Need help with studio space planning--Minneapolis, MN, USA

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA What I need help with: Recommendations for: • Types of wall construction that would be best for maximum incoming/outgoing sound isolation • Best way to configure space • Finishing ceiling • Window installation between rooms • Door configurations Desired configuration: I’m looking to build a “mixing/control room” which will be separate from a “live” room. I have attached a diagram of the dimensions of the entire rough unfinished area. The compromise I have with my wife is that I must finish off part of the unfinished area to be household storage space.(Approx. 100 sq. ft.) The rest of the unfinished space is mine to use to build the studio/sound rooms. Studio Purpose: I am a guitarist/songwriter/singer in that order. I primarily compose and record blues and hard rock songs, as wells as instrumentals. Much of my recording will be done solo utilizing my PC recording setup (EMU 1820M setup). I’m seeking a comfortable space to record directly into the PC setup, as well as a separate “Live” room for band rehearsals and/or live recording. Budget: At this time, I’m trying to keep the budget to $5000 or less for construction and materials. I’d prefer to keep everything between $3000 and $5000. I intend on doing the work myself, and pulling all proper permits, etc. I have a carpenter friend and brother who are also very skilled craftsmen who would be assisting me with this project. I plan on hiring out the electrical work to my cousin, who is a licensed electrician. Due to the configuration of the space, I expect that the HVAC could be handled by me and my help. Recording Equipment Used: As mentioned, I primarily record direct to the PC using the EMU 1820M interface, into Cubase. I have some outboard processing gear such as compressors, eq, etc. I use a POD to go direct with guitars and bass. I use Drums on Demand for tracking drums. I would like to also track live drums as well. I also have a collection of nice boutique valve amps that I’d like the option of using in a “live” room to achieve different tones. Desired Isolation: My main goal with this space will be to have a live room where I could play with a drummer, bassist, and another guitarist and not be heard by the neighbors outside, nor be heard by my wife and soon to arrive first child in the house. The house itself is new construction. We’ve lived in the house for less than a month. It is a 4 level split, with the unfinished portion of the house on the “lowest” level, which sits beneath the main floor kitchen, dining, and living areas. I have limited space, but would like two separate rooms that would allow for viewing into each other via glass window. Desired Electrical: I have 200 amp/120V service to my house. I plan on running the electrical sockets and lighting on separate circuits to minimize hum. At first glance, I’m planning 2 outlet circuits per room, and 1 lighting circuit per room. Structural Description: HVAC Supply and returns run East-West across main span of space, from furnace located in SE corner of the same level. Wall Construction This space is located ½ below grade, and ½ above (lookout level). The wall composition below grade is 5 courses high of 8 inch thick concrete cinder block. The wall composition above grade is (from inside out): vapor barrier, pink insulation (unsure of R value, but must meet energy code),2X6 lumber studs, ¾” wall sheathing, Tyvek type wrap, and double-lap vinyl exterior siding. The walls below grade have been framed in with 2X4 lumber studs, surrounded by pink insulation and covered by vapor barrier. Ceiling construction The ceiling space is unfinished. The ceiling space above the entire unfinished area is composed of the bottom planks of engineered floor trusses. These are 2X4 construction, are 18” high, and centered on 18” across the supporting walls. There is a lot of low voltage, standard electrical, as well as HVAC/Fresh air exchange, and plumbing routed inside the truss space. The floor surfaces on the main level above are ¾” hardwood birch in the kitchen and dining areas, and carpet/pad in the living room area. I’d like the ceiling to be sound proof to isolate footsteps above (shouldn’t be too much of an issue), and also to isolate any sound coming from the live room going up through the floor. Ceiling clearance is 8” 2’ avg. from concrete floor to bottom of footer on overhead trusses. Floor The floor of the entire area is 3.5 inch concrete slab, located approximately 4 feet below grade level. I do not intend on floating floors, unless strongly recommended. I’m open to suggestions by the experts here regarding flooring finishes. Environmental Concerns I live less than 1 mile from a small regional airport which provides service to prop planes only—no jets. I would need to keep any prop plan noise out of the studio environment. Since I’m using my computer to run the recording sessions, I’d like to somehow isolate the PC from the mixing room environment to avoid crossover PC fan noise. Perhaps a computer closet outside of the mixing room, with wires routed into the room? Structural Concerns There is a 2X2” wood post and overhead engineered wood beam located in the middle of the unfinished space. This provides structural support for the floor truss system. The space between the leftmost support beam and the post is exactly 72”. The clearance from floor to top of beam in this area is 84". My guess is that this post/beam structure would need to be isolated in some respect to avoid transferring vibration to the trusses above, which might hold the ceiling. The location of electrical service panel is near the corner of the North and East walls of the unfinished area. This is nice from the perspective of ease of access for expanded wiring. Unfortunately, it also presents a problem in that by code, you cannot block this area off and need to maintain access to the panel. I plan on getting around this by using this area for the storage area. On the West wall, just above grade level is a 60” X 48” rough opening with a sliding window installed. This is a burglar’s dream, so I’m not opposed at all to covering it up. I have also considered the partial use of glass block to fill this window area, but preserve natural light. I’ll defer to the experts on this… Many thanks in advance should you choose to work with me on this project. Regards, Mike

here's a starting point cheers john

:D Thanks for the quick reply, John! As I look at your sketch, pretty much everything is making sense. However, when looking at the post/beam (which is attached to a frost footing beneath the floor slab) I don't see how it plays in your sketch up. Can this structure touch the door frame(s), or will they need to be isolated from it? Also, if the post falls within the Live room, will that transfer vibration to the rest of the ceiling? This post is structural, and cannot be moved. I'm doing my best to read up on this site and from other sources and get educated with this exciting type of construction. Thanks in advance for any more feedback. I will be taking some photos of the space and posting them within the next few days, as this may help with design questions. Thanks again, and I'll add more soon. Best regards, Mike

I finally started to figure out Sketchup. I've attached an initial sketch of the area, including the "obstacle" post and beam. Also, the area under the rising staircase is framed to footings, so it cannot be moved. Facing the sliding doors the way I have creates a corridor between the two rooms. I'm planning on using the space benather the rising staircase as a storage area for gear. I'm also going to post the .skp file if you'd like to take a look. Hopefully this gives you a better picture of the space. I picked up Rod Gervais's book over the weekend and have been reading up, too. Cheers! Mike

After much discussion with my wife about the game plan for the studio, this is the latest revision of the plan. The storage area had to be enlarged per agreement with my wife. Therefore, the control room has been flip/flopped with the live room. I'm using facing sliding doors to take care of line of sight between rooms. This design layout takes care of the pole/beam that is an obstacle in the room by completely decoupling from it. I plan on using steel studs for the 2X4s. My brother is a structural engineer and is going to help me design the ceiling, which will likely be lumber spanning the rooms, with sheetrock treatments on the exterior (inside out). I realize I will lose some headroom, but that's ok. The floors are still a question. I'm mounting the walls to the concrete, but have not decided on a finish for the floors as of yet. I'm working on the HVAC and electrical plans next. I'm getting excited to see that the construction may soon begin. I need to check with my city regarding some code items and permits. Please take a look at the new sketch and/or download the file and let me know if I'm doing anything terribly wrong. Thanks again for reading! Mike