TZounds, we welcome you to the forum, but please go here:
http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =17&t=7572 and read the rules. That means completely filling out your profile. We also appreciate at least knowing your name. So ending your posts with your name would be great. Thank you!
I'm building my first (and probably only) recording studio from scratch.
Before you build anything, it's very important that you DESIGN it 100% first. Have a 3D model done in SketchUp Make. Have 2D architectural drawings. With these two items on hand, you will easily be able to obtain building permits and if you want to, you'll probably easily get a business license to operate your studio on a commercial level as well!
A "To Do" list with model numbers, quantities, where to buy the stuff, and the price is great to have as well. That way you know what you're getting yourself in to financially. It also forces you to dig into product details such as how big your automatic door bottoms are so you will know how big of slot you need to have in the bottom of your doors!
I've been doing some research on just about everything including wall soundproofing but can't seem to find a (more or less) definitive answer. Most articles I read about constructing/soundproofing interior walls seem to focus on the use of wooden frames with decoupled studs, insulation, air pocket and double drywall sheets on both sides.
Spent a few hundred more hours reading the heck out of threads here on the forum and you'll be sure to know the answer. First off, it's rare to see the term "soundproofing" around here. That's because it is kind of a fairy tale term. Here are are terms we use and some rough definitions of them so that you aren't confused when you read them:
Adiabatic to Isothermal = the energy conversion insulation performs with sound energy.
Acoustic Interference = Sound waves colliding and combining in the air.
Cleats = These are little pieces of wood used to hold on the beef up material.
Constructive interference = 2 waves in phase making twice the amplitude.
Cross Sectional Area = Area of a circle = π r2 , where Radius = half of the diameter. Area of a rectangle = width x height
Deconstructive interference = 2 waves exactly out of phase adding up to zero.
Gas Flow Resistivity = The property of insulation that determines how insulation will affect sound. This is also called “acoustic impedance”
HRTF = Head Related Transfer Function
Insertion Loss (IL) = decrease in dB due to silencer or sound attenuating device.
ITDG = Initial time delay gap. This is the time difference between arrival of the direct wave and the first strong reflection at the listener.
Laminar = Means without turbulence = straight flow
Noise Reduction (NR) = Difference in dB between 2 points along path of sound propagation. The arithmetic difference between the sound pressure levels in adjacent spaces.
Speaker Boundary Interference Response = SBIR is a comb filter
Specular = Mirror type reflection.
Transmission Loss (TL) = Difference in dB due to obstruction. Ex: Wall.
Waveguide = horn/tweeter cone. This provides an impedance match to the air in the room.
Reverberation Time = RT
RT60 = describing decay times. How long it takes for the initial sound to decay 60 dB.
My question is this; when constructing interior walls and the structure is permanent (so no garage refit or difficult landlords to consider) what choice of material would be preferred and why? Do I use 2 layers of high density concrete block walls (with air gap + rockwool insulation) - so more or less like the outside walls - or would I go for the staggered studs, insulated, air gap, double layered drywall approach?
Once you read the forum rules, you'll see that it is very important to determine how much isolation you NEED. From there, you can either manually calculate the isolation you'll achieve using different combinations of leaf sheathing and gap distance, or you can use a calculator that is stickied near the top of the design forum.
I also need to point out that you should only ever post questions on this thread that you've created as it pertains directly to your design and build. Please don't post questions in new threads as it clutters up the forum and makes it impossible for people to follow your project.
I look forward to seeing where you design goes from here. Again, welcome!
Greg
