Studio Flooring

H

hummcat

New member
Hi, gang:

I am creating a studio out of my barn/garage. I will have a control room, 15 x 17, and a recording room, 18x20. Both rooms will be soundproofed and acoustically treated, but the recording room, which has concrete floors, will have to double as a garage during the week to park cars in.

What is the best temporary solution for the floor for my weekend sessions? Pad and carpet? or is there something else I should consider?
 
hummcat said:
Hi, gang:

I am creating a studio out of my barn/garage. I will have a control room, 15 x 17, and a recording room, 18x20. Both rooms will be soundproofed and acoustically treated, but the recording room, which has concrete floors, will have to double as a garage during the week to park cars in.

What is the best temporary solution for the floor for my weekend sessions? Pad and carpet? or is there something else I should consider?
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You are kidding, right? (Please don't be offended...)

My first observation would be that a garage can not be "soundproofed" and "acoustically treated" with concrete floors and double as a parking place for cars...

Sorry if I've gotten out of line but I'm merely trying to warn you of the pending disasters and disappointments you may be facing...

Additionally, you have to consider air/heat ventilation that may be needed during you "studio" times...

If you plan on spending money to convert the "barn/garage" into a studio, why not add covered "carport" area for parked cars? (Just a thought??)

Hope it all works out!
 
"Scored and Stained" concrete looks good, but if your cars have ever leaked oil, then you're screwed for that option.

Oh, and ummm.... what "marsmgr1" said too.
 
MarsMgr1 has obviously never heard of a little show called, "Monster Garage".

Acoustical treatment is completely in the realm of possibility in this application. Although, soundproofing is not. Sound deadening yes. So, rock on weekend warrior.

Anyways, i'd go with carpets of 8x10 that you can easily roll up or out.

Blind Cowboy...
 
Blind Cowboy, thanks for your constructive insight. As I mentioned, this is all I have to work with so I have to make it work somehow (for now, anyway).

Sound proofing (for at least the recording room) isn't as much as an issue for me as acoustic properties, since my control room will be completely isolated from the recording room. I have no neighbor problems to speak of.

marsmgr1, thanks for the insight, but I'm not too worried about any "disasters" since this is my weekend hobby:-) btw, good suggestion on the car port.
 
While a garage door is not an acoustically pleasing device, one can make this work.

The concrete floor is going to reflect sound big time, which would be okay if the ceilings, walls, et al were acoustically treated to capture and hold those reflections.

The garage doors are easy, actually, use auralex foam across the entire door and call it a day. Then treat the other surfaces more seriously to compensate the best you can.

The floor is also easy. Build an insulated structure, like a drum platform, and have the musicians sit/stand on that instead of the concrete. Hinge it, or make it in sections, so it can be pulled apart or collapsed against the wall, back corner, attic, whatever.

While its very nice of course to have a perfect studio, often home studios have to coexist with other functions, so one has to make do with what they have, then treat it the best they can, then adapt their ears the rest of the way.

My first home studio was a walk in closet :-D It can be done, just requires practice mixing in the environment, possibly some post-mixer pre-monitor EQ settings, and some serious ear training.

I'm using a garage loft for my home studio, and the garage door opener is easily heard in the studio. Oh well, nothing I can do about it, but I did insert a switch, and a relay, that disables the thing so if I'm recording using microphones, the garage door won't work.

I've also installed electric strikers between the garage loft and the rest of the 2nd floor in the house to prevent accidental entry, to complain about the garage door not working, while the mics are live.

:-D
 
While its very nice of course to have a perfect studio, often home studios have to coexist with other functions, so one has to make do
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Hey hey frederic. Right on. Not all of us can have PERFECT solutions. One consideration is neighbors. Are you trying to prevent sound transmission because of close neighbors? You SAY soundproofed but do you ACTUALLY realize what this intails.

