New Studio Build - Suggestions Welcomed

Hi, I have been reading through the forum and external links and was hoping some of the more learned designers would be able to provide suggestions and guidance to ensure I am on the right path with my studio construction. If the descriptions and questions are not elaborate enough, I apologise as I am just learning the basics of studio construction through reading. Overview I am building a studio on the bottom level of my house. It involves converting the dual garages into 2 studio spaces. The left (larger) studio will be for jamming, practicing and a space for creative development (chill out area). The right (smaller) studio will be the more professional set up and be isolated. At this stage, I have cleared out both areas and am ready to commence construction of the walls and ceiling. It is envisioned that the control room will start in the front of the right studio until I am able to knock down a wall cavity between the 2 studios and install a window. The control room will then move into the left studio. Both studios are single brick external construction with a single brick cavities. The rear of the left studio is double brick. The left studio boundary is adjoining the neighbours pathway with a metre space to their house whilst the right external boundary is a metre away from other neighbours house as well. As can be seen from the 3D model, the front of the left studio is constructed using 2x16mm fire-rated gyprock with 1.5R fire-rated acoustic insulation. The window is double-glazed. Unfortunately, this section is already constructed along with a shower in the front right of the left studio (square space next to front door). Both studios are constructed on concrete slabs. There are 2 steel poles of which beams sit on them in the left studio. The door in the left studio may be further sound-proofed while other exits need to be constructed (so I will investigate door options after the walls and ceiling). The right studio is currently a garage door up front but this will be a room-within-a-room so a new wall and door will be constructed at the front depending on the size of the studio. My aim is to limit the sound out of the 2 studios so that the neighbours will not be disturbed by recordings (both rock and electronic) and tuition. Both neighbours live on the 2nd floor of their houses and the studios are parallel to the bottom levels of each neighbour. The budget for the construction of the left studio is around the $5k mark as I've researched the materials I'll suggest below although this may change based on your suggestions. My Ideas Floors I am inclined to leave the floors as concrete and paint them a certain colour. Q1: Does it matter what paint I use for the floors? Left (large) studio walls I am thinking of filling the left and right cavities with insulation such as Pink SonoBatts R3 100mm or a larger variant of such as the cavity space is 110mm. It will be caulked as per instructions on this website and the walls Soundshield 13mm. The channels and studs would be constructed using the Rondo QStud system as per the technical manual. Q2: Would it be advisable to run the bottom / top channels on the bottom inside cavity bricks (which are raised 1 / 2 bricks off the floor, see 3D model) and ceiling with studs at 600mm insides within the cavities and have 13mm Soundshield gyprock as the internal leaf? Furring channels will be horizontal. This way, I can maximise space, test, then possibly add another 10 or 13mm Soundshield gyprock wall using green glue, ie 2nd leaf? I will insulate within the cavity and have spacing for furring channels of at least 20mm on the internal brick pylons / wall? Or is it advisable to bite the bullet and run the bottom / top channels on the concrete floor / ceiling and have double insulation within the cavities, and between the leafs? Q3: Should I offset the walls slightly and if so, what angle would be recommended for which wall(s), taking into account the fact the shower stall breaks up the square nature of the room? Q4: Should the studs be decoupled? Q5: As the second (right, smaller) studio will be a room-within-a-room, can I get away with one leaf construction for the right wall of the larger left studio as the soundproofing of the right studio will compensate? ie, run the bottom / top channels on the bottom inside cavity bricks (which are raised 1 / 2 bricks off the floor, see 3D model) and ceiling with studs at 600mm insides within the cavities and have 13mm Soundshield gyprock as the internal leaf? Furring channels will be horizontal. Left (large) studio ceiling The ceiling is currently that white spray on plaster held internally by steel. I apologise for the terrible explanation. I would like to install a floating ceiling and insulate in between with some type of thin insulation, approximately 50mm thick with 1 or 2 13mm Soundshield. The advantage I have with the current ceiling is that the heights are different in 3 areas. For eg, the rear of the room behind the 2nd steel beam is under the bathroom so it is already insulated with thicker cement and tiled above but between the 2 ceiling beams, the upper floor is wooden floor. From the end of the beams to the right wall, the depth is higher as the ceiling is approximately 30mm higher. Q6: As the ceilings are already quite low, can you provide me with some reference material as to ceiling design whereby the ceilings, including 13mm Soundshield, will be approximately 70mm in depth (total)? This will mean the ceilings will sit in between the 2 beams? Q7: Should I keep the finished ceiling height the same, in the space from the end of the beams / poles to the right wall, as the finished ceiling height between the beams or use the same construction and have that ceiling space 30mm higher for sound deflection? Q8: Are their other construction methods or insulation types that would be more cost efficient and better acoustically? Thank you for the opportunity to show my design and for this forum. I can clarify any information or add to the 3D design to help in clarification.

