Build diaries
This topic collects first-person build diaries chronicling home and project studio construction from planning through completion. Contributors document real-time decisions on framing, isolation, flooring, and insulation as their builds progress, often over years and hundreds of pages, with community members offering technical feedback along the way. The projects span a range of spaces and structures, including garage conversions, basement builds, a barn conversion, and a shipping-container studio, reflecting the variety of spaces forum members have adapted into working studios. Several threads, such as Sharward's Partial Garage Conversion and the Artifact Recording basement floor thread, rank among the archive's most-viewed and most-replied topics, indicating their value as long-running references others returned to for guidance. Readers can follow a build diary as a continuous record of one project's construction challenges and solutions, or dip into individual pages for specific techniques, such as floating floor installation over concrete or acoustic hanger placement in soffits. Together, these diaries offer a practical, thread-by-thread history of how forum members actually built their rooms, complementing the more theoretical design discussions found elsewhere in the archive.
Introduction drafted with AI assistance from forum posts.
Start here
- Start hereFINISHED IN 2020! Sharward's Partial Garage Conversion
- Start hereFloating floor over basement concrete. (Artifact Recording)
- Start hereLou's Studio - Construction Phase
- Start hereKathy's Barn Conversion!
- Start hereStudio in a Container
Garages
- Marc's Patio & Garage Studio
- On Purpose Productions detached garage studio
- SONGCAVE (SideShow) Studios - Design and Construct
- My long, one-car garage studio, construction phase
- Dan F's One-Room Garage Studio
- Studio Design for a 28' by 22' garage
- Stuart's Insanity Studio: Design phase
- Farmhouse home studio construction
- AT's Studio in the Garage
- The Stickhouse Studio BUILD
- Garage Studio Build 11CCOCO
- slab or floating floor?
- studio_drums's 1 Car Garage Conversion thread- FINISHED!!!
- Found This Site Too Late...Help
- New construction in Louisiana
- Dan Scott Productions_Construction Diary
- JWL's studio design
- East Sussex - Double Garage draft design
- The Cottage Studio Build
- New build, isolation req. Control room enviroment
- GARAGE DESIGN USING A MIXTURE OF PLANS
- I forgot to add ROCKWOOL to floating floor. What to do?
- New Construction in a 2 car garage. Need advice desperately!
- joey s studio build
- Two-Car Garage Layout Suggestion
- New Studio build! Calgary AB.
- Double Garage Studio Design - Melbourne, Australia (7/10)
- Garage -> Studio Build
- New Design - moved from Studio Construction
- NEW STUDIO PRE-BUILD IN LOS ANGELES
- JWL's studio construction
- New Home Rehearsal/Recording Studio build. advice?
- Garage Studio Build - Checking my plans are sensible
- Expanding home studio into garage - questions and pix 'blog'
- Help me DIY Build Studio in the Garage as cheap as possible.
- Starrting to build my new studio,,, at last.
- Control room design in garage
- Soultree Studio Garage conversion build Queensland Australia
- piano teaching/recording studio - construction questions
- Double Garage studio design : construction phase
- New Construction Garage studio
- My small garage studio excuse the mess (still under construc
- Need Consult on 2-Story 3-Car Garage Studio Build
- Thinking about a studio in my garage...
- Building recording space in rental home
- Semi-private studio build in detached garage
- Garage Studio Preliminaries
- New home studio build
- SSDC1 Single Garage conversion in Maryland USA
- 32'x22' 3-Car Garage Studio Build
- East Sussex - Double Garage build
- Studio Build Plan for a Garage + Attached Room
- Good Vibrations Build Diary (formerly "Cavity filling..
- UK - Double garage build
- UK - Single Garage studio build plan - Under construction
- New studio build in Van Nuys, CA
- My Garage Live Room Build.
- Garage Practice/Recording Room Construction Thread
- Residential Garage Studio & Practice space Build please help
- Garage Studio/Practice Space *UPDATE**FINISHED*
- finally ready to start construction!! any last changes?
