Angle's Up Studio Construction

hi everyone! i'm an engineer from toronto, canada. i have been recording and producing bands in toronto for the past 5 years, and have been in and out of different apartments around the city setting up makeshift studios in bedrooms, back rooms, basements, and the like. now the projects i am working on are at a stage where i need to have a studio of my own 24/7 for not only recording, mixing, and cheap mastering, but also for regular band practicing (as i play drums and guitar in 3 active touring bands). on my long search for a decent space to suffice my needs, i have come across the following. a friend of mine has recently bought a bungalow house in a residential area pretty close to downtown. he has offered me his garage for a low price as long as i can turn it into a functional studio/practice space. here are the details (measurements are approx.): Garage Measurements: WIDTH: 15' LENGTH: 30' HEIGHT: 9' (lowest) - 11' (highest) BUILD: Outside there is metal siding on 3/4" plywood. the frame is made from 2x4 studs, and right now there is no insulation. NOTES: - there is one window, about 2x3', which i will be boarding up - there is a garage door which i will be removing and covering with the same structure as the rest of the garage - the floor is concrete - this is a fully detached garage in an alleyway behind the house, backing onto other garages from the street just south. so it's in an alleyway full of garages on either side - the garage has a chalet style roof going lengthways. so the highest point is at the 15' mark in the middle of the garage THE NEEDS: i am working constantly on projects. lots of mixing and recording, and the occasional mastering job. i need a space where i can go at 3am and start working on a loud rock mix coming through my KRK monitors. i also need the live room to be as proofed as possible. what i WANT is to be able to come in at 3am and have a quiet drums, bass, guitar jam with friends. THE PLAN: (before i start, the "back" of the garage is the side furthest from the back of the house, the "front" of the garage is vice-versa) my plan is to build a live room and control room in this space. the live room will start at the back of the garage, and end 20' into the space, at which point there will be a 2x4 wall. then the control room will be the remaining amount of space. the control room will be set up so that it is lengthways with my desk facing the west side of the space. i have read through this forum quite a bit in the last few months and have come to the conclusion that my build should be like such: THE BUILD - Exsisting Structure: STEP 1: acoustiseal all studs to plywood STEP 2: vapour barrier in and around the studs *STEP 3:* this one i need advice on. i am thinking of adding a layer of 1/2" drywall in the spaces inbetween the studs, to add mass. is this even worth it? it is a cost of about $300 i'd rather not spend.. STEP 4: insulate with Roxul Safe n' Sound *2" of air space between structures* THE BUILD - Inner Structure: STEP 1: frame with 2x4 wood STEP 2: insulate with Roxul Safe n' Sound STEP 3: install Rez Channel STEP 4: install 2 layers of 1/2" sheetrock (acoustisealing like crazy) attached are some rough plans i have drawn up so you can get an idea of what i'm talking about. again, measurements are not exact, and all designs are up for debate. this is my first time doing this. i have helped a friend build a vocal booth in his studio, walls, and floors, so i have the building experience to do this, but my lingo is not great, so i am sorry if what i'm explaining is a little hard to understand. i take critisism well, so please, blast away! of course, this is my very basic plan of action, but hopefully you can get the idea and it will spark some conversation on what i should and should not be doing. thanks everyone for having this wicked community! the amount i've learned already from just looking around has made my planning so much easier! sicksound xoxo

THE QUESTIONS: 1. Should i beef up the garage structure with more plywood or drywall? i've got tons of spare plywood lying around. 2. I just heard about Quiet Rock today. Does anyone have any experience with this? According to the site, i can use ONE layer of this and it will yeild a higher STC than two layers of 5/8" sheetrock on rez strips. If this is true, it would save me TONS! please let me know what you think? 3. For the build i am doing, do you think it is necessary to stagger my studs? or should i be fine because the wall is seperate anyways? cheers! sicksound

Hai Sicksound, I'd suggest visiting the Studio-Design part of this forum first, if you haven't already. Your design could use a tweak or two..

