the ardastra complex - design phase

hey everyone, I wanted to start off by saying thanks! to all the people who impart their knowledge and expertise throughout this forum. I graduated in May '08 with degree’s in audio and electronic engineering, got a full time job, and spent the last year absorbing as much information about recording studio design and construction thru various resources online, and of course the holy grail aka ‘Home Recording Studio: Build it like the Pros’. I finally saved up enough money and the time has come to start moving forward with the design phase of my studio. Overview: I live in a townhouse with (elderly) neighbors on both sides. The basement is framed(2x4)/insulated(pink stuff)/drywall’d and carpeted(will be removed in the build area). However, there are a few obstacles that will have to be dealt with. The main space that I have to modify is {26’ 2 ½”}L x {12’ 10”}W x {7’ 11 ¼”}H with additional room for separate amplifier isolation booth(s) down the road. At this point, my biggest concern is flanking paths to the neighbors. I’m not sure about the concrete slab being connected to the neighbors’ but the houses aren’t on the same level, which leads me to believe they’re not connected…but that’s only an assumption. There are also concrete blocks (not sure if they’re solid or hollow-core) behind the framing, but I don’t know if they’re connected to the neighbors in any way. Besides flanking, the other main obstacle in this space is a beam (highlighted in yellow) {1’ 6”}W x {1’ 1 ¼”}H that cuts through the room and runs parallel to the {12’ 10”} wall. Please see ‘basement floor plan +studio location.jpg’ for a detailed layout. Goals: My primary goal is to create an environment in which live/digital instruments can be tracked and somewhat high-quality recordings can be produced. I know a lot of the audio quality comes from the tools and how they’re utilized, so I would like my rooms to create a solid foundation from which I can build upon. I’ll be recording rock/hip hop/jazz/etc., so the drums (100+dB) are the main concern in terms of isolation/soundproofing, and I’m definitely realistic about that never being 100% possible (at least in my case), but the ability to play evening/late night is key. So any suggestions/improvements along the way would be greatly appreciated. Budget: I have a $3,000- $4,000 max. budget (not including gear), but after reading numerous posts I’ve set aside an additional $1,000-$2,000 for the ‘in case $hit happens fund’. I hope that I’ve provided all the necessary information, but if there is anything I left out please let me know and I will update my post. Now on to the design phase… I downloaded Sketchup and spent the last two weeks watching those tips and how-to videos and I came up with a rough layout for both the control room and tracking room (sans ceiling). Please see ‘framing concept v.1.jpg’. With regard to the ceiling, I’m still talking to a contractor/structural engineer about the best course of action. Since I think there should be at least 2 layers of gypsum on the ceiling. It’s either sistered 2x4’s centered across the shortest span and then regular 2x4’s 16” OC running perpendicular on either side….or some sort of 2x6 configuration. *Does anyone have any solutions/suggestions/experience? Tracking room: {14’ 10”}L x {12’ 6”}W x {7’ 11 ¼”}H I’m striving for a warm sounding room, not too bright but also not too dead. I started out with generic rectangular rooms in order to utilize as much of the available floor space as possible. Then, I modified it with various DIY acoustic treatments. Superchunks in the corners (floor-to-ceiling), some sort of broadband absorption on the {14’ 10”} walls, and either diffusion or absorption on the {12’ 6”} wall (behind the drums). Please see ‘tracking room +acoustic treatment.jpg’ *Would you recommend a sand-filled floor to minimize flanking through the neighbors foundations? * Should I do inside-out walls, or should I put gypsum on the inside to make sure the acoustic treatments can be 100% sealed in the back? *In regard to the broadband absorption, regular helmholtz? sawtooth? cloth-covered 703? *Would it be better to have diffusion on the wall behind the drums or just some broadband absorption? *Please advise me on any other issues I may have overlooked with respect to the tracking room. Control room: {9’ 10 ½”}L x {12’ 6”}W x {7’ 11 ¼”}H I’m looking for a comfortable mix/control room with soffit mounted monitors (yamaha HS80M’s), some broadband absorption, a couple superchunks in the back corners, and maybe some kind of kit or DIY diffusion on the back wall. Please see ‘control room +acoustic treatment.jpg’. *my initial treatment is just a starting point so if anyone has suggestions or modifications that would make this room sound better I’m all ears. Window: I was thinking about using ½” laminated glass, slightly tilted. *Could I use 2x8’s, with some upside-down A-frame support, for the window framing which will close that gap to only 10”? I can't think of anything else right now, but I'm sure I've overlooked something. Let me know if you need any other information/pictures/sketches/.skp's. thanks in advance, matt