A shed studio in south carolina

Hey everyone, I'm new here, and I'm attempting to build a studio. I have a work shed in my backyard which I plan to use, I don't have accurate measurements yet due to the incredible amount of rain recently. I have rough estimates, I will try to get out soon to get accurate ones. My shed: Here is the layout of the shed: http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4687/shedy.th.png Here is the front: http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9153/shed2.th.png Sorry for the good ole' MS paint pictures. I don't have sketchup, yet. Whats my location? South Carolina, United States. What am I attempting to do? Build my studio, before graduation. Where am I right now in the project? The early design phase. Volume? My friends and I seem to get quite loud, so I'm going to need ample insulation. What do I record? I try to record mainly rock, I do some metal, which is my specialty (the little bit of specialty there is) What is my budget? It's going to be on a build/purchase as you go method. What do I have to work with? I have ready access to wood and tools, I'm an avid carpenter. I also have people who will help me. What’s it made of? The entire shed is a wood shed. The roof is shingled, and there are 2 windows on the facing side. I have yet to download sketchup, but as soon as I do and learn how to use it, I’ll model the space that I have available, and some of the ideas that I’m thinking of for the basic layout. My Questions 1. How long can these projects take? 2. What can I put into this space? 3. What is the best sound insulation levels? 4. My roof is slanted, what effects does this have? This is going to be a big under-taking as I am a youngin', and don't really have access to much money. If anyone has any suggestions to help me out, I'd be more than grateful for them. Much thanks, Jeremiah

I know it might seem like impossible ask but you need to hold off and give us so more info, get sketch up and have a go at a design yourself. Tell us more about what the shed is made of, what it's built on? Power? Noise? Budget? Neighbours?

mmkay, I can give you the other information. The shed is built on a cinder block foundation, its a wooden frame. With wooden siding and wood floors. The inside is wood paneling with, I think, 7" of insulation. The power, I have absolutely no clue, it's average. Or maybe higher, I'll get that for you when I see my dad. The shed is pretty well insulated from sound, but I want more. To be able to record under those southern starry sky nights. :D My budget is roughly $500, but I have almost all materials. I can get free stuff also because of family friends and what not. My shed is located in the middle of my backyard, as we have a corner lot. We roughly have an acre. All my neighbors are kids with loud households, so that really isn't a problem. As for designs, I'm a good artist, I may hand draw some designs also.

All my neighbors are kids with loud households, so that really isn't a problem.

Ahh but remember, any noise they might be making, could interfere with the noise you want to capture :wink:

Good point, I actually didn't think of that. Maybe I should have also mentioned that if your in the shed and close the doors, you can't hear any outside noise. Which is a curse and a blessing in itself.

"but I have almost all materials." What are these materials? Are they heavy? Very dense products? These are the things you will need to isolate sound, incoming and outgoing. You mention 7 inches of insulation, which is thick but is not dense or heavy. So you have 2X8 walls? It is always difficult doing these things long distance, but a few things come to me. The cinderblock foundation, this is on a footer of concrete? You will more than likely have to install more structural support underneath this shed as the additional weight and you and your buddies can sink it in the ground on a good wet day(s) like what we have been experiencing if it is not on solid foundation. Mass, mass, mass. This stops sound. It is not likely that T1-11, 5/8 inch siding with insulation and interior paneling is isolating too much sound. It just seems like it, having nothing to compare it too :) Sheetrock is a good product to add the needed mass. But your foundation may need attention before this area is covered, no pun intended. As Lil said, electrical is also an issue. And it hasn't popped in your head yet, but hvac is something worthy of much consideration. just a few thoughts. Welcome, Brien

Hi, and welcome! Some answers to your questions. They might sound smart-alec, but they are honest.

1. How long can these projects take?

How much time do you have? It depends on what you want to do, and the resources you have available. Some folks here have done a rush job in a couple of months. Others have been going for 4 or 5 years, and are still not finished. I've been working on the my design for seven months, and I have not yet even bought a single nail to start building, because I am not yet ready to do so. Some other have built a couple of bass traps in a day or two, and are finished. How long it will take is simply a matter of what you want to achieve, and the resources that you can put to work to achieve it.