thanks man, i took your advice, and did a little fixing (see updated image). i have decicded to angle my walls ever so slightly (not much as to not eat into the space). i will be adding bass trap treatments post-construction, so it will give me a little room to experiment with the placements. the Drum Riser is going over top of a ramp going UP into the space. it will be made of a 2x4 frame, with layers of plywood, drywall, plywood. maybe gooch a little Green Glue in the layers as well. also, i have answered my above question about QuietRock. looks like the best way to go is two layers drywall and Green Glue. a couple questions though. is there really a big diffference between 1/2" and 5/8" drywall? because right now in toronto the pricing is 1/2=$13 & 5/8=$18. just seems a little too much for only 1/8 more, you know? thanks, sicksound xo

just an update on the studio layout. added some drums, bass amp, and people, etc.. this is my first time using sketch up, cool program. so there is a few weird things, like the doors and windows, but you get the idea. enjoy! sicksound xo

sicksound wrote:

Garage Measurements: WIDTH: 15' LENGTH: 30' HEIGHT: 9' (lowest) - 11' (highest) BUILD: Outside there is metal siding on 3/4" plywood. the frame is made from 2x4 studs, and right now there is no insulation. NOTES: - there is one window, about 2x3', which i will be boarding up - there is a garage door which i will be removing and covering with the same structure as the rest of the garage - the floor is concrete - this is a fully detached garage in an alleyway behind the house, backing onto other garages from the street just south. so it's in an alleyway full of garages on either side - the garage has a chalet style roof going lengthways. so the highest point is at the 15' mark in the middle of the garage THE NEEDS: i am working constantly on projects. lots of mixing and recording, and the occasional mastering job. i need a space where i can go at 3am and start working on a loud rock mix coming through my KRK monitors. i also need the live room to be as proofed as possible. what i WANT is to be able to come in at 3am and have a quiet drums, bass, guitar jam with friends. THE PLAN: (before i start, the "back" of the garage is the side furthest from the back of the house, the "front" of the garage is vice-versa) my plan is to build a live room and control room in this space. the live room will start at the back of the garage, and end 20' into the space, at which point there will be a 2x4 wall. then the control room will be the remaining amount of space. the control room will be set up so that it is lengthways with my desk facing the west side of the space.

In a space that small I would opt for a single - dual porpose room- your control room will need a heck of a lot more treatment than you show as small as it is going to be - almost to the point of anechoic........ you would be much better off (in the long run) wearing phones to moitor recording and have the advantage of a large control room environment .

i have read through this forum quite a bit in the last few months and have come to the conclusion that my build should be like such:

If you have spent a few months studying acoustics in this forum then you have learned just enough to be dangerous to yourself and others with your depth of knowledge.......... a college graduate with a 4 year degree majoring in acoustics isn't ready to design (and thus is not competent to draw conclusions) until he is ready to get his stamp - and that's generally 6 to 8 years of working under the guidance of a liscensed professional (at least 3 of which have to be within the disipline of acoustics design).

THE BUILD - Exsisting Structure: STEP 1: acoustiseal all studs to plywood STEP 2: vapour barrier in and around the studs *STEP 3:* this one i need advice on. i am thinking of adding a layer of 1/2" drywall in the spaces inbetween the studs, to add mass. is this even worth it? it is a cost of about $300 i'd rather not spend.. STEP 4: insulate with Roxul Safe n' Sound

The vapor barrier is in the wrong location - you never EVER place a vapor barrier up against the outside face of an outside wall in a cold climate area (which Toronto certainly is) You will have constant condesation of warm moist air taking place at the surface and it will destroy your framing in the end. if you want the true insulating value of the double wall then the drywall is a must - you have to beef up the mass of the outside wall - and 1/2" isn't really enough - you should have at least 2 layers of 5/8" to have it amount to anything. You don't need to caulk the studs/plates to the sheathing - just the perimiter of the drywall within the stud bay - and then the bottom plate to concrete. Iinsulate with any fluffy insulation you want - nothing special required there........

*2" of air space between structures*

That's fine.......

