New Studio Build Pics... Downtown Los Angeles

So with the help of a great design (thanks Glenn!) I've started construction on my new facility. The .skp file is attached at the bottom. The bulk of the walls are steel 2x6's but the internal CR framing (not yet added) is 2x4 wood studs. Here's the layout

Of the 4 walls around my building, one of them is shared with a neighbor, another is exterior (windows) and the other two are shared by this hallway. The tenants all around the other side of the hallway use their space for file storage and are NEVER around.

We had to move the door because the CR wall ran right into it---this was the first thing that needed to be done

After the door was moved, my contractor came in and framed up the entire thing in a day and a half. This view is from the back of the CR to the live room. The sheet rock you see in the CR (more in the live room and more behind the camera) was NOT FUN to bring up through the freight elevator and down the rather long hallways.

On the right is a utility closet/ one of the air conditioner rooms and to the left is the 3rd iso booth. The existing back wall is concrete (it's a stairwell) so I'll probably use this one for Bass amps.

This is from the CR and you can see Iso1 (window to CR) and then iso2 and iso3 in the distance.

Here is one of my electricians installing my new breakerbox.

very cool! keep the photos coming!

Here's the big wall of the live room, insulated (and Matt, singer of a band called the greenery)

Here's some drywall up in the live room.

Today we started the inner wood framing for the control room. As you can see, the window is going to be made a little bigger than it was originally framed, The other side of that wall isn't close up yet so we're just going to cut that section and reinforce the frame.

Here's the CR rear wall. The ceiling gets put up tomorrow.

about the inner CR framing (see pic). Are you using the already drywalled wall (see pic) as an inverted absorbing wall? Or have you drywalled both sides of that frame? (wasn't clear on any pix) If so, you're building yerself a 3 leaf wall. If so, better stop before more damage is done. If not; good work ;)

both sides of that wall are to be drywalled, but it's not a 3 leaf because the inner control room (wood) frame isn't going to be drywalled....just 703, burlap fabric and some wood slats for diffusion. I think glenn described it more like a big bass trap. I tried to upload the sketchup file but it's too big. Here's a link to it though... http://www.ryanbakerproductions.com/ryanbakerproductions.skp

ah, so it IS an inverted wall ;) (somewhat, well same idea anyway) So your gaining for absorption instead of isolation? As far as I see you now got a single frame wall with a framed 703 wall in front. Kinda waste of money You know, if you'd drywall both (separated!) frames on the outer side you'd gain extra iso. 703 can always be put on the wall, with or without a frame. I'm afraid having the whole iner frame stuffed with 703, it'll be one heck of a dead room (mids/high) leaving only low frequency in the room (and then you'd sure need some heavy bass traps) * I never looked at your designs and plans, so I might be wrong. I'm kind of just guessing here. So what are your plans? [edit] just looked at your floorplan, the CR shows double wall, but if I'm guessing the "inner" wall will not really be a wall (no mass).

rbaker wrote:

I think glenn described it more like a big bass trap.

No, more like a big broadband absorber.

The isolation overall isn't THAT critical. The building had an existing plywood wall with hard foam insulation in it. I added an additional steel fram 2x6 wall with insulation (and a small air gap) with sheet rock on my side of that frame. The inner control room frame has some ply wood on on the front sides, 703, cloth and then slotted wood strips for diffusion. There's also a quadratic diffusor in the back. At build time it's a little scary to read these posts :shock: I posted a thread in the design forum but not many chimed in. I also spent some time on the phone with Mr. Sayers going over Glenn's design and the requirements I had and overall he thought the space was done well. I'm hoping that after you checked the design, it all makes sense.

Ro wrote:

just looked at your floorplan, the CR shows double wall, but if I'm guessing the "inner" wall will not really be a wall (no mass).

thats correct, the CR "walls" sit inside an isolated room and merely guide the sound around the mix position, along with broadband absoption and some materials to keep some life in the room. behind the angled walls are some hangers (as well as overhead) to add additional trapping. Ro, you raise a good point about the backwall. it has a lot of absorption plus some reflective materials (about 25%) to keep it from being totally dead, plus some diffusion. the outer wall is somewhat "light" so the lowest bass will be passing out and some will be converted by the resonance of the outer wall as well. the back corners have some hanging traps as well. a main concern was the outer plywood wall becoming a third leaf but due to its construction and limitations on replacement so we opted for the other interior wall even if it meant less than optimal isolation.

that's what I meant to say :) The control room framing is done btw. I didn't have a chance to take pictures yet but I'll do that tomorrow.

right, but. With the same amount of materials (well, almost) and setup you could easily gain more iso between live and CR room. Just by removing drywall at CR side and hang that on the inner wall (which is stuffed with wool). Hang some broadband/basstraps in the CR. Do tests and apply more absorption where needed. (still talking about live/cr wall here) To bad your plans weren't "cleared"/"advised" here. (do you have a link to the design thread?)

rbaker wrote:

that's what I meant to say :) The control room framing is done btw. I didn't have a chance to take pictures yet but I'll do that tomorrow.

you'd better ;) no pix, no proof. haha! looking forward to them.

The official mantra is: "Piccies, or it didn't happen." :P --Keith :mrgreen:

Ro wrote:

right, but. With the same amount of materials (well, almost) and setup you could easily gain more iso between live and CR room.

Ro - no question, going with an STC63 wall configuration would have increased the isolation and that was in the original plans but to keep costs down (its a big space and using hired labor) and because isolation wasn't the primary concern, we went with the single wall - using 2x6 steel framing, 5/8" sheetrock and insulation batting it should be resonably good (according the the Canadian report on wall isolation tests this configuration should weigh in 'round STC 55 YMMV). the CR framing is really about the acoustic treatments and not isolation.

Here is the top of the rising ceiling of the control room....

Here is the rear wall looking from the live room into the control room via the window. The window-looking cutout in the back is for a quadratic diffusor that I'm going to try to figure out how to build. :lol: (glenn gave me the plans so it should be fine)