studio foam + sound proofing...question about set up

[CharleyBrown]

aight...so here's my issue...

right now I have enuff of a set up where I'd like to start recording here at home, and thus, because I have a condensor mic...I gotta soundproof to stop unwanted outside noise from entering...

HOWEVER, I have no place for a booth. I am renting this apartment temporarily, and will be moving out in May, only to move into another apartment in June, only to then move again, and into a different house in August. Thus, I will not be able to make a booth here either 'else lose my security deposit and a lot of money on a place Im not gonna be stayin in for much longer...

I thought about making my closet into a booth, but the way it looks, I don't think thats a possibility either. Now I have a space in my room which has three walls (2 walls + a door)...I was thinking of using this spot as my booth, but wanted to know if it would work. Another question would be is if I put studio foam up, how easy is it to remove, and can I re-use it after taking it down?

I will have my computer, mixer, monitors, e'erything in the same room, cept the computer and what not is on a different side of the room than is the space where I'd have my mic...

also, if the studio foam is removable...is it worth sound-proofing my entire room with it, or just the area where myself, and about 6 other artists will be flowing?

[Son of Mixerman]

Oy Vey...6 other guys in an apartment, recording??? You might get evicted just for that. OK, foam isn't going to help you in this particular instance. Foam reduces the reverberations and slap echo's but its not dense enough to used for soundproofing. If you have a little bit of money and some time , you can construct a make shift recording space in a storage unit. Around here there are U-Store-it and similar places where you can rent a unit from closet size up to 1200 sq/ft. You can contruct a studio within one of these as long as the walls are free standing, rack all your gear for mobility and your in business. Its better than an apartment and its secure because most of them have gated access. I have actually been in one. I had a friend who was recording an album and wanted me to check the place out. We drive to this storage unit place and Im thinking what in the blue blazes are we doing. We open the door and there it was. This guy had layed a floating floor iso booth in one corner a similar booth for amps and the rest of it was control room with gobo's. Splayed walls, artificial ceilings the whole thing was modular and worked really well. It wasn't pretty, but highly functional. The band tracked and mixed a 24 track 13 song record that go local radio play and some national attention.
Maybe we can get John Sayers to do some simple layouts that would work in this scenario. Good Luck.


SoMm

[CharleyBrown]

Originally posted by Son of Mixerman
Oy Vey...6 other guys in an apartment, recording??? You might get evicted just for that. OK, foam isn't going to help you in this particular instance. Foam reduces the reverberations and slap echo's but its not dense enough to used for soundproofing. If you have a little bit of money and some time , you can construct a make shift recording space in a storage unit. Around here there are U-Store-it and similar places where you can rent a unit from closet size up to 1200 sq/ft. You can contruct a studio within one of these as long as the walls are free standing, rack all your gear for mobility and your in business. Its better than an apartment and its secure because most of them have gated access. I have actually been in one. I had a friend who was recording an album and wanted me to check the place out. We drive to this storage unit place and Im thinking what in the blue blazes are we doing. We open the door and there it was. This guy had layed a floating floor iso booth in one corner a similar booth for amps and the rest of it was control room with gobo's. Splayed walls, artificial ceilings the whole thing was modular and worked really well. It wasn't pretty, but highly functional. The band tracked and mixed a 24 track 13 song record that go local radio play and some national attention.
Maybe we can get John Sayers to do some simple layouts that would work in this scenario. Good Luck.


SoMm

would a storage place have outlets for a computer set up tho? thanks...

[CharleyBrown]

i meant a townhouse for right now, my fault

[CharleyBrown]

I figured I'd go into more detail too...the 6 of us won't be recording at the same time, and no more than 3-4 people will be here at a time...most will just be coming in and out...I am also a college student if that helps any...

[Michael Jones]

Charley - You're moving around a lot; a WHOLE LOT!
That, coupled with the fact that you're renting, is quite obvious that you can't do any that could be considered even remotely semi-permenant. Plus you're a student. If you're anything like I was in college, you're about as broke as they come!

You need a temporary, modular solution.
Here's what I'd do:
Look around for places that sale used office furniture.
Find some old cubicle walls.
These things make great gobos!
They're dense, and padded, yet easy to move around.
Most of them are about 6' wide and 7' high.
Buy as many as you can affford.
Arrange those in which ever room you end up recording in.
You can even use 2 of them to make a "splayed" wall.
Plus, you take them with you when you move.