THE BUILD - Inner Structure: STEP 1: frame with 2x4 wood STEP 2: insulate with Roxul Safe n' Sound STEP 3: install Rez Channel STEP 4: install 2 layers of 1/2" sheetrock (acoustisealing like crazy)

2x4 framing is run at 16" o.c. - 2x6 is run at 24" o.c. (typ for each) BUT - you get better LF attenuation with the 2x6 than with the 2x4 - for exactly the same board feet of lumber - and thus the same cost (for all intent and purpose). Once again - any fluffy insulation is fine - so whatever your best cost is - just go with it. Never EVER use RC with a double wal assembly - you will loose LF isolation - RC is made for use in single frame construction. Once again - your best bet is with dble layers of 5/8" drywall - An example of the added bang for the buck with 24 VERSUS 16 AND 5/8 VERSUS 1/2 follows: (this taken from IR 761) 2x4 studs @ 16" o.c.....2x4 studs @ 24" o.c.....2x4 studs @ 24" o.c. w/ dbl 1/2" ea side.....w/dbl 1/2" each side.....w/dbl 5/8" each side TestID TL-93-275.......TestID TL-93-286.......TestID TL-93-283 STC 64........................STC 65.....................STC 69 50 Hz 21.7.................50 Hz 21.6................ 50 Hz 26.7 63 Hz 24.3.................63 Hz 26.3................ 63 Hz 31.8 80 Hz 29.3.................80 Hz 31.1 ................80 Hz 36.6 100 Hz 35.6...............100 Hz 35.0...............100 Hz 39.5 125 Hz 40.3...............125 Hz 40.9...............125 Hz 44.6 160 Hz 46.2...............160 Hz 47.0...............160 Hz 51.3 200 Hz 51.6...............200 Hz 52.3...............200 Hz 55.9 250 Hz 58.0...............250 Hz 57.4...............250 Hz 61.8 315 Hz 62.7...............315 Hz 60.5...............315 Hz 64.9 400 Hz 67.6...............400 Hz 65.0...............400 Hz 67.3 500 Hz 70.4...............500 Hz 67.0...............500 Hz 70.1 630 Hz 73.6...............630 Hz 70.7...............630 Hz 72.9 800 Hz 77.2...............800 Hz 73.1...............800 Hz 78.0 1000 Hz 79.4............. 1000 Hz 77.5............. 1000 Hz 81.5 1250 Hz 82.7............. 1250 Hz 82.8............. 1250 Hz 85.6 1600 Hz 86.5.............1600 Hz 86.9............. 1600 Hz 83.9 2000 Hz 88.1..............2000 Hz 88.1............ 2000 Hz 75.3 2500 Hz 82.4............. 2500 Hz 83.7............. 2500 Hz 75.9 3150 Hz 79.6............. 3150 Hz 79.0............. 3150 Hz 81.7 4000 Hz 84.3............. 4000 Hz 82.9............. 4000 Hz 87.4 5000 Hz 89.2............. 5000 Hz 88.4............. 5000 Hz 91.5 6300 Hz 90.3............. 6300 Hz 89.7............. 6300 Hz 90 Those numbers speak for themselves.

Attached are some rough plans i have drawn up so you can get an idea of what i'm talking about. again, measurements are not exact, and all designs are up for debate.

The splay you added to the wall of the control room now has it in a non-symmetrical shape =- symmetry is crucial in a controlr room - that needs to be fixed. BTW - as to the splayed walls them selves - what you have done has no acoustic value what so ever - it will not help with flutter echo or comb-filtering - it is not enough splay. If you can't devote the space you need to make this work acoustically - then you are better off just leaving square corners and maximizing your room volume. A splayed wall needs to be a minimum of 1 in 10 - thus 6% (actually 5.710593° rounded) to have any acoustic value - and that's for each side of a room - so you'll loose 2" for every 10" - or 18" total by time you reach the back of the control room (at 15' length) - in the tracking room that would be 2' total. In closing - I seriously suggest that you consider the one room combo for a space this small....... you'll be glad you did in the long run (it's the set up that I use in my room by the way). Sincerely, Rod

thanks for this reply, tons of much needed info here!

