Double garage to studio - #1 Overview

I'm planning to convert our double garage into a sound studio.

This is my second attempt to get a functional room for recording and mixing (last attempt here)

Links and TOC

• Design and build, John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum
• Discussion, Reaper Forums
• Starting point
• Images
• Original drawings and graphics (2D)

Goal

My  goal is to have a good place for recording and mixing music, mostly for myself, one instrument at a time -e.g vocal, ac.guitar, percussion. But it should also work for a band with drums, or several people doing voice-over. Sound-isolation aim is 60db. It should also be a nice room to be in.

..edits to come :)

Double garage to studio - Pictures1

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Here's some pictures from before the conversion into studio.

From East

Garage door and second door

Second door

Expanded clay 8cm

Expanded cley, 8cm and 13cm

Outer door

Drain

3rd door (for inner wall)

Building a small studio - The big halt

So, I've been planning my new sound-studio, converting part of our shed into a functional one room recording and mixing room. Then, realizing what needed to be done, things have come to a big halt - a musical G.P. (General Pause).

In order to get a good small studio-room in our shed I would have to:

• Redo the floor completely, making it concrete, leveled and with insulation and heating.
• Redo the outer wall completely.
• Build a room in the room (inner room)
• Redu most of the rafter-structure, possibly two new ridge beams.
• Replacing 90% of all studs
• Redo the roof with heavier sub-roof
• Redo the electrical completely
• And then all the inside-room acoustic taming and tweaking.

So, then it seems like less work to tear it all down and start from the bottom. And then, I might as well build something from scratch on another spot on our property.

So it's time to rethink the whole project..

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Building a small studio - Part 3: Floor, walls and roof

In Part 2 I layed out the overall plan for my sound-studio.
In this post I'll go into the details for walls, roof and floor.

Floor

As it is, the floor is a divided in a section with concrete-slab (no: betong-såle) and a wooden construction on concrete poles.

Concrete-slab and wood

 My plan is this:

The acoustic underlay of 20mm is high-density floor-insulation (no: trinnlydsplater), like this.

Question: The plan for the floor is creating some treaple-leaf-effect. Is it good enough? Any other way to do this?
Qustion: Any alternatives for using the asphalt-plates? 
Isssue: It's not much space below the studs: I don't know how well I can stuff in the insulation, not to mention to put the asphalt-plates on.

Edit: I need to give the studio-floor a second thouht. Maybe it should be reflective and wood-based. Plywood maybe.

Update: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17820

Walls

Walls are currently studs with "barn-clothing" (no: låvekledning).

My plan is this:

For the walls with door and window (east and west) I plan 2x4" studs with 10cm insulation for the inner walls. That's for easier installation of door and window.
For the two other walls I'm using 1,5x3" studs and 7cm insulation.

Update: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17826

Roof

My plan for the walls applies for the inner roof as well (1,5x3" / 7cm) .

Before

 Like this:

Updated plan:

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Appendix 1: More pictures

Building a small studio - Part 1: The starting point

appendix 1: More pictures from before building the studio

From south easth

North (back)

Foundation for studio

Under studio

Where concrete floor and wood floor meet

Studs in 2,12m hight from floor

Exposed studs

Some repair needed

Barn electricity with one circut of 16A/230V

 

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Building a small studio - Part 2: The plan

In Part1 I described how things are now.
In this post I'll try to formulate a plan for the new sound-studio, with pictures and drawings.

Note 1: This is plan version 1, and will probably change according to feedback from more experienced studio-builders and  knew insight along the way.
Note 2: Details about the plan will be posted in later posts.
See toc for overview.

General idea

My general idea is this:

3D-modell. Click for bigger image.

Front, from south

I'll make a double-wall construction for the sound-studio, 12,8 and 8,9/11,5cm wide, with a gap of 1cm. So that basically aplies for walls and roof. For the floor it's a floating (no: trinnlydspate) with insulation under.

This give me a space of 4,25m x 3,14 m and a hight of approx. 3,17m, in this shape:

Giving me a room-volume of .. (< 40m3)

My mixing-position will be facing north, with monitor-monitor-myhead making a triangle of 3 x 1,2m (approx)

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Building a small studio - Resources

Here is an overview of resources I've used for the project.
(To be updated)

General web-sites

• www.johnlsayers.com 
• www.gearslutz.com/board/studio-building-acoustics/

Specific issues

• What is triple leaf effect: http://www.soundisolationstore.com/research-the-triple-leaf-effect 

  Ventilation

• http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/soundproofing-articles/how-can-i-ventilate-a-sealed-soundproof-room/ 
• http://www.ambthair.com/air_conditioning_design_for_studios.html 
  
  

  Flooring and surfaces

• Studio floor: http://www.realtraps.com/art_surfaces.htm 
• http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17820

Books

• Trehus -en figursamling (no)
• Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms (free eBook from Ethan Winer)

Software:

• Google SketchUp 

Comercial resources

• Auralex: http://www.auralex.com/ 

Help

• Woodworking Basics
• http://www.awc.org/pdf/wcd1-300.pdf
• Wood framing
• Basics of Wood Framing  
• http://buildthisroom.com/sheetrock-transmission-loss/

Thanks to all who's helped me!


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