Hi there, "brastudios", and welcome!

The left (larger) studio will be for jamming, practicing and a space for creative development (chill out area). The right (smaller) studio will be the more professional set up and be isolated.

If I understand you correctly, the right, smaller area will be the control room? And the left, larger area will be the live room?

It is envisioned that the control room will start in the front of the right studio until I am able to knock down a wall cavity between the 2 studios and install a window. The control room will then move into the left studio.

OK, now you confused me! Maybe it's just an issue of using different terminology. To me, you are talking about a three-room studio with two live rooms and a control room. I'm wondering why you do not plan to isolate that bigger live room, which will be the loudest by far. "Jamming", "practice" and "creative development" are loud, and usually take place inside the "live room", while the "chill-out area" is for relaxing, eating, drinking, chatting, watching TV, playing games, etc. You also say that you plan to build a control room, then knock it down and build another one in a different location. To me, that doesn't sound efficient and certainly is not cheap. The control room is the most critical, in terms of design and treatment, and the most expensive. Going to all that effort to design one, build it, treat it, calibrate it then knock it down soon after and build another, seems like a waste of resources. Isn't there a better way of doing this? Also, if the control room is going to end up where the large live room is, then what is going to happen to the large live room? Where will that go?

The window is double-glazed.

That might be a problem. If the existing window is a typical domestic double-glazed thing, with two thin panes of glass separate by a thin air gap, then when you add your proper inner-leaf for the studio itself (either LR or eventually CR), that has the potential to become a 3-leaf system.

The right studio is currently a garage door up front but this will be a room-within-a-room so a new wall and door will be constructed at the front depending on the size of the studio.

Is that new wall just to complete the outer leaf, and basically closing off the roller door? In other words, after you build that wall, then you will proceed to build the actual room-in-a-room inside the space that is now defined by the three existing walls, plus the new wall that you just built?

My aim is to limit the sound out of the 2 studios so that the neighbours will not be disturbed by recordings (both rock and electronic) and tuition. Both neighbours live on the 2nd floor of their houses and the studios are parallel to the bottom levels of each neighbour.

Ouch. When you say "rock recordings", I guess you mean a full rock band, with acoustic drums, percussion, bass, electric guitar(s), keyboards and vocals? You are talking about levels of between 115 dB and 120 dB for such a group: What is the legal requirement where you live? Check with your local municipality to find out how quite you have to be to avoid disturbing the neighbors, from a legal point of view. The difference between those two numbers is "how much isolation you need", which in turn will define the types of construction techniques and materials that you can use to get there.

I am inclined to leave the floors as concrete and paint them a certain colour.

Smart move. Best possible floor you can get, acoustically. Cheap, too, since it is already there!

Q1: Does it matter what paint I use for the floors?

Nope. Any type you like. You might also consider staining, polishing, and other treatments for concrete. If you look around the forum, you'll find several threads where people have done amazing tings with bare concrete floors. Might give you some ideas!

Left (large) studio walls ... I am thinking of filling the left and right cavities with insulation such as Pink SonoBatts R3 100mm or a larger variant of such as the cavity space is 110mm. It will be caulked as per instructions on this website and the walls Soundshield 13mm. The channels and studs would be constructed using the Rondo QStud system as per the technical manual.

OK, I'm confused again! First you said you were only going to isolate the small live room, not the large one, but here you are describing ow you are going to isolate the large one? :?: :shock:

walls Soundshield 13mm. ... the Rondo QStud

A quick comment on your planned materials: Sound waves do not care how much you pay for the mass that stops them. They can't read the price tags anyway, and all that matters to them is how much mass they find in front of them. So just get the least expensive mass you can find, which is normally plain old 16mm fire-rated drywall. They can't read the price tags on the studs either, so if there is a cheaper option for studs, such as plain old 2x4s or normal steel studs, then I would go with those. There are no ways around the laws of physics, and no magical materials that can somehow bypass those laws. Sound waves react to just two main properties of the barrier in front of them, regardless of the price. They see "mass" (weight) and they see "stiffness" (rigidity). So if you put enough mass and enough stiffness in the way, that's all you need. I'm not knocking the products of any particular manufacturer, and they might well work exactly as advertised, but the simple issue is this: you can save a lot of money by using common, cheap building materials, instead of exotic expensive ones. Having said that, if it turns out the the products you mention are cheaper in your area than 2x4s and ordinary drywall, then by all means use them! The point is this: don't waste money unnecessarily. You are on a very, very tight budget anyway, if you plan to do that room for just 5k, so you had better make every cent count!