In a space that small I would opt for a single - dual porpose room- your control room will need a heck of a lot more treatment than you show as small as it is going to be - almost to the point of anechoic........ you would be much better off (in the long run) wearing phones to moitor recording and have the advantage of a large control room environment .

rod, i knew you were going to say this. i've read a ton of your posts, and i know you are a big fan of the one room environment. i totally agree, this is probably the best solution for this small of a space. especially with the fact that one of the bands practicing there has 11 members!! but, i have my heart set on the cntrl/live set up. i have worked in a few one room studios, and have never been able to get the sounds i really want. i always end up settling because ie. the kick feels better when i'm in the room with it as opposed to me hearing it isolated through my speakers, you know? i am also going to be doing a lot of R&D, and for that i will deffiantly need seperation for my speakers. i am a huge fan of the concept of the one room studio. anytime i work with bands they feel so comfortable cause i'm right beside them lying on the floor loving what i hear, but that set up would just not be practicle for a lot of the recording i will be doing.

If you have spent a few months studying acoustics in this forum then you have learned just enough to be dangerous to yourself and others with your depth of knowledge.......... a college graduate with a 4 year degree majoring in acoustics isn't ready to design (and thus is not competent to draw conclusions) until he is ready to get his stamp - and that's generally 6 to 8 years of working under the guidance of a liscensed professional (at least 3 of which have to be within the disipline of acoustics design).

good point man, i seriously dont know SHIT about acoustic treatment! my plan is to loosley base my control room after the main room i have recently seen at a local mastering studio in toronto. basically, almost the whole wall was covered in 1x2 framing, wrapped in burlap type fabric, and some had dense fiber insulation, some didn't. but acoustical treatment is actually something that i was going to leave until the space is actually built, and have a little fun learning on my own what does what, by practice, and by switching to the studio design forum to learn some things.

The vapor barrier is in the wrong location - you never EVER place a vapor barrier up against the outside face of an outside wall in a cold climate area (which Toronto certainly is) You will have constant condesation of warm moist air taking place at the surface and it will destroy your framing in the end.

sorry, i forgot to edit my post. my friend pointed that out to me and now i have decided to put the barrier on the inside wall before i put the double drywall up. thoughts?

if you want the true insulating value of the double wall then the drywall is a must - you have to beef up the mass of the outside wall - and 1/2" isn't really enough - you should have at least 2 layers of 5/8" to have it amount to anything.

damn.. that is going to run me another $1500 at least.. what if i added another sheet of 1/2" plywood, with green glue pooped in between?

You don't need to caulk the studs/plates to the sheathing - just the perimiter of the drywall within the stud bay - and then the bottom plate to concrete. Iinsulate with any fluffy insulation you want - nothing special required there........

cool, so when you say the bottom plate, should i go mental on this thing? should i put caulking all over the concrete BEFORE i place the plate, and then add more caulking around the seams? or would just caulking the seams do the job?

2x4 framing is run at 16" o.c. - 2x4 is run at 24" o.c. (typ for each) BUT - you get better LF attenuation with the 2x6 than with the 2x4 - for exactly the same board feet of lumber - and thus the same cost (for all intent and purpose). Once again - any fluffy insulation is fine - so whatever your best cost is - just go with it. Never EVER use RC with a double wal assembly - you will loose LF isolation - RC is made for use in single frame construction. Once again - your best bet is with dble layers of 5/8" drywall -

sorry man, is there a couple typographic errors in this quote? cause you mention 2x6 once, but not again? is that bolded quote supposed to be 2x6? if what you are saying is that i should choose 2x6 24"o.c., then i will!

The splay you added to the wall of the control room now has it in a non-symmetrical shape =- symmetry is crucial in a controlr room - that needs to be fixed. BTW - as to the splayed walls them selves - what you have done has no acoustic value what so ever - it will not help with flutter echo or comb-filtering - it is not enough splay.

how does the angle look in the 3d diagram?

