Moving My Studio Into a Shed

[cominginsecond]

OK, here's the skinny: my wife and I are having another child in July. I'm really excited, but one worry that I have is that I will never be able to record with two little munchkins running around the house. One little munchkin was tough enough.

So... I've come to the conclusion that I've gotta move my studio out of the house. We have a utility shed in the back yard that I would like to convert into my studio. I'm not home right now, but I think the dimensions are probably, like, 12 X 10 or something like that. Maybe a little smaller. About the size of a master bedroom maybe. I realize that's very inexact. Anyway, my brother-in-law is a remodeler, and he's going to help me insulate and sheetrock the inside of the shed, as well as add all the necessities like a heater, etc. I then plan on installing some sort of room treatment kit, probably something like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp...ng_Accessories

So, here's what I'm wondering:

1. Is this a hare-brained scheme? Am I crazy?
2. What do you think of converting the shed? Have any of you tried anything like that?
3. What about the Auralex? I've heard mixed things about their products. I don't think I'd really want to make my own room treatment products, but perhaps I can be talked out of that. I looked at the Real Traps products, and they seemed really good, but kinda pricey.

Feel free to tell me anything you think might help me, up to and including "You're a nutjob for even considering this."

[Michael Jones]

Is there electrical power there now, or will you have to bring it in?

[GoneinUS]

If you looking into room treatments, check this site out, they are cheaper then the package you are looking at.

http://www.foambymail.com/soundproofing.html

[cominginsecond]

Originally posted by Michael Jones
Is there electrical power there now, or will you have to bring it in?

It has electrical power, but I will have to heat it.

Also, another thing I was wondering was with quieting my pc, because after I move my setup, I will not have a separate tracking room and control room.

[Sen]

Originally posted by GoneinUS
If you looking into room treatments, check this site out, they are cheaper then the package you are looking at.

http://www.foambymail.com/soundproofing.html

It's sad that someone that manufactures/sells foam for living can call foam - "soundproofing foam"

[frederic]

Originally posted by Sen
It's sad that someone that manufactures/sells foam for living can call foam - "soundproofing foam"

While innacurate, it's by far better than:

"Useless spongy crap you put on the wall to look cool yet uninformed, only $9 a tile in your choice of putrid colors."

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

If a company advertizes soundproofing foam, they should be sued for false advertizeing, as this would easily be prooved in court. However, as usual, their defense would be stupidity, as they really don't know the difference. But they will be glad to take your money for other your own stupidiy. Actually, I can't imagine anyone with one shred of common sense think that 1" thick FOAM on the wall will sound "proof" it against aircraft, trains, trucks, dogs, kids, cars, neighbors or what have you, let alone keep the 100db + sound of drums from escaping. That one is beyond my comprehension No wonder the foam companys sell this stuff by the truck load.

fitZ

[cominginsecond]

Yeah, I took one look at their site and realized there was no way I'd buy from them rather than Auralex.

Which gets me back to one of my original questions, do you guys like the Auralex stuff?

[lpdeluxe]

On the question of heating, I use the oil-filled electric radiators. They keep a small place pretty warm...I have one in my 20'X20' studio. They are silent, have no fumes or open flames, and ae portable.

[DDev]

The Auralex foam will provide a little bit of damping of the upper mid and high frequencies, but really does nothing for low mids and bass frequencies. Dollar for dollar, your best bet is to find a supplier of rigid fiberglass (like Owens-corning 703). You could line your entire shed walls and ceiling for less than that Auralex package (but you wouldn't need to line the whole thing, I don't think).

Darryl.....

[cominginsecond]

So rigid fiberglass will absorb high and low frequencies?

[cominginsecond]

Originally posted by lpdeluxe
On the question of heating, I use the oil-filled electric radiators. They keep a small place pretty warm...I have one in my 20'X20' studio. They are silent, have no fumes or open flames, and ae portable.

Do you have a link to information about one?

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

So rigid fiberglass will absorb high and low frequencies?

First, my disclaimer. I am NO expert. and at the risk of sticking my neck out, here is what I have been led to believe. It by no means is validated by test or proof on my behalf.

The lowest frequencys it will absorb will have a 1/4 wavelength equal to the dimension from the face of the absorption material, to a boundary behind it. Or there abouts. Also, because a soundwave has no velocity at a boundary, nothing gets absorbed at the boundary. Thats why it is recommended to space the fiberglass at least 1/2" to 1" off the wall. Rigid fiberglass absorbs because of FRICTION. As the air molecules move back and forth at a given frequency, they move within the "interstices" of the fiberglass, which transforms the energy to heat because of friction. The point of maximum velocity of the soundwave is at 1/4 wavelength. A wavelength of 100 hz is about 11.3 feet. Therefore, a 1/4 wavelength at 100 hz is about 2.85 feet. Thats how thick your fiberglass would have to be to absorb 100 hz at maximum effeciency. And then you must deal with HOW MUCH, in SABINES. 1 sq foot of open window, equals 1 sabine. I don't have the specs on hand for rigid fiberglass, but the absorption coeffiecent begins to drop off at about 200 hz, for 1" to 3" but you would have to search for the chart. I have yet to see anything here related to HOW MUCH should be absorbed, vs. the size of your room. But I believe it is based your existing absorption, and RT-60 target, although normal residential type small rooms very seldom exhibit a RT-60 that commercial control room designers target. Unless you STARTED with a room whose walls and ceiling were covered with ceramic tile. Thats why bathrooms are coveted by wanabe singers.
Diffusion in small rooms is also a subject of much study, at least from what I have read. The best advice I ever received in regards to diffusion in a small room, is APSORPTION in PATCHS is a diffuser of sorts.
Also, patchs of absorption material, will have a GREATER total absorption coeffiecent than the same square footage in ONE PIECE, because of what is known as the "edge effect". Don't ask me why. I'm no acoustician.

fitZ

[DDev]

What Rick says is correct about how much rigid fiberglass would be required BY ITSELF to absorb lower frequencies. Now, you have to think about alternative solutions since nobody wants to have a 3 ft thick wall of insulation. There are various bass trap designs out there that work in different fashions to help tame that lower end. I have a really small room (roughly 8x8) so what I installed was a corner bass trap that is a composite of Ethan Winer's membrane traps and John Sayers corner trap. I don't know the calculations or specific frequencies it works on, but it does work.

What my earlier point about the rigid fiberglass was meant for, though, was to say that you can purchase this material which is more useful for a variety of sound control functions for less money than the Auralex and you will get better results. I suggest you saturate your mind with the Recording Manual ( http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html ) to learn more about how to treat a small studio.

Cheers,
Darryl.....