Basment Studio 24'x20' w/Large Budget

Basement Studio to be built this fall. 24' x 20' x 7'6 The ceilings are open insulated joists. There is a 1' tall beam 6" wide running atop the two poles across the 24' length. Budget: Limitless. I need to be sure that the sound transfer from the basement to the first floor is as close to zero as possible. I just hacked together a SketchUp drawing. It's my first one - I will get better. I prefer to have the window in the control room. Kevin :P

Aloha and welcome to the forum, Congrats on your studio build! Any chance you could post your skp file? Thanks! :wink: Aloha 8)

Here is the .skp file. I will post some 2d pic's. That's a bit easier for me right now.

Honestly, I know that someone here, in less than five minutes, with have better insight into how to best use this space than what I will come up with in a years time. There are so many useful sketchup drawings that members of this forum have made. Has any though been given to / or is there already a "3d warehouse collection" of studio ideas, walls, floors, etc specifically for sketchup?

The biggest concern is having the window in back vs the ^ style reflector.

what i would do is put in a beam/addition to support the new span so i could move at least one of the pillars and then use this approach...

Kevin - the major problem is the two jackposts which limit any layout in that space. Removing them is no big deal, you just need to replace, or add a larger steel beam. If you could do that the whole area would become much better to lay out a studio space. cheers john

Drawing including the actual beam currently there. Obviously, the jackposts don't actually go thru the beam.. just a sketchup thing.

Aloha, Here are a couple of ideas for the control room placement for starters using the following ratios and keeping the window in the control room :wink:. In Rod Gervais’ book “Build it Like the Pros,” http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5670 he points out both L.W.Sepmeyer’s & M.M. Louden’s formulas most widely used in professional studios worldwide. He also notes that the orders listed are (top to bottom) the first to third best ratios in both cases. idea #1 L.W. Sepmeyer Height Width Length 1.00 1.14 1.39 7’6” x 8’5” x 10’4” idea #2 M.M. Louden Height Width Length 1.00 1.40 1.90 7’6” x 10’5” x 14’2” Hope this helps, Aloha 8)

Based on the little I know on this, removing the beam is not an option. It can be removed but get an estimate and that may change the budget:) I'd sleep on it for a few days. You know you have two posts, look at your design area like they don't exist for awhile. Don't try to build around them, just work your ideas. Maybe at some point you will be able to develop a wall by wall configuration that will allow you to utilize the posts as part of the layout rather than a kink in the plan. Be the post, Brien

yea, i don't know i'd remove the beam as much as reinforce it or replace it (like John's suggestion for a steel beam). if the floor is mostly clear or only one post, many more options open up...

You don't necessarily remove the beam you just need to add another one next to it - it's not hard to do, I've done it in a couple of US basement studios, it took less than a day - even as Glenn says if you remove just one of the posts you will be much better off. You just need to get a structural engineer to look at the problem and give you a certified plan to alter it. Attached is a pic of a new beam next to the old beam. cheers john

To tweak Johns idea a bit, we have used glu lams or lvl beams in a situation like yours, and cut the joists to allow the beam to sit flush with the top side of the joist system. Yours reads like you have 4) 2X12's which, for a 10 foot span, is large. So I wonder what is sitting on the beam on the >first< floor and what is running in between the overhead joist bays, in example, anything that would make it more of a pita then it really has to be. But you would get a smooth ceiling line to develop upon. Is the open area in the picture a garage door opening that would allow a large and cumbersome beam to be brought in by? Thanks for the pix, Brien

I mean "we" as in the state licensed remodeling company I am employed by. We always go by the engineered prints...when we have them. Brien

kendale, where can I find the information you used to determine the cubic space for the soffits? What measurements did you use?

Something to stare at...

I'm just wondering how much forward or back the door(s) [L/R] should be. It's either more slot resonator / less bass trap OR the other way. I'm guessing more resonator judging by the SAE drawings. I'm using the 2' 6 1/2" measurement for the door.

i think if you're going to leave the posts, maybe enlarge the angles on the side wall and increase the ratio a bit to include the posts in the walls.

Yes - Glenn's solution is the way to go if you aren't happy with removing the jackposts. ;) cheers john

Are we there yet? I'm thinking the smallest cavity to the right can be a closet/misc room. The control room is centered to the window.

mucho betterer... you can make the small room a booth or use it as an amp room, or machine room if need be.

you rock. Slot resonators anyone? On to walls, floors celings.

Zappa, Love the humor. Unless you are being serious and there is a chair like that. Sign me up :shock: :lol: T

8) Please standby as chalk lines are being made.