If you can't devote the space you need to make this work acoustically - then you are better off just leaving square corners and maximizing your room volume. A splayed wall needs to be a minimum of 1 in 10 - thus 6% (actually 5.710593° rounded) to have any acoustic value - and that's for each side of a room - so you'll loose 2" for every 10" - or 18" total by time you reach the back of the control room (at 15' length) - in the tracking room that would be 2' total.

yeah, that's why i was orginally thinking i should build it square, then treat it later as i learn better technique in acoustic treatment. also to save $$ right now. i am really into your idea fo the one room. i am deffinatly considering it, you have sent me back and forth. for now i'm going to keep it as two. what's a good option for splitting up the room temporarily? thanks! sicksound ouo

sicksound wrote:

thanks for this reply, tons of much needed info here!

good - tis always nice to be appreaciated.........

In a space that small I would opt for a single - dual porpose room- your control room will need a heck of a lot more treatment than you show as small as it is going to be - almost to the point of anechoic........ you would be much better off (in the long run) wearing phones to moitor recording and have the advantage of a large control room environment .

rod, i knew you were going to say this. i've read a ton of your posts, and i know you are a big fan of the one room environment. i totally agree, this is probably the best solution for this small of a space. especially with the fact that one of the bands practicing there has 11 members!! but, i have my heart set on the cntrl/live set up. i have worked in a few one room studios, and have never been able to get the sounds i really want. i always end up settling because ie. the kick feels better when i'm in the room with it as opposed to me hearing it isolated through my speakers, you know? i am also going to be doing a lot of R&D, and for that i will deffiantly need seperation for my speakers. i am a huge fan of the concept of the one room studio. anytime i work with bands they feel so comfortable cause i'm right beside them lying on the floor loving what i hear, but that set up would just not be practicle for a lot of the recording i will be doing.

Well I was looking at your room - and I don't see anyway you fit the 9 people in there as indicated - never mind 11. Especially with 2 drumers Damn - my room is 16' wide by 20' long - and (starting with the room dead empty) by the time that you put in amps - PA - Drums and people with instruments - you are hard pressed to get much more than a 5 piece in there - never mind 9 or 11 pieces. With that many people in a 20 x 15 room they had better be real REAL good friends - and it's your building that's 15' isn't it? the room is going to be almost another foot shy of that once the double construction is done with..... There are companies that make very decent movable panels for splitting rooms up in hotels and the such - and they have decent (not great) acoustic iso values - but they are pricey - you might spend 6 to 8 grand for a room your size - however once done - they open up and dissapear allowing the larger room or the split for seperate tracking - which is the best way to maximize the space.

if you want the true insulating value of the double wall then the drywall is a must - you have to beef up the mass of the outside wall - and 1/2" isn't really enough - you should have at least 2 layers of 5/8" to have it amount to anything.

damn.. that is going to run me another $1500 at least.. what if i added another sheet of 1/2" plywood, with green glue pooped in between?

The 1/2" plywood doesn't have the same density as drywall - and always has problems with voids. You could use MDF I suppose if you could get it cheap enough - but the labor is a pain. ANd I would use 2 sheets not one - once you are done with this - don't forget that the only mass you will be able to add is on the inside - so if you want another 6 db of iso - it would mean doubling all of the mass in both walls on the inside only - not a great idea........ I say eat it up front and maximize on the outside wall while you can.

You don't need to caulk the studs/plates to the sheathing - just the perimiter of the drywall within the stud bay - and then the bottom plate to concrete.

cool, so when you say the bottom plate, should i go mental on this thing? should i put caulking all over the concrete BEFORE i place the plate, and then add more caulking around the seams? or would just caulking the seams do the job?

You never need caulk under the plates- on the existing outside wall - caulk he inside seam to wall and (if you can) the perimeter on the outside as well.

2x4 framing is run at 16" o.c. - 2x4 is run at 24" o.c. (typ for each) BUT - you get better LF attenuation with the 2x6 than with the 2x4 - for exactly the same board feet of lumber - and thus the same cost (for all intent and purpose). Once again - any fluffy insulation is fine - so whatever your best cost is - just go with it. Never EVER use RC with a double wal assembly - you will loose LF isolation - RC is made for use in single frame construction. Once again - your best bet is with dble layers of 5/8" drywall -

sorry man, is there a couple typographic errors in this quote? cause you mention 2x6 once, but not again? is that bolded quote supposed to be 2x6? if what you are saying is that i should choose 2x6 24"o.c., then i will!