2. What can I put into this space?

What do you want to put into it? Do you need just a practice room, or do you need to make it into a full professional recording studio? Or something in between? We can't tell you what you can put in there: you need to figure out what your needs are first, then maybe we can help you fit that in.

3. What is the best sound insulation levels?

Best levels for what purpose? Another new poster here already has isolation of at least STC-85 in an underground bunker, and wants to improve it. Other folks are happy to get STC-60: Some are aiming for STC 60 but will be lucky to get STC-40, since they didn't research very well before starting to build, and don't want to believe that the laws of physics actually do apply to their studio, just like they apply to the rest of the universe. And of course STC isn't really a useful measure for studio isolation anyway. Once again, you need to decide how loud you are going to be inside that room, and how loud you want it to be on the outside. You also need to decide how loud it already is on the outside, from things around you, and how quite you want it to be on the inside.

4. My roof is slanted, what effects does this have?

Effect on what? It has no effect at all on isolation, unless you want it to. IT probably does have some effect on the room acoustics, but once again you are the one who is in the best position to judge that. What effect do you want it to have? Angled roofs can be good, or they can be terrible. It all depends what you want, how well you design it, and how well you build it.

As for designs, I'm a good artist, I may hand draw some designs also.

A much better plan is ti download "SkethUp" from Google, and learn to use it. It is a 3D modeling package. Build an accurate model of your space in SketchUp, and then play around with that to see what yo can fit in. But most of all, start reading this forum. Look at some of the threads on builds that are in progress, builds that are already complete, and builds that failed. Avoid the mistakes that others made, carefully follow the advice of the experts here, and yours should be successful. And listen to what Brien just said: Your foundations might not be able to support the weight of what you need to do. You probably should get an engineer to check that, before you do anything. - Stuart

I had to re-read the post I made before I posted it Stuart, to make sure it was Lilith that made the comment and that it was actually this post I was wanting to quote her from. Jezz...it's spreading!

Jezz...it's spreading!

You have been infected! It is spreading... there is no hope. Very soon the entire forum will attribute absolutely everything to Lilith... :)

I had to re-read the post I made before I posted it Stuart, to make sure it was Lilith that made the comment and that it was actually this post I was wanting to quote her from. Jezz...it's spreading!

AHAHAHAHHA :lol:

xSpace wrote:

"but I have almost all materials." What are these materials? Are they heavy? Very dense products? These are the things you will need to isolate sound, incoming and outgoing. You mention 7 inches of insulation, which is thick but is not dense or heavy. So you have 2X8 walls? It is always difficult doing these things long distance, but a few things come to me. The cinderblock foundation, this is on a footer of concrete? You will more than likely have to install more structural support underneath this shed as the additional weight and you and your buddies can sink it in the ground on a good wet day(s) like what we have been experiencing if it is not on solid foundation. Mass, mass, mass. This stops sound. It is not likely that T1-11, 5/8 inch siding with insulation and interior paneling is isolating too much sound. It just seems like it, having nothing to compare it too :) Sheetrock is a good product to add the needed mass. But your foundation may need attention before this area is covered, no pun intended. As Lil said, electrical is also an issue. And it hasn't popped in your head yet, but hvac is something worthy of much consideration. just a few thoughts. Welcome, Brien

Yes sir, I do have heavy materials. I have almost every kind of wood there is. Yes my walls are 2x8. The foundation is good to go. I talked to my father and they built the foundation to exceed the building codes of a heavy use building in SC. What exactly is hvac? I have heard it used before.

Soundman2020 wrote:

Hi, and welcome! Some answers to your questions. They might sound smart-alec, but they are honest.

1. How long can these projects take?

How much time do you have? It depends on what you want to do, and the resources you have available. Some folks here have done a rush job in a couple of months. Others have been going for 4 or 5 years, and are still not finished. I've been working on the my design for seven months, and I have not yet even bought a single nail to start building, because I am not yet ready to do so. Some other have built a couple of bass traps in a day or two, and are finished. How long it will take is simply a matter of what you want to achieve, and the resources that you can put to work to achieve it.