Q2: Would it be advisable to run the bottom / top channels on the bottom inside cavity bricks (which are raised 1 / 2 bricks off the floor, see 3D model)

I don't see that on the image you posted. Maybe you could provide a detail of that area? In fact, I don't see the proposed walls on there at all! I just see the existing space.

and ceiling with studs at 600mm insides within the cavities and have 13mm Soundshield gyprock as the internal leaf? Furring channels will be horizontal. This way, I can maximise space, test, then possibly add another 10 or 13mm Soundshield gyprock wall using green glue, ie 2nd leaf? I will insulate within the cavity and have spacing for furring channels of at least 20mm on the internal brick pylons / wall? Or is it advisable to bite the bullet and run the bottom / top channels on the concrete floor / ceiling and have double insulation within the cavities, and between the leafs?

Once again, I think I'm not understanding what you are proposing, but the correct way to do this is just to build a simple stud frame about one cm away from the existing brick walls, all around the room, and put a layer of 16mm drywall on only ONE side of that. Fill the cavity between the drywall and the bricks with insulation. Done. That's all you need. If you need more isolation than that, then add a second layer of 16mm drywall directly on top of the first layer, with or without Green Glue in between, as needed. And you can get even more isolation by adding a third layer directly on top of those two. Also, isolation should not be a "trial and error" shot in the dark. Rater, you should first determine how much isolation you need, in terms of real world object decibels, then look at the literature to find methods and materials that are know to give you that much isolation, and that fit your existing situation and budget. In acoustics, guessing is a bad idea. Much better to use the science and research that has already been done, rather than becoming your own guinea pig.

Q3: Should I offset the walls slightly and if so, what angle would be recommended for which wall(s), taking into account the fact the shower stall breaks up the square nature of the room?

That depends on what you are trying to achieve. In a live room, non-parallel walls are useful for breaking up flutter echo, and if that is your goal then there needs to be a 12° differential between facing walls. So you could angle one of them 12°, both at 6°, one at 10 and the other at 2°, or whatever else floats your boat. But flutter echo can also be dealt with in other ways (treatment), and angled walls can waste space if not done intelligently, so there are pros and cons. The room can sound good either way.

Q4: Should the studs be decoupled?

For isolation, yes, absolutely they must be decoupled. The inner-leaf wall, which consists of the stud frame with the one, two or three layers of drywall on just ONE side of the studs, cannot touch any existing wall at all, nor can it touch the existing ceiling. It is built as a separate, self-supporting, stand-alone structure that rests on the floor, period. Likewise, the new inner-leaf ceiling will rest ONLY on top of those new inner-leaf walls, without touching any existing walls or ceiling. That is the whole point and concept of "room in a room". The inner "room" cannot have any mechanical contact with the outer "room".

Q5: As the second (right, smaller) studio will be a room-within-a-room,

But you just described building the LEFT one as a "room in a room" too! So they will BOTH be "room in a room". In other words, you will build two new rooms next to each other, inside the existing garage shell. That's all you need to do. One stud frame for each room, not touching anything else, and drywall all over just one side of those studs. Simple, cheap, effective.

Furring channels will be horizontal.

You do not need furring channels: each room is a simple stud frame, nothing more is required.

Q6: As the ceilings are already quite low, can you provide me with some reference material as to ceiling design whereby the ceilings, including 13mm Soundshield, will be approximately 70mm in depth (total)? This will mean the ceilings will sit in between the 2 beams?

You could build the ceilings using the "inside out" technique, which means that the stud bays would be exposed to the room, and therefor can be used for your acoustic treatment. That can save you a lot of room height: You will need thick acoustic treatment up there anyway,so if you build your inner-leaf ceiling conventionally (drywall facing down, studs facing up), then you lose even more height. But even so, I can't see how you can lose only 70mm of height. You are going to need at least 2x6 joists to span those distance, and maybe even 2x8, depending on the wood and how you build it, so you are going to be losing at least 20 to 25 cm, no matter which way you build it.

I can clarify any information or add to the 3D design to help in clarification.

It might help if you post the actual SKP file, so we can download it and play around with it. That one single image isn't much help! :) - Stuart -