Multifunctional Studio Plan in detached back house

Hello All. This forum has become my required nightly reading and is one of the best and most useful resources on the internet. Hopefully the knowledge of those here will help to realize an enjoyable space in the bottom level of a detached back house in a residential neighborhood in Southern California. A multifunctional room with improved sound isolation is my goal -- I will be recording and video editing -- the room will have a kitchen and bathroom with shower as well as a couch or murphy-bed for late sessions and visitors. After much consideration it makes sense to keep it as a one room setup with the possible addition of an iso booth. How to improve sound isolation and retain the natural light and fresh air (use of french doors + windows) is the obvious concern as this room is severely compromised in this regard. Might I have some success by beefing up the walls and using stackable window boxes when recording -- something inspired by kendale's fantastic build -- and possibly using AjD's drum/amp riser idea? As building completion is imminent my Immediate Concern is what to do about the Walls and Electrical. The builder is awaiting word from me in order to finish the back house (no studio construction included) so - in regard to walls and wiring - time is of the essence (an unfortunately frequent theme in these forums I realize but this opportunity has only recently presented itself). "Good lighting is essential in a studio and ideally a separate circuit should be allowed for it." The air conditioner is now being installed. I've inquired about insulating "large ducts...with a few right angles before they hit the vent." Thoughts? Some words of wisdom and a quote from Steve (knightfly) seem appropriate: 1. NEVER waste time/money/materials on construction methods that aren't proven to work, unless you have no life and just like to hurt yourself... "Making plugs for windows would be the next step, also improving the seals on doors." And this from Rod Gervais, "when you have to live with something - live with it the best you can." I have purchased Rod's excellent book which will be a permanent fixture in the "library". Reference: kendale's build: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... &start=180 AjD's drum riser: http://www.johnlsayers.comphpBB2viewtop ... b19fd286be Additional Notes: Budget: Let's call it 5K for now (if the scenario requires MUCH less, all the better). The specifics of the room are included in my drawing. The floor is concrete on dirt (no additional flooring is installed yet). There is a storage space underneath the outside stairs to the upper unit which could be used as an iso booth for amps and storing window boxes or gobos. This space is 102" L x 38 1/2" W x 96" H (for 36") then sloping down to 44" at its lowest point. Distance to Neighbors: Side: at least 40' to house (10' to their pool) Other Side: at least 40' to house (15' to their garage studio) Back: 25' to house There is a 6' stone wall in the back and on the sides of the property. It would be excellent to be able to jam with a drummer and it would be a dream to track a band but my MAIN concern is improving the isolation (not pissing off the neighbors) and acoustics for my own recordings and work. Drums or loud guitars + bass will be tracked in the daytime hours unless an iso booth or speaker box is used. As the french doors and front windows are not yet installed (any day now) I have not yet purchased the Radio Shack Sound Level Meter but the music will range from rocknroll to sound design. The loud will be 'pretty loud'. :wink: The building itself is nearly completed. Wiring is not yet finished so any last minute changes may be possible. The plumbing is in place but the toilet and the shower are not. The air conditioner is now being installed. The kitchen is not yet installed. The upper unit is nearly completed except for installing the toilet and bath tub. The roof is in place and the outside has been plastered. It's a wood frame house; not sure of framing specifics. Questions: Q: What to do about the walls and electrical wiring? (*Most Immediate Concern*) Q: I've inquired about insulating "large ducts...with a few right angles before they hit the vent." Thoughts? Q: How to improve the sound isolation and retain the fresh air and natural light/view (use of french doors + windows)? Might I have some success in beefing up the walls and using stackable window boxes when recording -- something inspired by kendale's fantastic build -- and possibly using AjD's drum/amp riser idea? Q: How shall I go about improving the acoustics in this space and set it up for maximum functionality? I hope I have followed the forum rules of posting and have included all the information necessary. Thank You and All the Best - I look forward to hearing from you.

Simplified: Considering the windows and french doors, will I experience any benefits by beefing up the walls? [Rockwool + 2-3 layers of drywall] The room will be used for video editing and tracking guitars/bass/vox

You will have so many leaks from this room I wouldn't worry about the walls. In my opnion it is only drums that you really need to worry about. Bass would be the most difficult to isolate but most DI bass anyway. That shower looks pretty large. If it is not built i'd consider enlarging the bathroom and/or shower stall. In any case do the triple sheet rock wall treatment around the bathroom and add a solid insulated door leading into the bathroom. Absorbers could be added to tame the echo or not if it sounds good. These absorbers could be brought back into the main room. I can't say if it will make for a good vocal booth but you could certainly mic up an amp in the bathroom and get a good sound.

hi packrat, thanks for your reply... haven't checked in lately as i was discouraged after working so hard on research and a post only to get no replies (until yours). re: your comments on the bathroom -- it is already framed so i cannot change the dimensions but i agree it could be a cool guitar booth. my thinking on beefing up the walls (extra layers of drywall + green glue) is that it could be helpful if i also utilized the Zero door lock kits, acoustic sealant around the door frames, and built the window boxes mentioned in my initial post? it seems a long way to get there but maybe a reasonable solution [?] considering it will be a multi-purpose room with great natural light and not strictly a recording space...i could be wrong about this. btw, i will be working late-night sessions. so... i would really appreciate anyone chiming in with their thoughts and experiences ---- brain drips from my ears and my spirit is crushed. John? Rod? Steve? thanks again, guys

update: brain drip sorted and spirit is in tact :)

what if you built a soundproof box inside the room? cheers john