3-Room Basement Studio Construction Diary - Philadelphia

Finally, after a few failed attempts to get started, I have done something! And thus, I can begin my own studio build thread. Thanks to those who helped me get to this point (particularly Glenn and Keith :D ). Some background can be had by checking out my other three threads: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7925&highlight= http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8096&highlight= http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8137&highlight= Here's a recap of the details of my current space: The studio will be in the basement of a single family home located in Douglassville, PA (just west of Philadelphia, PA USA). The basement is currently unfinished and has cinderblock walls and a concrete floor. There is an outside exit. The dimensions of the room are: 27 feet by 26.5 feet with a height of 8.5 feet from the floor to the bottom of the joists. The joists are 2"x10"s situated 16" OC There is a stairway in one corner that leads to the main floor of the house. The stairway is 13' long and 37.5" wide. There is a doorway on the same wall as the stairs that leads to another part of the basement that will not be used for the studio (it contains the furnace, water heater, etc). Part of the wall around that door is drywall, the rest is cinder block. There is a support pole in the middle of the room that runs under a steel support beam that runs under the joists. The distance from the floor to the bottom of the support beam is 7' 8". Next to the beam running under the joists are a couple of HVAC ducts and the main water waste line (pvc). The beam and the ducts run the entire length of the room and are about 6' wide total. I record MANY different kinds of music from rock to rap, celtic to voice over so versitility is a must. I'm not terribly worried about sound getting out of the studio, just sound getting in. As it is right now, I can hear EVERYTHING that goes on in the main floor of the house and because the main water waste line runs right over my head anytime anyone uses water in the house it's terribly loud. I would like as much isolation as possible between the control room and the live room as well. My budget is around $10k although I'm already fearing that I'm going to go over just based on the $1700 I've spent on supplies to bulk up the ceiling! Anyway, back to the actual work... I'm going to start beefing up the current 'ceiling' between the joists where I can, under the joists where I must, using mainly 5/8" drywall (backer rod and acoustic caulk per Rod's book and Dan F's detail). Prior to that I've already begun to wrap the main water line (PVC) that runs through the room with mass loaded vinyl (http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/pipe_noise/piped.htm?d=14) per Rod's suggestion. Expensive? Yes. Heavy? Yes. Does it work...I'll have to let you know. Until then here are some before pics with the design I'm working from. I should have some good pics to post by the start of next week. To complicate things more, I'm a full-time audio guy so I have to continue working in this space as it's constructed! At least most of the stuff I do is sans client presence... I'm sure I'll be repeating Rod's mantra through the whole thing (Whatever I can make perfect I will make perfect - whatever I have to live with I will Live with.) Rock on Ben