- Starting a new build.
- :[kjip:]records studio build
- Garage conversion - single studio/rehearsal room
- Ease my ambivalence, please!
- Need advice for a studio in Brooklyn, NY
- Development in south NZ
- Plans to build recording room(s) in garage...
- Sunny Ledge Recording Studio - Construction Diary
- UK - Single Garage studio build plan
- Garage Build/Room within Room Construction
Basements
- Gleeman Studios Construction
- Cram's Basement Jam Room
- Easton PA Studio Build - FINISHED!
- Drum Room Construction
- Andy Eade's Rotten Basement Conversion Thread
- Basement studio in West Virginia: build diary
- AudioGrotto Build Diary
- UAN - new Control Room build
- Indiana Home Studio Build
- Ready to start construction. Any last minute advise?
- Jack Audio/Visual - Construction And Design Process
- SLS Studios build
- New Basement build In Portland Oregon USA
- Basement Studio Design - New Construction
- Geoff's Studio Build
- Basement Drumroom
- Basement studio-room project in Boston area
- Ohio Basement Studio
- Best's Studio
- I'm back seeking design ideas for basement studio #2
- Basement studio thread.. time to start this thing
- NEW Basement Studio Design in New York. Looking for advice
- Audio Grotto - 2 CR design
- New Studio Build, Hello!
- Basement Drum Room In Townhouse
- FINALLY - My New Studio Build.
- Warren Jergen's studio in Kansas.
- Project Studio for composing, recording, mixing and teaching
- Basement recording studio. Any suggestions?
- Noisecell Studio (Steve's One-Room Studio build)
- Fianlly Have Started My Studio Build!! (after 5 years)
- Construction Started...
- SMALL Basement Project Studio Build Project
- Pondering new studio build in basement
- Basement recording studio in Columbus Ohio Build Diary
- Blaisebuild - basement renovations gone wild.
- BF’s Basement Studio Build Journal
- Basement Combination Room Construction Under Way
- Mighty! Productions studio design and construction
- Dr. F's studio thread....
- new basement studio in working progress , lots of pics!!!
- New Vocal Booth Build
- Mario's Drum Recording Room - Basement
- New studio starting, Sept 4/05
- Maybe if i show you all what im doing (studio build)
- Bill's Guitar Lounge Basement Studio Construction
- Gigalittle Studio Build Thread
- leecow's basement studio
- Basement Drumroom
- Down Stairs Studio - starting construction
- Basement Studio/Practice Room Build (CLOSED)
- Audiohouse - Calgary - Canada.
- HVAC Soffit construction?
- Basement Studio Build in Portland OR
- Questions about new build
- Studio wall and ceiling questions
- Another noob with another basement and a ton of questions
- Ready to complete my Basement Studio
- Soundproofing a Drum Room (15 x 11) Help?
- Basement studio build in a new construction home
- Construction questions on new design
- Basement Control and Live Room Build in Kansas! Thoughts?
- Drum Room in basement
- Basement studio: joists between joists?
- Would love some help with my basement studio and Sketchup!
- Help me!!!
- Pete's Basement Build.
- yet another basement
- One room basement combination room
- Wall construction options/detailed drawings
- Scotth's studio build thread. 95% complete..
- Music studio in Berlin - Design phase - Build coming soon!
- New Studio Construction!
- BF’s Studio Design
- Songwriter's Studio *UPDATED 10/28/10*
- Help with improving existing build
- Planning/Starting basement studio build. Here's my questions
- Walls Against Concrete Walls - Proper Construction?
- help with double wall construction in basement
- Andy Eade’s New (Not Rotten) Basement Studio #2
- Belair Studio - Rome - Italy.
- Erie Sound Studios Build (Sandledfoot returns)
- Basement studio design and construction
- Basement Studio in Berlin - construction phase!
