NEON STUDIOS - initial advice required

Hello everyone, I noticed that my last login was in April 2009! how time flies between builds.. I'd like to get some help in building my new work space. The objectives and requirements are as follows:

• 2 x rooms (identical) for production
• Both rooms will have people making dance and electronic music so low end frequency isolation from each other is very important
• We have a limited but capable budget of approximately $15,000AUD
• We are in Sydney Australia

I have two options in how I could build the rooms. Option A:

• 2 x layer of drywall inside
• Staggered timber studs + insulation
• 2 x layer of drywall with green glue in between them on the outside of the studs

Option B:

• 1 x layer of drywall inside
• Staggered timber studs + insulation
• 1 x layer of drywall on the outside of the studs
• an air gap
• 1 x layer of drywall inside
• Staggered timber studs + insulation
• 1 x layer of drywall on the outside of the studs

For reference here is the layout of my facility: Additional questions:

• Should I screw the timber studs directly into the concrete floor that is shared by the two rooms, or is there some kind of material I should put between the studs and the floor?
• Is there a better approach that I should be taking?

If you made it this far, thanks heaps for reading!!!

When you say "Staggered studs", are you referring to this? I couldn't quite see what was being driven at by the picture... I see the air gap, but not what the drywall was attached to. If so, option B with 2 walls, completely separated by an air spring will give you more isolation, EXCEPT be careful re: the specific locations of the drywall. You wouldn't want that interior sheet on the inside towards the air gap, because that will actually lower your sound isolation. This is one of those places where simple is actually better. Here's a link to some info on the differences for different construction... check out down at number 6 to see how the placement of the mass (i.e. drywall) can impact the ratings. http://www.stcratings.com/assemblies.html In regards to attaching to the floor, I asked about that myself in my design thread. It's not absolutely necessary to put a layer of material between the concrete and the wood when attaching depending on how much isolation you need. Do you have a specific isolation target planned? The dimensions generally look ok for a small control room... I ran them through this link: http://www.bobgolds.com/Mode/RoomModes.htm and they came out with a pass... though what was the height? I assumed 8 feet, but that's an important bit. Also, heads up about the door placement. Leave yourself enough room for bass trapping in the corners.