Mix/production studio + vocal booth on 3rd floor

Hey everybody! Love this forum, gained a lot of knowledge by reading and yet soooo much stuff to learn here! Thanks for that. Here's the info, i hope it's all there! This is my first post and first "home studio" build. Right now my studio is located here in town, but i also would like to have a nice place at home to work on projects. The project is in research stage. Location: The Netherlands GOAL: I am planning on building a private mix room/production studio with vocal/iso booth & HVAC in my house. I am not going to use this studio for drums or loud guitar amps. I mainly produce electronic music, but also do production/mixing work for bands. I never work on the same volume level, it moves from 60 to 80 db, but sometimes like to crank it up to 80 / 95 a little bit ;). BUDGET: I was hoping to do it for around 5000 EURO on material. It will be a DIY project. THE ROOM: I just moved to a new place, it's a 3 storey building with neighbours on both sides. I currently have no purpose for the 3rd floor, so ideally that would be THE spot for the studio. But there are some "issues " with this room i like to discuss here. The house originally had 2 levels, but they build the 3rd level up 12 years ago together with both neighbours participating. Right now there is a bathroom and 3 bedrooms situated with gypsum/2x3 studs/insulation/gypsum partition walls. Plan is to demo all of that and only keep the bathroom and create a small storage room as proposed in the attached SketchUp file so the remaining space will be available for designing my room. ISOLATION: I know it will be almost impossible to get high isolation in this situation, but i would like to get the most out of it so i can work without bothering my neighbours too much. Room specs: -Dimensions: H (approx): 2.40 / W: 5.5 / L: 6.2 (these are the dimensions i can use on the studio) Existing walls: L+R outer walls to neighbours are already 2 leaf walls: 2 x 12,5mm Gypsum (painted/stucco)/2x3 studs/insulation/2x3 studs/insulation/2 x 12,5mm Gypsum on neighbours side Outer wall to garden: Gypsum/2x3 studs/insulation/some gyp fibre material finished with stucco on the outside. Existing ceilling: Flat roof with metal beams then plywood / thermal insulation between metal joists then gypsum/stucco Existing floor: Timber slats on joists with insulation between joists (So basically my floor is a giant slat resonator) I would like to discuss/ask some things regarding the existing walls/floor/ceiling and flanking paths before i can even THINK of designing my room/studio walls. -The house originally had 2 levels, but they build the 3rd level up 12 years ago together with both neighbours. Poorly they did this with timber frames/isound batt insulation/gypsum instead of bricks. So a 3 leaf wall seems inevitable?? So what should i do with the existing exterior walls? Get rid of the old gypsum and replace with 2 x 16 mm gypsum and denser insulation then seal all gaps? Or leave it open and replace insulation with denser material? I tried the search button on this, but couldn't find anything similar..all the examples are mostly done with brick outer walls. I could use a push in the right direction with this. -The floor are timber slats on timber joists with insulation between joists (So basically my floor is a giant slat resonator) No good for constructing my walls on. What to do with this?? I was thinking of removing the slats, beef up the insulation, then replace the slats with tongue and groove plywood/OSB as a new (pre construction) base/work floor. Another option is leave the slats and put plywood/osb on top of it? -There is a chimney with plaster coving. Should i build around that or stay in front of it with the studio outer shell? That will create a larger airgap between outerwall and outer shell? I prefer staying in front of it, cause building around it will cause weak spots and hard to seal. -Ceiling: remove old gypsum, beef up with new 2 x 16 mm gypsum between joists, add more denser insulation but also keep thermal insulation (i think thats code here), finish with maybe RC and (2x) 16 mm gypsum? -The room has 2 windows on the backside of the house, i would love to keep the biggest window and close up the small window, i know this is possible when done well, but is it more effective to close it up and get it sealed? I have to check with building code. Thanks in advance, really hope you can help me out here. I'm sorry if i ask questions that are FAQ. Cheers, Thijs

Hi Thijs, and welcome! :) Sorry about the long delay in getting a response to your thread: I've been on vacation, and it seems nobody else is answering questions right now...

I am not going to use this studio for drums or loud guitar amps. I mainly produce electronic music,

That's good! Since you are building on the 3rd floor, it would be very complicated (and expensive!) to isolate it it well.

they did this with timber frames/isound batt insulation/gypsum instead of bricks. So a 3 leaf wall seems inevitable??

Not necessarily: You could just take off the drywall (gypsum), exposing the insulation and studs. That would make that wall back into a single leaf.

So what should i do with the existing exterior walls? Get rid of the old gypsum and replace with 2 x 16 mm gypsum and denser insulation then seal all gaps? Or leave it open and replace insulation with denser material?

What is on the outside of that wall (the side facing the exterior of the house)?

No good for constructing my walls on. What to do with this?? I was thinking of removing the slats, beef up the insulation, then replace the slats with tongue and groove plywood/OSB as a new (pre construction) base/work floor. Another option is leave the slats and put plywood/osb on top of it?

I would take off the slats then put down two layers of 3/4" OSB or plywood, with Green Glue in between. HOWEVER! You MUST first check with a structural engineer to make sure you can do that! This 3rd floor seems to have been added after the house was finished, so the rest of the structure was NOT designed to take the weight in any case, and since the addition was done poorly, it might also not be able to handle much additional weight. You need s structural engineer here, before you do anything, to tell you what you can do safely, and what you cannot do. It might be necessary to "beef up" the joists and / or other parts of the building structure, to be able to support the added load of the studio.

-There is a chimney with plaster coving. Should i build around that or stay in front of it with the studio outer shell? That will create a larger airgap between outerwall and outer shell? I prefer staying in front of it, cause building around it will cause weak spots and hard to seal.

Building in front of it is fine. You lose some space, but make it easier to build.

-Ceiling: remove old gypsum, beef up with new 2 x 16 mm gypsum between joists, add more denser insulation but also keep thermal insulation (i think thats code here), finish with maybe RC and (2x) 16 mm gypsum?

Sounds good, but why do you want "more dense insulation"? Higher density is not so good for low frequencies. Lower density is better for low frequencies. Optimal density is around 50 kg/m3 for mineral wool, or 30 kg/m3 for fiberglass.

-The room has 2 windows on the backside of the house, i would love to keep the biggest window and close up the small window, i know this is possible when done well, but is it more effective to close it up and get it sealed? I have to check with building code.

You should check EVERYTHING with building code, yes! And yes, you can leave your windows in place if you want to: Just replace the glass with thick laminate glass, and seal the entire window in place very well. Then put another piece of similar glass in your inner-leaf, to complete the isolation. - Stuart -