Building a Studio/Jam Room

[2Kickdrums]

Not sure where to stick this, but here goes:

I'll be moving into a new home in a couple of months and would like to get a
head start on materials/ideas to build a decent studio room.

I'm looking for budget materials that yield respectable acoustics for recording,
as well as making the room somewhat sound proof.

This will be built from scratch in a concrete basement. No studs, or framing
is currently in the way, so feel free to suggest anything and everything that
has helped you. Keep in mind I'm a drummer, so neighbours will hate me if
I can't supress the 'noise'.

Some thoughts off the top:

- acoustic insulation for ceiling and inside wall(s)
- carpet for floor
- non reflective wall material? Cover with acoustic foam? Padding/Fabric over insulation? Leave without drywall?
- acoustic tiling for ceiling, or leave with insulation only?

- Live end / dead end setup, or not beneficial?

 

[The Cancers]

When my band first got started, we were in the basement of my drummer's frat house for practices. It was similar to what you described (the concrete part being the most important similarity in my mind). You might not end up needing as much straight soundproofing as you think. You are underground, after all. But, if the room is anywhere similar to the one we were playing in, you're gonna want to deaden the sound some. We spent six months trying to hear our songs through the muddy reflections off all that concrete. I can't give you anything close to professional advice, but I will tell you that I was playing around in a friend's basement this weekend. He had literally everything (doors, ceilings and floors, stairs) lined with scrap carpet he'd lifted from some dumpster or other. It killed a lot of the room sound, which made it ideal for practicing with a full band, since everybody was just hearing everybody else, though I have no idea what it would be like as a recording environment. Apparently it was labor intensive, but cheap as hell, and you couldn't hear anything from outside the house.

 

[Ethan Winer]

Not sure where to stick this

How about the Studio Building section of this forum?

I'm looking for budget materials that yield respectable acoustics for recording, as well as making the room somewhat sound proof.

Soundproofing is a very different issue than acoustic quality, but this will answer most of your questions about the latter:

Acoustics FAQ

--Ethan

 

[2Kickdrums]

Thanks for the very informative link and pointing out that we do have a studio forum here. I must be blind as I scrolled down the entire list!

Seems like I have some reading ahead of me!