- Basement Studio Build
- Please help me with a wall construction detail
- D&A Studio: Basement one room studio contruction
- Ideas on turning my basement/garage into a live room.
- basement studio - design phase
- Basement Studio with some layout quirks
- FRESH OIL STUDIO - Journal
- Basement Studio Building Thread Cologne, Germany
- Michael Toor's Studio Build - Construction Log
Barns and outbuildings
- SIMO Studio - Construction Phase
- *Treatment stage* Fen Cabin Studio - Build Diary. UK
- Lilith_envy studio diary
- from shed to studio?
- Dog + Bear Studio build
- Studio build in Wales, UK...again!
- Lost Studios new construction build Portland Oregon
- Nashville Studio Build (need design help first!!!)
- I'm a MVO, I'm building a studio, and I know not a lot.
- Third Eye Studio - Melbourne - Australia.
- Johnp's studio - from the ground up
- Exterior wall concept
- Planning design of a full recording studio/ Now building...
- Getting started finnaly on THE METH LAB
- [g-sun design build] A small studio, Norway
- New Studio Build – Need help and Advise
- Exterior Drum Practice room build plan, Wales, UK
- Small Wooden Shed Studio
- new studio build from ground up
- T-Mix Studio / Construction Diary
- Carsten's Nightsky Studio Thread
- Stockport Sound Studio Build
- Garden shed studio construction project - UK
- shabbey road construction advice please
- New Studio Building, Cape Town....
- Holick Pro Build Phase - 90% Completed
- Wall construction and other Questions.
- east yorkshire recording studio - my first build
- Carriage House Recording
- Brunswick - Shed to Studio (small)
- How to build music room for son??
- New build in Wales, UK
- New Garden Studio
- Please critique my new build
- YB Studios - new build in London UK
- Ideas for SIP panel construction
- Garden Drum Room Build
- Stand alone studio build ORANGE NSW
- A new studio build
- Matts Studio Build
- Thoughts for initial construction
- New Studio Build in the UK, Total Sound-Proofing Required
- l'etable - construction phase
- New build wooden garden mixing studio, England, UK
- Rural Studio build from scratch
- Converted cowshed, cathedral ceiling, One room studio build
- Portable studio design in the process. Any advice?
- Container Studio
- Studio from scratch
- Cost for Outbuilding
- Build studio or treat existing building?
- Shady Grove studio in construction
- Tin Shed Small Studio Construction - Advice Welcome
- Old barn conversion into home studio - Italy
- Sound House Finland, Studio build
Rooms in a house
- House built around studio design/build thread
- Mastering/Mix Room w/Vocal Booth
- JB's New Studio, the build thread
- Peel Productions - JohnG's Studio Thread
- Project studio/music room - construction phase
- PatStudio - Build
- Before i go Building.
- New Belair studio
- Please Help me - Building My Studio With Noise Isolation! ;)
- Adam's Place Construction
- LET THE FUN BEGIN - NEW STUDIO CONSTRUCTION - EUROPE
- New (Small Home Studio) Build, Norway
- Need help with vocal booth/ room dimensions
- Home Studio Design in Mumbai,India.
- Small Home Drum Studio
- Ground floor studio in Derbyshire, England - first REW test!
- Help with Planning & Building of my Recording Studio
- Attic Studio/Music Room in Texas
- New space - studio in Athens
- Gracie Studios -- Fort Worth, TX
- New Studio Build - Suburban House Extension
- New studio/house build including John’s small studio design
- Ian New Studio in narrow room. Single storey with flat roof
- Help with apartment home studio build in Brazil
- Frede's studio getting built
- Control Room moving (construction)
- Supersoul-Studio DIY photos
- Hello Testing
- First time home studio build in attic, requesting help
- Multiple Room Home Studio Build - Mesa, AZ
- Hart Voice Overs VO Booth Build
- New Member Seeks Help Designing Attic Studio
- Studio Build upstairs
- Mixing Room
- New Studio Build
- Vocal Booth in Lisbon
- Help for home studio in sardinia
- First-time homeowner seeks once-over of studio plans
- New House, going to build out a small studio
- New Studio Plans, New Construction
- Midimonkey Construction - Continued
- Ceiling construction on double wall help please
- New home studio with odd ceiling construction
- Melbourne Eastern Suburbs Studio Build (help needed please!)
