Designing a one room studio with crates

The crates might be available and therefore preferable but they take up a lot of room.
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I have 1,600 sq. ft. That's more room than I know what to do with.

You didn't mention what they [the crates] are made of and whether they can support the ceiling.
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An earlier comment of mine: "I'm building it out of crates because I have a lot of crates (1/2" pine, approx. 24" x 21" x 24")" As to whether they can support a ceiling, I wrote this: "The ceiling will be supported by 2' of surface area on three sides, which will spread out the weight along the tops of 12 crates (about 23 lbs per crate assuming equal distribution). The floating side will have a double stud for added support, and the two 8'x8' frames will be held together by steel brackets. However, since I'm not taking the chance of the structure falling on me, I'll consult a contractor first."

Anything contacting the floor will transmit sound down through it.
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Understood. Thankfully, there's no one below me. I'm on the first floor.

I also suggest you look online for studio construction tips.
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Thank you for the suggestion and the link. In the end I decided that I wanted to work on music, not a construction project. I don't have enough knowledge or skills. I don't have the right tools. I don't even have a truck to transport materials. It would probably take me months to design and build a room, and I'd have to tear it down when I move. It's just not worth it. Maybe when I have a house and can build something more permanent.

Part of an earlier comment that I think you missed: "I've scrapped the crate idea and am going for two rooms: A control room and an ISO booth."

The booth will be a 4' x 6' Whisper Room, already ordered and on its way. I understand that these booths are designed primarily for VO, so they'll need some extra acoustic treatment. My control room will also need acoustic treatment. I plan to buy a measurement microphone to figure out the room problems and fix them within reason. I expect building (or buying) sound absorbers to be much simpler than building an entire soundproof room.
 
Jason April said:
I have 1,600 sq. ft. That's more room than I know what to do with.


An earlier comment of mine: "I'm building it out of crates because I have a lot of crates (1/2" pine, approx. 24" x 21" x 24")" As to whether they can support a ceiling, I wrote this: "The ceiling will be supported by 2' of surface area on three sides, which will spread out the weight along the tops of 12 crates (about 23 lbs per crate assuming equal distribution). The floating side will have a double stud for added support, and the two 8'x8' frames will be held together by steel brackets. However, since I'm not taking the chance of the structure falling on me, I'll consult a contractor first."


Understood. Thankfully, there's no one below me. I'm on the first floor.


Thank you for the suggestion and the link. In the end I decided that I wanted to work on music, not a construction project. I don't have enough knowledge or skills. I don't have the right tools. I don't even have a truck to transport materials. It would probably take me months to design and build a room, and I'd have to tear it down when I move. It's just not worth it. Maybe when I have a house and can build something more permanent.

Part of an earlier comment that I think you missed: "I've scrapped the crate idea and am going for two rooms: A control room and an ISO booth."

The booth will be a 4' x 6' Whisper Room, already ordered and on its way. I understand that these booths are designed primarily for VO, so they'll need some extra acoustic treatment. My control room will also need acoustic treatment. I plan to buy a measurement microphone to figure out the room problems and fix them within reason. I expect building (or buying) sound absorbers to be much simpler than building an entire soundproof room.
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Si, senor! Trap the corners (cut 2'x2' 703 diagonally and stack floor to ceiling, then tack cloth over the face), hang some clouds (4" thick 703 wrapped in cloth and hung 2-4" from the ceiling in the proper spots), dampen primary reflections, fine tune with a diffuser on the back wall and voila! Instant studio that can be taken apart in an hour or so. If you buy 703 in bundles, you'll probably end up mounting hardware and all under $500 (depending on the control room size).
 
BroKen_H said:
Si, senor! Trap the corners (cut 2'x2' 703 diagonally and stack floor to ceiling, then tack cloth over the face), hang some clouds (4" thick 703 wrapped in cloth and hung 2-4" from the ceiling in the proper spots), dampen primary reflections, fine tune with a diffuser on the back wall and voila! Instant studio that can be taken apart in an hour or so. If you buy 703 in bundles, you'll probably end up mounting hardware and all under $500 (depending on the control room size).
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If you read the whole thread, he records late at night and has a girlfriend in the place, so needed a solution for 'soundproof' recording.
 
It may even be worth considering recording direct where possible. No interference from outside sources, and very little noise to disturb others. A problem arises when trying to record vocals though...I suggest singing in sign language :D
 
BroKen_H said:
Si, senor! Trap the corners (cut 2'x2' 703 diagonally and stack floor to ceiling, then tack cloth over the face), hang some clouds (4" thick 703 wrapped in cloth and hung 2-4" from the ceiling in the proper spots), dampen primary reflections, fine tune with a diffuser on the back wall and voila! Instant studio that can be taken apart in an hour or so. If you buy 703 in bundles, you'll probably end up mounting hardware and all under $500 (depending on the control room size).
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Thank you for the advice! I've read elsewhere that Roxul 60 is just as good as OC 703, just not as rigid. The upside is that it's less expensive. Any feedback on this?
 
mjbphotos said:
If you read the whole thread, he records late at night and has a girlfriend in the place, so needed a solution for 'soundproof' recording.
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I assumed he was responding to my need for recording booth and control room acoustic treatment. I'm sure at the very least I'll need some bass traps or broadband absorbers. I have some acoustic foam and a big acoustic blanket which I've read are good for absorbing higher frequencies, but I don't have a clue where to put them, if anywhere. I'll probably start another thread about acoustic treatment, complete with photos and more detailed measurements of the space.
 
Ah, good. I did not misunderstand. I've done quite a bit of reading and learning about acoustics and a good listening environment. I used 703 because I was told it was better (denser material absorbs broader spectrum) for a smaller space (I'm in a 1000 cu ft room). Before you start to construct anything, since you're going to build your own space, look at a chart of prime room dimensions. There are several, but the best ones (so the experts tell us) are (HxWxL) 1x1.14x1.39, 1x1.28x1.54, 1x1.60x2.33 and 1x2x3.1. Of course, the longer the room, the lower the room's primary resonance (and also lower spread between resonances). Ideally, you want to work with 19' as a minimum (30 Hz resonance), but that is often not possible. That's where acoustical treatment plays a vital role. So if you can build the space, a 8'1 3/4" H x 13' x 19' (1x1.6x2.33, interior dimensions) room would give you optimal beginning acoustics. Now soundproofing will be another story. Floating floors, soundproof doors, and the construction of the walls and ceiling are best left to others here that can give you some specifics.
 
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