My new studio design

Hello. I'm planning to redesign my studio trying to have more space and a more "pro" environment now I'm having clients. The first pic is the design of the studio as it is right now and the later is the improve I want to to make. The location is an appartment in the fifth and last floor of the building, I have a lot of work with the floating floor to do. Fortunately I can raise the ceilings up to 3m with no problem. The spaces are all more or less 3 x 4 metres each, except for the actual live room that has an external closet that I can't remove. I need opinions about this design and about the location of absorbers, bass traps and resonators. Anything you can say is a precious help for me. Thanks a lot. Ed. www.audiomedios.com

Interesting layouts. A gives a better sized control room yet B has a better live room and visuals. I think B would work well treated as you've suggested. As you are going to float the floors do you intend building a room within a room construction. Also as you are the top floor the walls probably aren't totally load bearing - can they be moved?? cheers john

Well, thanks for your fast answer. The design was made trying to leave the original walls as untouched as possible. As you can guess I only have to open the holes for the windows. I'm having an architect coming here so he can determine wich walls can be moved, wich ones have load or are structural walls and wich are just division walls. I'm planning to build the floating floor because my neighbour below in the fourth floor is complaining about noise leakage when I record drums and I totally agree with his concern. But one thing I have to say is that the only problem comes with the drums being the loudest sound source to deal (I record mostly rock bands), and is the kick drum that causes the more noise. Do you think that with a floating floor all over the CR and the LR I can stop the low freq leakage? I have more info about the studio caracteristiques in this link in the studio construction forum. I you can check it you can have a better picture of the situation http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1895 Thanks again Ed.

Hi. I've been playing with the design trying to make the best I can in this space without harming it too much. Some walls were extended, doors were created and a better place resulted. I think this is the best that can be done here, can't figure out other design, but if you can make suggestions about it it would be great. I'm confused about the hollow concrete block walls because in the SAE manual they say that it has a good STC chart of 48 so I asume sound isolation is good. I understand I have to do a complete wall to wall floating floor in all the studio rooms, but should I have to do double plasterboard or drywall walls floated too and later ad diffusers, absorbers and the like or just build the sound absoption panels over the floated floor with no double walls? Any help is appreciated Thanks. Ed.

[quote="AudioMedios"]I'm confused about the hollow concrete block walls because in the SAE manual they say that it has a good STC chart of 48 so I asume sound isolation is good.quote] What is the question you have? Where do you have concrete block walls. Also you seem to be mixing questions about soundproofing with questions about acoustical treament within a room, these are 2 different topics, so if you could clarify you intent in the question that could help with answers. Fro instance using 2 layers of gyosum and adding acoustical absorbtion is not an either/or question. They are for totally different purposes and you will probably want to do both. I think you could get away with just floating the floor in the live room, that will decouple it from both the control room and the amp room. I should also solve your neighbors problem if you build it up correctly. -HB

Thanks for your reply. It seems that I'm a bit confused. First things first: As you see in this topic I'm asking advise about studio design, I've been working on different ideas and the last picture shows the one I think is the best, but if you have comments about getting a better design they are welcome. The second thing is that in order to have this design become a reality, I have to find a solution for the main problem that is sound transmision or leakage through the floor that is annoying my neighbours below, specially in the live room. The solution should be a good floating floor but John and Steve say that maybe the floating floor is not enough because I can get sound leakage flanking through the walls and then I should have to build new walls with gypsumboard and air chamber over the existing walls in order to completely isolate the space. Once it is isolated I have to build absorbers and resonators to control the sound inside. I hope not to be wrong. All the existing walls are made of 40 x 20 x 14 cm hollow concrete blocks and from the STC chart I've found that the walls builded with this kind of blocks have a rating of 48 wich seems to be good for retaining the sound inside. My question: even if I have concrete walls should I double wall and do a room in a room to completely tame the sound?... OR the problem can be solved with the floating floor and sound treatment WITHOUT having to build double walls? I'd like not to double wall, first because the space is small and every inch is precious and second is that double wall is over the budget right now. Any hints and advise will be greately appreciated. Ed.

I'd like not to double wall, first because the space is small and every inch is precious and second is that double wall is over the budget right now.

I'm sorry mate - there's no way around it if you want to isolate from the neighbours. What you can consider is the inside-out wall system. check out Luis's studio http://johnlsayers.com/Studio/Mainpage/ ... ctions.htm The walls are built with the drywall on the other side of the stud wall. The space created by the stud walls is then used for internal acoustic treatment. You can also check out Left Bank Studios at the same site which is also built using the inside/out system. cheers John

YES!!! I think that the inside out tecnique of building double walls is what I need. I checked the studios you said and now I can have a more accurate picture of what you sugest. I've been working on the design and could'nt find a way to have visual comunication with the vocal booth. If I put the CR at the top-right room I can have visuals of both rooms but people visiting the studio had to travel trhough the booth in order to enter the CR and I find this very annoying. I'm thinking about those small tv monitors and cameras with close tv circuits and have one beetwen CR and booth. What ya' think about it? Ed.