- My 1st Home studio custom build
- Newbie wants to build a mic/iso booth. Please help me.
- Karim's Studio in Beirut
Commercial spaces
- Mini-Prod Studio - Finished
- Len Morgan's Studio Build Diary
- Ro's Rehearsal/studio rooms. [stage: build]
- Meow Mix - Commercial Space Conversion in W MA
- Cyeazel's project studio...... planning and preparing
- New studio
- Salem Oregon conference center studio
- Oasis Studios.
- We are going to built our own studio!!!
- Jamal Records is nearing completion.
- Pete Grandison is teasing me - Shanghai Twang
- Help - I think I'm about about to do something dumb
- HUB Studio
- Mike Vale Studio
- 112F Studio - Taipei City - Taiwan is now completed.
- The Buddha Bar - Byron Bay
- First Post Studio Design
- BPro Production - Dubai. Control A
- Devils Hollow - Bridgetown - Western Australia
- Australian National University Music School
- Post production, training & recording facility - layout
- Robert Gorini's Northavenue Studio
- Refinery Recording - Melbourne - Australia.
- Silencio in Sydney
- ff Studios Taipei - Taiwan
- Eskimo Joe's new Studio
- Heart Music - Taichung -Taiwan.
- Chicago Studio 660 renovation in progress
- Lost Studios 3.0
- Ellamy Studios are completed.
- Rose Lane Studio - innovative control room by John Sayers
- SoulTrax - Mumbai - India.
- Soundmark Studio Construct March 2006
- Left Bank Studios is up
- Nu Faith Studio - Capetown - South Africa.
- 1st time studio build for radio & music production
- Deluxe Studio - Nairobi - Kenya.
- Studio Construction 3 court Squash Centre
- Need some advise for new design.
- Soup Studio, UK, design and construction
- Indy Studios Build
- New Studio Build Pics... Downtown Los Angeles
- A big studio to be build in south of France (Europe) !
- CoLabs Mix Studio build
- A semi professional studio soundproofing project and help in
- Blue Bear Sound - update!
- Bluebird audio studio build
- Isolation Strategies for wall construction
- Rehearsal facility in need of HELP!
- New roof construction
- Starting a Studio Build-out help needed!
- New Studio Design/Build in Highland Park, L.A., CA
- Retrograde Studios (a/k/a Dodson Studio)
- Big problem in my studio construction
- Mitch Lee - Composer Studio Build
- Ongoing studio project - need opinions
- New studio design in Virginia, USA
- CONSTRUCTION HELP, WILL THIS WORK?
- A couple of questions on a new build/planning
- Shape Shoppe buildout
- Small studio build in Tallinn, Estonia
- Echo Studio Build, UK
- Chantelar Studio Build
- Bought The Building....Time To Build. *Pics included*
- Rehearsal studio build
- Church to Studio conversion plans
- New studio for foley / sound for movie
- Sui Studios Rebuild Begins...
- Recording Studio project with no available resources - Pt. 1
- Wall construction
- Studio Rebuild/Build Out (REBOOT!)
- Monument Sound - Colorado
Other builds
- Kendale's Studio
- the Stiz build diary - FINISHED!
- Studio layout, design and construction
- New Studio, from ground up. Canada Qc.
- BUILDING STUDIO IN PALAYE BOTSWANA AFRICA
- Clicktrack Mobile Van
- New Studio Build in Louisiana
- Small garden studio & control room
- Realdoyle Build Thread
- JB's Studio Part II, Design Stage
- Sonolink Studio Project
- sprig productions studio build.