[Son of Mixerman]

Originally posted by CharleyBrown
would a storage place have outlets for a computer set up tho? thanks...

I probably varies depending on the place. Ive seen outlets in most of the places Ive been to.

SoMm

[John Sayers]

I've seen a studio setup in a storage unit - works well and there are no neighbours to annoy

cheers
JOhn

[CharleyBrown]

Originally posted by Michael Jones
Charley - You're moving around a lot; a WHOLE LOT!
That, coupled with the fact that you're renting, is quite obvious that you can't do any that could be considered even remotely semi-permenant. Plus you're a student. If you're anything like I was in college, you're about as broke as they come!

You need a temporary, modular solution.
Here's what I'd do:
Look around for places that sale used office furniture.
Find some old cubicle walls.
These things make great gobos!
They're dense, and padded, yet easy to move around.
Most of them are about 6' wide and 7' high.
Buy as many as you can affford.
Arrange those in which ever room you end up recording in.
You can even use 2 of them to make a "splayed" wall.
Plus, you take them with you when you move.

I kno this is gonna be a stupid question, but is it worth picking up some studio foam for the cubicle walls? thanks for the help.


Also, I may very well consider a storage space...Im going to look around here for a few options...thanks for the help y'all

[Doink]

That "auralex" or "sonex" stuff is just a sales ploy. Fiberglass insulation is way cheaper, apsorbs way more sound, and is more effective in the low end. To give it support and keep it all together, I like to staple it to a thin peice of plywood backing, then cover it in burlap.
This is only if you come to the conclusion that your room(s) are too live and need to be deadened. Just putting that stuff on your walls for the heck of it won't make it better.
To really make a room "soundproof" would require floating floors, floating ceilings, double walls.... Way too much for an apartment or any other temporary space.

[LAZI]

I have my studio setup in a storage unit. I never did anything to the walls because I wasn't supposed to be there that long. Kinda regret it now... After 3 years though I have learned to compensate. I have a temperature controlled 10'X20' unit. All the power I need with no extra charge.



That's a homemade iso booth...

[gtrplaya]

Lazi,
I like that compact set up...thanks for the link...Also love the Jet centerfolds in the left hand area...

[Giganova]

get some gian Markertek 52'x52' studio foam and put it on the walls. They come in flashy blue (looks great!) or grey and are very inexpensive (20 buxx each). For like 100 buxx you can soundproof your room (which is what I did).

[Giganova]

Lazi -- your studio looks great -- despite the cheap gurlz on the walls ;-) Seems like you are into electronic music, right?

[chippyd]

Giganova

have you got any pics of your room with the foam

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally posted by Giganova
get some gian Markertek 52'x52' studio foam and put it on the walls. They come in flashy blue (looks great!) or grey and are very inexpensive (20 buxx each). For like 100 buxx you can soundproof your room (which is what I did).

Er, no........ foam doesn't "soundproof" a room.....


There are two areas of concern here --

1) Sound absorption: where you try and minimize unwanted room reflections WITHIN an area

2) Soundproofing: where you're trying to stop unwanted noise from entering the room, and noise from within a room from escaping out (and bothering neighbors)


Sound absorption is handled with things like foam, diffusors, bass traps, etc.... and can be relatively inexpensive if you get inventive with materials (it's also real easy to deaden the room so badly that it sounds like crap!)

Sound absoprtion will do absolutely NOTHING to help with soundproofing.........

Soundproofing is a whole different ballgame -- and the bottom line is that it is expensive and requires significant alterations to a given structure. And after you've soundproofed an area, you STILL have to deal with sound reflection in that area by using sound absorption techniques.

Effectively containing sound to a given area requires isolation construction techniques and essentially building a room within a room.... and there is no cheap workaround for this. Period. The laws of physics don't care about your budget!

[longsoughtfor]

Hey Bruce - Have you begun construction on your new place? Any plans you can share? photos?

Happy Holidays
Kevin.

[Blue Bear Sound]

I'm still in the contractor tender stage --- John's plans are done.... I suppose he may post them on his site at some point....

I will definitely be posting pics as it progresses -- right now, there isn't much to see!

[Michael Jones]

Keep us posted Blue.
I'm interested in seeing John's lay-out, and hearing how well it works out for you.