back up after going to bed to 'just tweek that bass" simply because I can.
I puts a line between work and play which can be tricky to do if music is your living. Also, no freaks comin to my house and unless you man cave is like the batcave, you will always be interrupted imo.
I will have a place at home when I get older though, and I love the idea of places like the Mill.

Where did you guys move to?

[Rachelle Productions]

We are up at Sunshine Beach next door to Noosa.

Although we are also strongly looking at Northern NSW
rent is not an issue as I would be buying

[rick]

Every single sane option
Points to having a home setup

Having just pulled my home setup down so
I could finally move back into the new place
All I can say was I was SO
Glad not to be stuck at home working anymore
And I certainly felt stuck

So for every sane reason to be at home
I offer up this one

I don't like working at home

I want to do home stuff at home

[The Tasmanian]

Ive gone from homes to commercial facilities to homes and back again a few times.
I do like going to work at a professional facility - the headspace is different.
Paying rent and having overheads makes one a smart and a better businessman - so when you go to work you have to be smart with your time and your money, and your clients - but I dont miss that stress at all (I just did 17 years in 2 rented commercial facilities with 3 studios/staff etc)
Now I'm building a man cave with almost no running overheads - 200 meters from my house. Because I have to leave the house and walk to the studio (sort of) I am hoping that I can get the right headspace of having a workplace that is not home.
Things to consider....
Renting a house is a very good way to reduce your tax - claiming nearly half of your electricity/rent/insurance/etc.
Try doing that in a home you own - where the mortgage repayments have no tax credits.
Renting a commercial facility gives you great tax deductions.
AND - its the worst time in 50 years to get a med to large mortgage on a house - or a commercial facility.
Prices will keep falling.
Interesting times ahead to set up a studio......

[ChrisW]

I've worked at home for many years. My regular work partner works away from home.

The upside for me is I'm not inspired at set times during the day. I guess going somewhere would force me to work on something, which is a positive, but right now I like being able to walk into my studio at home and record something for five minutes, then leave it for the rest of the day.
Another positive for me is security. I'm here most of the time. I am nervous about leaving a studio packed full of hard to find gear overnight in an industrial, perhaps uninhabited outside office hours, area.

The main positives my colleague points to....
Going somewhere forces him to get on and do something.
His outside studio is sonically uncompromised. He simply states he couldn't mix effectively at home.
His room is part of a complex with other small studios. He's struck up relationships with other musicians and producers. They critique each other's work, help each other out, inspire each other, and keep each other abreast of new gear/software.

The monthly rent is an issue though. And you have to justify that outgoing with at least that much coming in.