Is Building A Studio In My Garage A Good Idea?

[XlouX]

wutsup everyone....i am new to this site....i am going in on a recording studio with a buddy of mine...i have a 22 by 13 ft garage that we want to use to get started....were also looking into the pro tools hd3 setup i belive....is this a good idea?....and if so any advice would be greatly appreciated...thanks alot...later
lou

 

[fitZ2]

If your looking for recommendations on recording systems, your in the wrong forum. If your looking for construction tips and advice, your in the correct place. What would you like to know?
fitZ

 

[XlouX]

Thanks for answering me...i actually have a few questions......me and my friend are going in half and half on this project...we plan to start construction in feb/mar of 2005..now in regards to cost what do you think im looking at for supplies?...the floor is concrete, all walls are concrete besides for where the garage door is...we plan to build a wall infront of that..as far as sound proofing i dont want my neighbors or parents being affected by this...what is the best way to sound proof that room with out going overboard? and my last one is...do you have any sugestions for any type of layout for a garage of this size for good acoustics and stuff?....if so shoot them my way...
thanks alot man
lou

 

[knightfly]

First thing that comes to mind is whether your walls are solid concrete or hollow block - makes a diff as to how you continue. Next is roof/ceiling construction, then garage door replacement, how loud you'll get, how close neighbors are, what's closest to garage within your own house, whether attics are common, etc - your best bet is to join here

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php

and cruise the Construction site, starting with REFERENCE section - most of this has been hashed to death, and we still have a Search function as well as twice the drawing size limits - it's just easier for me to work with people there... Steve

 

[Innovations]

A 2-car garage has enough room to be turned into a studio. I did some narration/audiobook classes in a nice studio build into a one car garage.

On the site referenced in the previous post you can see many examples of layouts.

As to how to make the room soundproof without going overboard...sorry, but making a room soundproof DOES require going overboard. There is no way that just a few changes or something stuck on the wall is going to keep your sound from getting out. Soundproofing requires a very exacting approach to isolating the box and plugging ALL flankig paths for sound

Another thing that is frequently overlooked in the construction-oriented forums about converting a garage is the LEGAL requirement. In other words the planning code in your community may require that all single family houses have two covered parking spaces. You can't just wall-up a garage door without providing for two OTHER covered parking spaces on the site.

Now some folks game this rule by building what they describe as just a very solid and permanent door and saying that the room CAN still be used as a garage (it would just require several hours of heavy labor and equipment to open the door). Whether your building department would buy off on that is an open question.