- Construction Diary - Stockholm/Sweden
- Spark 1 Container Studio Completed.
- Echo Bar Recording Studio Build Diary
- Small Drum Practice Room
- Building dairy of a Dutch recording studio
- Woohoo! The construction started today!
- Blue Bear Sound is up
- New Build Headaches for all you Gurus up Here!
- Well, I started my "Kendale Inspired" CR build
- Groundlift Research & Development NEW STUDIO (consolidated)
- Vertustudio
- Planning design of a full recording studio/ Now building...
- Live room/rehearsal room project completed! Tuning to come!
- River Nile Build
- Samuel Studios - construction thread
- Shiny Spicy Studio Design - New Construction Plan
- Johns Standard Control Room
- New studio
- Horizon Sound...construction begins
- How I built my vocal booth (step-by-step w/pics)
- ISO Booth Ideas
- The making of Sonic Clang's Studio Videos (updated 11-06-06)
- Studio Build
- Guruland is up
- Hellfire's Dual Wall Iso Booth Build. Updated 6/20/11 Traps
- Derrimut Street Studio Ongoing Construction.
- Joe's Castle
- Build from scratch UK practice room / recording studio
- Studio diary: practicing the basics!
- Out with the mother-in-law, in with the studio.
- control room design, build, acoustics
- Rehearsal Space in Katy Texas
- New studio build progress
- Aaron's "studio" build
- opkod' home studio
- Control Room Construction
- New studio build, preplanning research
- Pics. of steve's new Studio from the start
- Bass traps/soffit mount - construction
- Looking for comments
- DINGO's DIARY - Studio construction pics
- Bahamas home studio construction.
- Ground Up Home Studio London Construction Thread
- I-India - Charoo's studio is up
- New Home Studio Build - Tilden, Nebraska, USA
- new studio build
- Studio Build in Central Portugal
- Trouble getting started and understanding...new construction
- Vapor Studios is up
- want to build a new studio.. can someone help me?
- studio in the woodland
- ShockOne Studio in Perth, Australia.
- the studio console desk is finshed!
- Stockholm Studio Diary
- My first studio construction - appreciate your help
- Guess what I did today.
- redeye - starts construction
- covering windows
- Kenzee Ent Group is up
- How log did it take to build your studio?
- My New Studio plan!
- Walked in and had to have it!
- Studio Costs: Total $$$
- New Drum Studio build, Australia
- Church conversion in North Lincolnshire UK
- Practice studio construction guidance
- New Studio Build, Should I Have a Angled Ceiling or Not ?
- S. Productions.
- Alex studio build - design phase part 1.
- Construction complete! (a year in pictures)
- A Harley Fueled "Man Cave Audio" Studio Build! HELP!!!
- Many Thanks to All who helped! Here Are The Pics!
- Design & construction challenge
- LaptopPop's studio is up
- advice needed on new build...
- design 7x6 m room..Ceiling 2.5m - IN BRAZIL (Curitiba-PR)
- FIXED! My Studio Plans with Physical 3D Model
- Slot Resonator Construction
- My Privet Music Retreat
- Acoustic planning for my new build
- I know everyone loves photos, so...here are mine :)
- Studio Design & Construction
- Ready to build
- STC rating of Inside out wall construction
- Mirage Studio Build
- Mix Room in Scottsdale, AZ - Construction Starting
- Can i build a nice 40m2 surround studio?!
- ALPHA FLOOR Stuido's Build!
- Any mistakes in this construction?? (PICS)
- Pics of my studio (3 months later)
- Room Selection -> Studio Design -> 3D Mockup -> Build Photos
- James Argo studio up
- Martin Tenbones' Studio Build
- medboyle's studio build
- Design Advice for a Smaller Studio Build
- New Build Timber Framed Studio
- Build from scratch - Vic, Aust
- Mobile Build Studio
- My Gobo Build
- Gash's Studio - Gothenburg Sweden
- Story of building my studio (with pictures..)