Yup - use 2x6 @ 24" o.c.

The splay you added to the wall of the control room now has it in a non-symmetrical shape =- symmetry is crucial in a controlr room - that needs to be fixed. BTW - as to the splayed walls them selves - what you have done has no acoustic value what so ever - it will not help with flutter echo or comb-filtering - it is not enough splay.

how does the angle look in the 3d diagram?

is it one in 10? - it looks corrected as far as symmetrical as far as I can see - as long as the front and reatr walls have been adjusted as well.

If you can't devote the space you need to make this work acoustically - then you are better off just leaving square corners and maximizing your room volume. A splayed wall needs to be a minimum of 1 in 10 - thus 6% (actually 5.710593° rounded) to have any acoustic value - and that's for each side of a room - so you'll loose 2" for every 10" - or 18" total by time you reach the back of the control room (at 15' length) - in the tracking room that would be 2' total.

yeah, that's why i was orginally thinking i should build it square, then treat it later as i learn better technique in acoustic treatment. also to save $$ right now.

OK

i am really into your idea fo the one room. i am deffinatly considering it, you have sent me back and forth. for now i'm going to keep it as two. what's a good option for splitting up the room temporarily?

The movable walls mentioned above......... Rod

With that many people in a 20 x 15 room they had better be real REAL good friends - and it's your building that's 15' isn't it? the room is going to be almost another foot shy of that once the double construction is done with.....

yeah, we are used to tight quarters though. right now, i have a 6 piece band who practices in a 12x14 room, PACKED with HUUUGE amps. and if it weren't for too many amps, we would be just right. so an extra 4 feet will make it toally comfortable for 6, and in the 11 piece band the other 5 are a group of female choir, so they can float around. it'll be tight, but it's deffinalty better than our other situations! right now the 11 piece practices in a basement that is 8'wx16'lx6.5'h.... wayy too tight! that band has 3 percussionists!!

There are companies that make very decent movable panels for splitting rooms up in hotels and the such - and they have decent (not great) acoustic iso values - but they are pricey - you might spend 6 to 8 grand for a room your size - however once done - they open up and dissapear allowing the larger room or the split for seperate tracking - which is the best way to maximize the space.

yeah i dont know man, i think i'm going to stick with the two rooms. at least i know the 6 piece will be totally happy there, and worst case the 11 piece is still happier than what they have now.

You could use MDF I suppose if you could get it cheap enough - but the labor is a pain. ANd I would use 2 sheets not one - once you are done with this - don't forget that the only mass you will be able to add is on the inside - so if you want another 6 db of iso - it would mean doubling all of the mass in both walls on the inside only - not a great idea........ I say eat it up front and maximize on the outside wall while you can.

ok, it's going to be between $1200-$1500 for 5/8", or $800-$1000 for 1/2". do you still think 5/8 is the way to go? also, should i green glue the outside drywall, or inside. i'm only going to do one. or, can i get away with no green glue at all? just want to try and even things out as much as po$$ible..

You never need caulk under the plates- on the existing outside wall - caulk he inside seam to wall and (if you can) the perimeter on the outside as well.

ok!

is it one in 10? - it looks corrected as far as symmetrical as far as I can see - as long as the front and reatr walls have been adjusted as well.

i dont quite understand 1 in 10? does this mean the desk wall is 7.5' and the back wall is 9 feet? is that more than 1 in 10? yeah i'm seriously thinking the two room design is more practical for what i want to do. cause as long as 6 people are happy, then i've got enough bands that can fit in there to offset the rent that way. and for studio work, i am doing all overdub work, so it would help me much more to have my own room to fuck around with gear while the talent is creating the gold, y'know? thanks again rod! can't wait to get started (i get in there on thursday!). sicksound x