2. What can I put into this space?

What do you want to put into it? Do you need just a practice room, or do you need to make it into a full professional recording studio? Or something in between? We can't tell you what you can put in there: you need to figure out what your needs are first, then maybe we can help you fit that in.

3. What is the best sound insulation levels?

Best levels for what purpose? Another new poster here already has isolation of at least STC-85 in an underground bunker, and wants to improve it. Other folks are happy to get STC-60: Some are aiming for STC 60 but will be lucky to get STC-40, since they didn't research very well before starting to build, and don't want to believe that the laws of physics actually do apply to their studio, just like they apply to the rest of the universe. And of course STC isn't really a useful measure for studio isolation anyway. Once again, you need to decide how loud you are going to be inside that room, and how loud you want it to be on the outside. You also need to decide how loud it already is on the outside, from things around you, and how quite you want it to be on the inside.

4. My roof is slanted, what effects does this have?

Effect on what? It has no effect at all on isolation, unless you want it to. IT probably does have some effect on the room acoustics, but once again you are the one who is in the best position to judge that. What effect do you want it to have? Angled roofs can be good, or they can be terrible. It all depends what you want, how well you design it, and how well you build it.

As for designs, I'm a good artist, I may hand draw some designs also.

A much better plan is ti download "SkethUp" from Google, and learn to use it. It is a 3D modeling package. Build an accurate model of your space in SketchUp, and then play around with that to see what yo can fit in. But most of all, start reading this forum. Look at some of the threads on builds that are in progress, builds that are already complete, and builds that failed. Avoid the mistakes that others made, carefully follow the advice of the experts here, and yours should be successful. And listen to what Brien just said: Your foundations might not be able to support the weight of what you need to do. You probably should get an engineer to check that, before you do anything. - Stuart

Well, like I said, I want it done by graduation. But it may have help to put that thats in two years. By how much can I put in the space, I meant what is a good size theme. Just generally good sound levels. And with the slanted roof, I meant does it affect acoustics. I finally got sketchup today, I don't know how to use it. But I'm trying my hardest.

Soundman2020 wrote:

Jezz...it's spreading!

You have been infected! It is spreading... there is no hope. Very soon the entire forum will attribute absolutely everything to Lilith... :)

Well, she is doing a job not often done by a woman. So I want to make sure I get it right when it is right rather then risk offending her. Hopefully it isn't too late for that :)

Hi Jeremiah,

What exactly is hvac? I have heard it used before.

It means "Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning". You need to get fresh, cool air into the room without breaking your sound isolation, and you need to exhaust stale warm air to the outside. This is actually an important issue, since you have to seal your room totally airtight in order to get good isolation. And of course, if it is airtight, then people won't be able to breath for very long! You also need to surround your room with really thick insulation, which means that heat will build up in there very fast. So HVAC is important. - Stuart -

I talked to my grandfather and he said its airtight, but has exhaust

Your outer shell is "airtight" I doubt it? Your inner shell = hopefully. The point soundman is making, is that you will have 2-5 of your sweaty nervous muso friends locked in this air tight room with no freash air, heating or cooling. The cheapest way to do HVAC is opening the door between takes to let O2 in. But your still left with temperature conciderations? Lets hope you do build an "airtight" inner shell as air is sound, sound is air.

Well, I didn't mean the outer shell. sorry, and there is a thermostat I would upload my sketchup design, but I don't know how.

Now i;m confused, will you be building anything in the shed? or just acoustic treatment As for up loading at the bottom of the page you can add attachments -browse-find file-attached-submit

Haha, yes, I will be building inside of it. I tried that, but it takes like 20 minutes to upload, and then it never appears.

Hmm not sure what going on there. So all you have to do is tap into you current AC and pipe it into the room. Alot of the guys use a silencer box to stop sound leaking in and out of the room. Have you had a chance to take photos?

Hmm...sounds like a really good idea. Sadly, I have not. And it's messy anyways right now.