Building Home Studio

Hi all, Newbie here. Thanks for having me! I am currently converting a mobile home :( (I know) bedroom into a recording studio. I am a singer only and have no plans to record anything but vocals. If I need instrumentals in the future I will simply create MIDI files. My first step was to take my plan to several builders and engineers to see if the project was feasible in terms of live and dead loads. One man was kind enough to print an engineering sheet showing that the plan will exceed all building codes. Since I've never done anything like this before, I'm going a step further and installing support pillars under the outriggers under the mobile home - just for my peace of mind! The dimensions of the room are 13' x 13' x 87" high. At this point the room is down to studs, insulation, and subfloor. I'm planning on putting up 2 layers of 1/2" drywall with GG in between all around the perimeter of the room. Next, I'm going to build a room within a room with 25 guage steel stud framing with the base and top plates 3" in. First of a multitude of questions - I've read 1" to 3" - any reason to choose anything particular in that range? I'm planning on leaving the outside of the inner room unfinished and finishing the inside of the inner room with 2 layers of 1/2" drywall with GG in between and filling the gap with insulation - or whatever you recommend. I haven't seen that configuration online. I think it qualifies as decoupled. Will this result in a decent STC rated room or do I need to finish the outside of the inner room? Before I build the inner walls, I'm planning on nailing 2x4's on top plates at opposite ends of the room to act as ceiling rim joists, and running sistered 2x4's across the 13' span with intermittent cross bracing and a 16" span between joists. There will be no connection to the existing ceiling. I've only consulted one builder on this and he thought it could support the load of two layers of 1/2 drywall. Wisdom is in a multitude of counsels, so I'm certainly leaving this open to more input. Any engineer-minded feel free to jump in here! :P Also here anyone can chime in on suggested flooring. :wink: I know this room is far from perfect in terms of acoustics - especially the low ceiling and raised floor. I really don't have any option to tear out the existing ceiling and trying to go up higher. :cry: I don't know if it's appropriate to ask acoustic questions here, but is there any hope of getting a decent sound for my vocals. I'm planning on having my workstation (monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers) in the room and isolating the PC in another room. Will I run into acoustical problems with this setup? Should I attempt to move the control room into another room? Sorry this is so long winded. I did as much research as I could before I consulted you guys. Thanks for your patience and replies! :D

Hi - I'm new here too. As my experience goes: for recording it's mainly a matter of the singers actual voice and how it sounds in a particular room with a particular microphone. I've made great recordings in bad rooms; as well as bad recordings in great rooms. Acoustic properties are more important for listening and mixing; for optimal room sizes check: http://amroc.andymel.eu/amroc_andymel_eu_calculator.php If you wanted to cut out room properties from your recordings you could try to "deaden" the room with acoustic treatment. It would kill all reflections like you're singin in the open air. Then you could spice up your recordings with plugins according to your likings. But given your mobile home's size I don't think you have enough space to do make it dead. Killing the low end is always the problem and if not done properly your recordings will sound boxy. Recording rooms always do have a particular sound. It's a matter of taste also. And yes, a great room can help making a great recording that stands by itself; but knowing my DAW and plugins I personally don't mind recording vocals plain dead. The open air would be fine from that perspective; but beware those birds ;) Then there's another thing you mention: isolation. That is not the same thing as acoustic treatment. With acoustic treatment you want to absorb sounds so you hear less reflection. From that perspective being in a tent would make great treatment. All sounds go out so you simply won't have any reflections to deal with. Isolation means that you don't want sound to escape to the outside. With perfect isolation all the sound will stay in the room; which is horrible! Isolation will be appreciated by your neighbors - but it won't make your room a better one! So if your neighbors don't mind your singing - never mind isolation; it'll probably make your room a better one. Hope this helps.