Studio Build- new construction advice

chromaticstatic

New member
I am planning a studio for my backyard. This will be a new construction. It will be 2/3 art studio and 1/3 music studio. I have a complete blank slate and have a space of ~12x20 w/ a 12 ft ceiling (the total size of the building will be 36X20).

I see plenty of posts here about building home studios within an existing room in a home, but not for a new construction.

If anyone has links for such a project, I'm looking.

Also- given that this is a new build- do I need the "room in a room" concept, or can I incorporate into the building plans the necessary soundproofing?

I'm learning as I go so please feel free to throw comments or questions at me.

Thanks.
 
If you truly want 'soundproofing' (in other words, no outside sound getting in, no inside sound getting out), you're going to end up with a 10'x18' room (at the most). There have been many threads here on building a studio from ground up, but note -are you doing it yourself, hiring a contractor? How about an audio design architect/engineer? Is this for yourself, a band, or a business?
 
If you truly want 'soundproofing' (in other words, no outside sound getting in, no inside sound getting out), you're going to end up with a 10'x18' room (at the most). There have been many threads here on building a studio from ground up, but note -are you doing it yourself, hiring a contractor? How about an audio design architect/engineer? Is this for yourself, a band, or a business?

Using a contractor
Have a friend who is a sound engineer helping
For personal use, just me, not planning on bringing in drums yet but want to preserve space if I decide to later

So you are saying that without the room-in-room I'm looking at 12' of sound proofing (rock wool etc) on each wall?
 
That includes exterior and interior walls.
The question is: 'do you really need soundproofing' Soundproofing requires mass - the more the better.
 
I have neighbors on all three sides of my backyard. I need soundproofing for amps; may add a drumset down the line. I need soundproofing for those reasons.

I'm still not clear if a new construction needs a room in room or if I can beef up the size of the framing and depth of insulation, thereby not losing room space?
 
Cautionary tale: The amp company I worked for found prospective new premises 'out in the sticks'. Good so far. The build was in a 'U' shape and we would be in one arm and an office firm in the one some 50mtrs opposite.

We setup a 100W 4x12 rig kicking out some 100-120dBSPL A and went walkabout. In the offices opposite the guitar level was down to some 75-80dB but the manager was STILL 'anti' because "you can still hear it"! I pointed out that the fan noise from the server/printer room was equal to the guitar ingress. That cut NO ice. They just did NOT want to hear rock and roll!

The moral is. If they 'know you are there' and they don't like you or the music they WILL bitch!

Constructively I would setup a guitar rig in the house and play at modest levels (first purchase! A decent sound level meter. You want at least A and C weightings. A recordable output would be good too) . Then go and ask around...They might come to you PDQ! The reaction you get can be fed into the Noise Reduction Equation as it were. If you find Zero Tolerance I fear you are on a hiding to nothing.

Dave.
 
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