Consider this. When you soundproof, you AIRPROOF. If you airproof, how do you ventilate. Soundproof is a misnomer. To what degree are you soundproofing? That is the question. Just the airleaks around the garage door is enough to totally negate thousands of dollars in other soundproofing techniques. So, where are you going to compromise? I suggest this. READ. Read everything you can here and elsewhere. Do a search on soundproofing. Treatment is one thing, sound transmission is another. Don't set yourself up for disappointment and draining your budget for lack of knowledge. UNDERSTAND the nature of soundproofing, YOUR existing conditions, and where you want to compromise. Because you have already compromised soundproofing criteria, by the double use of the space. This is not to say a certain LEVEL of soundproofing cannot be obtained. It is to what degree you and your neighbors will be satisfied. And if sound transmission OUT is not the problem, then ST IN, is. Otherwise, why are you trying to soundproof. What are you trying to keep OUT? These are the sort of questions I would ask myself, and address those issues as best as possible. Large truck, train, aircraft, factory, or any low frequency high intensity noise are a very difficult issue to deal with, even under the best circumstance and high budget allowance. Soooo.....compromise is the name of the home recording game. Usually. Let me put it this way. A 1/32" hole in a wall, floor, ceiling or structural transmittal can negate all of your planning, work and budget. My .02
fitZ
 
RICK FITZPATRICK said:
Consider this. When you soundproof, you AIRPROOF. If you airproof, how do you ventilate...Let me put it this way. A 1/32" hole in a wall, floor, ceiling or structural transmittal can negate all of your planning, work and budget. My .02
fitZ
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i'm in the process of building a music room in my new detached garage. i've framed the inside walls myself, and am considering drywall, acoustic lead, res channel, and a 2nd layer of drywall. my problem is ventilation. i've installed a 200 cfm exhaust fan in the corner of the 10' high ceiling, and will use 7" duct for 10' along, then up through the roof for exhaust. i also must have a fresh air intake (10" passive) to draw air into the room. this will be drawn from the far end of the building away from the next-door neighbors.

how do i vent this room without compromising all the steps i'll take to soundproof it?

the primary reason for all of this is to avoid disturbing the neighbors, and/or the families in our house. any ideas or suggestions?
 
Bigbert - "i've framed the inside walls myself, and am considering drywall, acoustic lead, res channel, and a 2nd layer of drywall. my problem is ventilation. i've installed a 200 cfm exhaust fan in the corner of the 10' high ceiling, and will use 7" duct for 10' along, then up through the roof for exhaust. i also must have a fresh air intake (10" passive) to draw air into the room. this will be drawn from the far end of the building away from the next-door neighbors.

how do i vent this room without compromising all the steps i'll take to soundproof it?" -

If that's the exact order you're planning on, you are ALREADY in trouble; best I can suggest is to check the following link -

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3231

Once you've read the first 2 or 3 of the recommended links off THAT page, you will know a LOT more about what it takes - but please, for your own sanity, do NOT build anything or add any layers to anything until you understand the physics better; I hate to see people throw money and effort into something only to find that in order to accomplish their goal they have to TEAR IT ALL OUT and start over... Steve
 
frederic said:
While its very nice of course to have a perfect studio, often home studios have to coexist with other functions, so one has to make do with what they have, then treat it the best they can, then adapt their ears the rest of the way.

My first home studio was a walk in closet :-D It can be done, just requires practice mixing in the environment, possibly some post-mixer pre-monitor EQ settings, and some serious ear training.

I'm using a garage loft for my home studio, and the garage door opener is easily heard in the studio. Oh well, nothing I can do about it, but I did insert a switch, and a relay, that disables the thing so if I'm recording using microphones, the garage door won't work.

I've also installed electric strikers between the garage loft and the rest of the 2nd floor in the house to prevent accidental entry, to complain about the garage door not working, while the mics are live.

:-D
Click to expand...


Hope when you had the walk-in closet studio, they didn't try to lock ya in, bro'!

I like those extra measures you took with disabling the door and putting in electric strikes on the doors. I still have to think of something for my basement. I haven't finished brainstorming on it.
 
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