Hi everyone. Thank you so much for providing this forum as a resource to anyone seeking studio advice. I apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge of construction. I’m a professional session and touring drummer and I’m looking at buying a house in Northern California that has a large shop/garage that I would like to use to build a studio specifically for recording drums. Obviously it will need to be very soundproof as there are neighbors nearby, but by California standards the houses have some pretty good space between them (closest house is more than 50 feet away) and I plan on building the room-within-a-room design. There is a lot of space to work with as you can see from the photo. The middle garage has a 16 ft. ceiling and from front to back is 40 ft. long, while the width of that garage measures close to 17 ft. I’m hoping to keep the construction budget under $30,000. The more money I save there, the more I have to spend on mic’s and recording gear. But it needs to be soundproof or it will be useless. I’m hoping since it will be contained in an already built structure, the process might not be so bad.Here are my main concerns and please feel free to add in anything that I’m not thinking of yet:
1. With that much space to work with (16’ high, 40‘ long, 17’ wide), what do you think are the optimal dimensions for tracking drums? Also room shape?
2. Will I need to raise the floor or will I be able to use the existing concrete? The garage is new (built in 2007) and very good quality. If I don’t raise it, is the concrete a good floor option or should I be thinking about hardwood?
3. What is your take on Auralux Soundblok? It’s pretty expensive and when I searched the database here, the only other option mentioned was a Tri-ply material from Home Depot that someone said looks similar. Just wondering if it is worth the price for as much of it as I would need.
4. Since I have the overhead space, what kind of ceiling shape do you recommend? Seems like flat is universally despised, but I’m just hoping to get a general consensus, if that is possible. I know everyone will have different opinions.
5. I want to use the far right garage as a control room. Will installing a window between the tracking room and control room hurt the soundproof integrity of the tracking room?
6. I’ve read that using the central air system will be super expensive to soundproof. Another drummer has suggested a GE split duct air conditioner. (see photo) Any thoughts there?Thank you so much for any advice you can give. I’ve tried to include everything asked for in the posting guide. Please let me know if you need any more info. We’re seeing the house again soon and I will try to get better pictures of the space.
Thanks again,
Pete
Drum Recording Studio in Northern California
Originally posted at johnlsayers.com, topic 14900.
Hi Pete. Please check over the forum rules one more time, and fill in the missing bit... :)
Regarding your build, I'd really suggest that you take some time to read through Sharward's thread, here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2921&hilit=drum
That's a really long thread, and the room is not finished yet, but there are many similarities with what you want to do. You might not need to go to the same extremes, but it gives you an idea of what is involved.
Regarding your questions, here are a few quick answers:
This might sound glib, but it's the best answer you can get, without more specifics. How big? As big as possible. More room volume is always good. What shape? For the tracking room, and show you want, basically, within reason. The control room is a different issue: that should be rectangular, and the dimensions should be close to one of the good ratios, and far from all of the bad ones.1. With that much space to work with (16’ high, 40‘ long, 17’ wide), what do you think are the optimal dimensions for tracking drums? Also room shape?
Floor-raising can be a hair-raising experience! Floating floor is not for the faint of heart. Take a look at this thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8173 Conclusion: So should you float it? Probably not, but maybe, in your case. Sharward's thread might help you decide. Maybe a drum riser would do the trick of decoupling your kit form the floor, provided that the rest of the room is well isolated.2. Will I need to raise the floor or will I be able to use the existing concrete?
Bare concrete is great, acoustically! Many folks here have done creative things to stain it, and some of them have turned out spectacular. If you don't like concrete, then laminate flooring is a good alternative.If I don’t raise it, is the concrete a good floor option or should I be thinking about hardwood?
Where are you thinking of using it? Regardless, the answer is most likely "NO, you don't need it". Plain old 5/8" drywall does a great job of isolating, and is reasonably inexpensive.3. What is your take on Auralux Soundblok? It’s pretty expensive and when I searched the database here, the only other option mentioned was a Tri-ply material from Home Depot that someone said looks similar. Just wondering if it is worth the price for as much of it as I would need.
Flat is fine, if you like flat. Angled is fine, if you like angled. Either will work, acoustically, if you do it right. Curved and concave ceilings, on the other hand, are not so fine...4. Since I have the overhead space, what kind of ceiling shape do you recommend? Seems like flat is universally despised, but I’m just hoping to get a general consensus, if that is possible. I know everyone will have different opinions.
If you install it correctly using the right materials, it will work just fine. "correct materials" means two panes of thick, heavy laminate glass, spaced a long way apart, installed carefully and sealed meticulously. The thickness of the glass and other details will depend on the wall design that you chose.5. I want to use the far right garage as a control room. Will installing a window between the tracking room and control room hurt the soundproof integrity of the tracking room?
That will work, but noise might be an issue. However, that is only a small part of your HVAC system. You will also need ventilation ducts to bring fresh air in and exhaust stale air to the outside world, and they will need fans, silencers, lined ducts, long runs, and a number of other precautions: The entire system has to be sized correctly for your room and your area. You can't just buy any old thing and hang it on the wall! - Stuart -6. I’ve read that using the central air system will be super expensive to soundproof. Another drummer has suggested a GE split duct air conditioner. (see photo) Any thoughts there?