Green glue on the inside face would be a real bonus - one in ten means this: _______________________________________I 1" .................................... 10"........................... so from the bottom left to the top right it would rise one inch for each 10 inches of run......... can you see that now? For every 100 inches of wall length - it would eat up 10" of room space. Got it? Rod

got it man thanks for the ascii illustration! soo, if my wall runs 13', and at one end it is 7.5', the other end would have to be no less than 10'... aaaaah! if you are saying that anything at all less than this doesn't make the slightest difference, then straight walls it is for me. as far as Green Glue, according to their site, so just glue my live room i'll need 2 cases to do a 70% coverage. this is good enough for me at $400! GREAT NEWS! i just found a local guy who is going to give me a ton of deals on materials, so doubling 5/8"s on the garage is now in my budget! one more question though. should i now vapour barrier the structure before i lay on the drywall? i dont want to have mouldy drywall paper back there that i dont know about. and is my assumption that lining the inside wall with vapour seal before drywalling correct? or does that add reflections? i will let you know, this space is something that i'm just trying to get running for as little $$ as possible, that will suit my needs for now. i have aspirations to find a massive space and do a proper job on room builds, but right now things in toronto are so insane that it's harder and harder to find big raw spaces that are affordable. so i dont mind cutting corners here and there. just want something that will last for about 2 years until i can get my socks rolled up for a biggie. thanks! sicksound xoxo

sicksound wrote:

got it man thanks for the ascii illustration! soo, if my wall runs 13', and at one end it is 7.5', the other end would have to be no less than 10'... aaaaah! if you are saying that anything at all less than this doesn't make the slightest difference, then straight walls it is for me.

Best bet (if you like slightly splayed walls just because they look kewl) would be to build square - and then a fake wall (fabric faced) in front with any splay you want that encloses your room treatments.

as far as Green Glue, according to their site, so just glue my live room i'll need 2 cases to do a 70% coverage. this is good enough for me at $400!

Good

GREAT NEWS! i just found a local guy who is going to give me a ton of deals on materials, so doubling 5/8"s on the garage is now in my budget! one more question though. should i now vapour barrier the structure before i lay on the drywall? i dont want to have mouldy drywall paper back there that i dont know about. and is my assumption that lining the inside wall with vapour seal before drywalling correct? or does that add reflections?

The inner most face of the inside wall before drywall is correct.

cool, thanks for all the help! just a couple more questions. 1. now that i am using 2x6 walls, is it still cool to use 3" insulation? 2. can i decrease the air space by an inch from 1" to 2"? so i guess i am good to go for the construction phase. straight walls, and then treat them later. just to wrap up before i move on: Garage Structure STEP 1: Caulk plate seams and holes STEP 2: Layer one of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk Seams STEP 3: Layer two of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk Seams STEP 4: Insulate * Two inches of airspace Inner Structure STEP 1: Frame 2x6's and caulk plate seams on either side STEP 2: Insulate STEP 3: Vapour Seal STEP 4: Layer one of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk seams STEP 5: GreenGlue STEP 6: Layer two of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk seams STEP 7: Finish i'll post pics every step i take. probably prep the garage this weekend and hopefully be all drywalled up and insulated by tuesday next week! can't wait! thank you rob, you have helped me so much. if you notice anything i'm messing up on, please dont hesitate to call me out! cheers, talk soon, sicksound ox

Insteead of responding a point at a time - I will just modify your lists to clarify or correct.......... Garage Structure STEP 1: Caulk plate seams and holes STEP 2: Layer one of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk Seams (Inside of stud bays) STEP 3: Layer two of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk Seams (inside of stud bays) Step 4 - install furring strip to lock in drywall in stud bays. STEP 4: Insulate * One inche airspace Inner Structure STEP 1: Frame 2x6's (caulk not required) STEP 2: Insulate STEP 3: Vapour Seal STEP 4: Layer one of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk (inside corners only ...........you can do a single coat of tape in the field.) STEP 5: GreenGlue STEP 6: Layer two of 5/8" Drywall, Caulk (Inside corners only - ........... tape remainder) STEP 7: Finish There you go......... Rod