Newbie help

Hey fellas, First time poster looking for some help. I spent a few hours going through this forum and it's pretty daunting. I'm not finding the information that I'm looking for so hopefully someone can point me into the right direction. Basically, I'm looking for a "How to" guide that talks about basic ideas of building a rehearsal studio. Some things I need to know are what types of insulation to use for sound proofing, what kind of paint for the interior, carpeting, tiling, ceiling height, right angles, building rooms next to each other (sharing a wall), the basic design idea and what generally is best overall (for example a double wall construction or not ). Or if there is a design I can use from this forum, with an explanation of materials, that may just make things a lot easier on me. I plan to build two rehearsal rooms the first being 16' x 16' within the interior, and another 22' x 22'. The space I'm using is an open floorplan with concrete floor. Just as a disclaimer I did read the rules of posting. I figured since I'm not actually asking for help in designing something in specific that I would be safe in asking in this general fashion. I don't have a blueprint or anything like that. I want to learn more about the things mentioned above before moving onto that point. Or maybe an already made design might be okay too. Thank you in advance!

Hi Neoeclectic. welcome.

Just as a disclaimer I did read the rules of posting.

I think you missed one of them! The one in large letters, highlighted... :)

I spent a few hours going through this forum and it's pretty daunting. I'm not finding the information that I'm looking for

I can promise you that all of what you are looking for is here, without any doubt! The problem is, it's not really organized, and there's no simple way of finding it. That's actually good news, because in your relentless search to find it all, you'll come across numerous other things that you never even thought about, but that will have an impact on your build! :)

Basically, I'm looking for a "How to" guide that talks about basic ideas of building a rehearsal studio.

You could start with John's SAE recording manual, here: http://johnlsayers.com/Recmanual/index.htm That's a good start, but it's oldish and there is a LOT more updated stuff here on the forum, so you need both.

Some things I need to know are what types of insulation to use for sound proofing,

Well, that's actually a myth! You cannot soundproof a room with insulation. Insulation is for treatment, for damping, for absorption, but it is impossible to soundproof a room with any reasonable amount of insulation. Even the term "soundproof" is not really accurate: there is no such thing as "soundproofing". The more correct technical term is "isolation". Insulation does not isolate. Insulation treats and damps. Insulation can be used as part of an isolation system, yes, but by itself does not isolate. What you need for isolation is mass. Lots of it. The only way to stop sound is to put something in the way that the sound waves cannot move. Something rigid, hard, dense and massive. Insulation is not rigid, not hard, nor dense, and not massive. Myth #1 rolls over and dies.

what kind of paint for the interior,

Whatever kind you like! :) There's not much acoustics to paint, fortunately. Paint can used to help seal isolation systems, but there's nothing special about it. Just any good quality paint that seals porous surfaces, and looks good.

carpeting,

None at all! That's another myth. Carpet has practically no uses, acoustically. Take a look around the great studios of this world, and so how many you can find that are carpeted.... Hmmmm... none. There's a reason for that. So forget carpet: the acoustic properties of carpet are not only no use for studios, they are in fact the exact opposite of what small rooms need. So putting ordinary carpet in your room will make it sound worse, not better. Myth #2 shot down in flames.

tiling,

You mean floor tiling? That's fine. Ceramic tiles actually make pretty good floors, acoustically, provided that the rest of the room is treated corrrectly.

ceiling height,

As high as possible! Sound likes space to "breath" in, so increasing room volume is always good, and since most rooms have low ceilings, a really good way of making a small room sound good is to move the ceiling higher.

right angles,

As preferred. You can build a great rehearsal room as a pure rectangle, or you can build a great rehearsal room with no two surfaces even close to parallel. Angled walls can help acoustics, if used correctly, but you can also build a room with parallel walls, if you treat it correctly. So it's more personal preference than anything else.

building rooms next to each other (sharing a wall),

Build each room as a stand-alone structure inside the outer shell of the building (each room has its own 4 walls and ceiling. They can share the floor, if it is a good concrete slab). That gives you correct 2-leaf isolation all around, in all directions.

the basic design idea and what generally is best overall (for example a double wall construction or not )

If by "double wall" you mean fully decoupled 2-leaf MSM construction, then yes, that is the best possible way to get good isolation at low cost.

