Recording Studio Construction Tips

CNC

Some close friends have a basement they want to make a recording studio out of. They want me to oversee the construction and i agreed. Im not researching methods of constructing the sound insulated walls. I would love a push in the right direction, or an experience or tips you have to offer.

I have seen the 2x6 top and bottom plate method, where you stagger 2x4's, and insulated.

I know airspace is desired also for sound proofing.

The ceiling needs insulating too, considering its in a basement. We are in the very early stages of design, i just need material tips,

Sheet rock (ive seen a few advertised for sound)
insulation, how do they rate sound insulation ?
tips of door construction?


any other info would be appreciated.

Splinter

The 2x6 plates with staggered studs is bare minimum for soundproofing... I would suggest a bit more since this is a recording studio. The low frequencies will travel through staggered studs because they share the same top and bottom plates. The airspace is a requirement here.

I've done recording studios in residential areas, but to do it properly is going to cost some serious money. If this is just a hobby studio and the homeowner is just looking for a little extra to keep the neighbors happy, then do a simple version of a room-in-a-room. Insulate the existing walls with rockwool, not fiberglass, and sheetrock with 5/8"... Fill the joist bays with 3.5" thick rockwool insulation but dont sheetrock the ceiling. Next, frame new walls leaving a 1" gap between new and existing, and install new ceiling joists between the existing so nothing touches. Fill all remaining wall and ceiling cavities with rockwool and do a double layer of 5/8" sheetrock.

You could substitute any of the sound deadening sheetrocks, but they are expensive. Homosote is a very good sound deadening board which could replace the first layer of drywall. Make sure the even the smallest gaps between basement floor and new walls are caulked. Most recording studios want isolated ground receptacles as well to cut down on any interference. If you're building such an airtight space, a good HVAC system may be required... The ductwork will have to be insulated inside and out as well.


Damn, I've been typing for 15 minutes, and I've barely scratched the surface... If you have any specific questions, let me know...

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- Alex

Long Island Remodeling Contractor

slickshift

Yeah, there's lots of ways to go
A floating room is one of the best, I'm assuming you won't need to go that far
A few tips would be the Homosote sandwich works well...or the Mass Loaded Vinyl sheets in between sheetrock

If the walls are not built yet, then a nice out of square room will help tremendously

You will need sound eating/diffusing materials after construction also
You won't know everything it needs, or needs to lose (frequency-wise), until after it's built

I'd recommend contacting some recording studios and the guys over at Acoustics First (www.acousticsfirst.com)
They've got a few great acousticians on staff over there

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Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

goose134

There are a lot of very friendly audio geeks at electrical audio. Their forum is pretty cool and most of them really know their stuff. Here's the link:

http://www.electrical.com/phpBB2/

This is the studio in Chicago owned by the illustrious Steve Albini.

Cletus

Google "John L Sayers Productions" and learn more than you ever wanted know about studio design and construction.