Or if there is a design I can use from this forum, with an explanation of materials, that may just make things a lot easier on me.

Even better, there's a great book on how to do it! The book is called "Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros", by Rod Gervais. Rod even posts here on the forum sometimes, but I'd still recommend his book even if he didn't: It's one of the best books out there on building studio. Really good. Highly recommended.

I plan to build two rehearsal rooms the first being 16' x 16' within the interior, and another 22' x 22'.

That would be two big mistakes! Rooms should NEVER be square. No two dimensions should be the same. If you have two dimension of a room that are the same, or even close (within about 5% to 10% of each other) then the room modes (standing waves) associated with those dimensions will line up perfectly, and you'll have major problems with the room. It will seem to powerfully amplify certain notes, while sucking the life out of other notes, and that will change depending on where you stand in the room! So do not, ever, build a room where two of the dimensions are the same, or close. The only room worse than a square, is a cube. The dimensions should also not be multiples of each pother, for the same reason. So if you have an 8 foot ceiling, do not make the room 16 feet wide by 24 long! So change the dimensions of your rooms to get away from those kinds of ratios.

The space I'm using is an open floorplan with concrete floor.

Great! Cncrete floor is excellent, for both isolation between rooms, and also for acoustics. If the concrete is in good shape, then you could even use it as-is for your flooring. Nothing else required. But you can lay ceramic tiles if you want, as you already mentioned. Or laminate floor. Or hardwood flooring. Or anything solid and reflective like that. so what about the rest of the building? Walls, ceiling, roof, doors, windows, HVAC. All of that is extremely important for your isolation plan.

I want to learn more about the things mentioned above before moving onto that point.

If you really do want to learn about this stuff in greater detail than Rod's book, then the other book we always recommend is "Master Handbook of Acoustics" (abbreviated "MHoA") by F. Alton Everest. That's kind of the "bible" of acoustics and studio building. Rod's book is more practically oriented, MHoA is more theoretical. Rod's book is "how", MHoA is "why". Together, they'll teach you all you need to know. Or you can read the entire forum, and find the same information here, for free! :)

Or maybe an already made design might be okay too.

That would be a bad idea. All rooms are different, all needs are different. There's no "cookie cutter" approach to building studios. each one should be designed and built for the specific purpose. But you are in the right place to learn how to do that! - Stuart -

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, Soundman, I've already learned a lot just from your post. And I did forget to mention my location which is America. :) I looked at John Slayer's link and it helped me understand it more and I'm about to purchase the Rod Gervais book. I do have some followup questions about a few things. 1. You say the raw concrete floor is best so I take it that I gain nothing by using a floating floor? There is no downstairs neighbor. Also, this space used to be some kind of old garage so the concrete floor is far from clean. Do you suppose I could power wash the floor (assuming that will do the job) and seal it. Do you think painting the floor for aesthetics is a good idea? I just can't imagine using that floor without sealing/painting it. 2. Wouldn't the concrete floor carry vibrations into adjacent rooms? (edit: after I read the book) 3. The space has 20' tall ceilings. Now I could build the walls all the way up but that doesn't seem practical to me. So if I had a 20' L x 16' w x 12' h (a rectangle based off your comment) do you suppose the 12' high wall would be okay? I understand your disclaimer that these things will vary from place to place, but I'm just looking for a general rationalization if you can. :) Edit: I just purchased the book online and got up to page 71. I have a few questions about some things mentioned up until that point. On page 71 under Steel Framing it says, "So a simple wall framed with light-gauge framing and drywall applied directly to both sides will achieve the same STC rating as a wood frame wall with resilient channel installed. 1. Clearly he's stating the isolation is the same between the two methods. I'm having a tough time reconciling that in my head. Wouldn't the metal frame carry vibration waves more effectively? 2. Is there anything to be said for a staggered stud wall using metal studs? 3. I saw this design in John Sayers' link, but I don't think I quite understand it. Is this supposed to be two adjacent walls with nothing but air between them? And if so I always heard the best design is a box within a box for a room. I don't see that being demonstrated in any of the diagrams. Thanks again for your response. :)