Building My 1st Recording Room

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:04 am

Good day!

I'm looking at building a room that I can record in. From what I understand, the first step is to build a floating floor, then I build walls/ceiling on top of that. I've learned that everything should be decoupled. Sooooo......

I have a space that is 10'x16'x92"h. The floor is poured concrete. Two of the walls are concrete floor to ceiling. In case you haven't guessed, I'm in a basement.

I guess right now I have two primary questions:

1.) I've heard that room measurements shouldn't be divisible by themselves (4' x 8', or 3' x 9'). Given the dimensions of 10'x16'x92"h, what size should my room be?

2.) What would be the best approach for building the floor?

Thanks so much geniuses of recording.org! I'm ready for your guidence. Smile

Richard Bowen

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:23 am

Hi.

You should read this and follow the guidelines, help should follow.
http://recording.org/ftopict-36851.html

Cheers.

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:29 am

eyeveedrip wrote:

I've learned that everything should be decoupled.

Only if sound isolation is important. Otherwise don't bother.

Quote:

Given the dimensions of 10'x16'x92"h, what size should my room be?

10'x16'x92"h Very Happy

Seriously, that's not bad as it is, and making it smaller will only hurt.

--Ethan

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:39 am

Thanks Greener and Ethan! Those were some quick responses.

I suppose that sound isolation is important, as I don't want to disturb my family and/or neighbors if I'm tracking drums at 12am. I guess I will keep the room dimensions about as big as I can... I had been thinking the walls would be about 6 inches away from the house walls and ceiling.

Thanks again! Any more input is encouraged and welcome. Smile

Richard

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:18 pm

Me personally, I would like to know where or rather how floating a floor has gotten to the top of the "building a recording studio" list?

Where does that come from? Is someone out there on the fringes of the Internet, in a darkened area giving out this one piece of be-all-2-end-all information?

I have never heard this in my physical life as a must have component for acoustics, but see it here and a few other acoustic related places.

Maybe it's backed with the eggcrate and mattress thing?

...jezz talking to myself...

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:09 pm

Richard,

begin your trek here with reading the sticky entitled " - read this first" -

there is a reason it is named that - and it is intended that posters here follow that if they expect to get any real assistance.

Rod

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:57 am

Thanks Rod. I read that a little earlier when Greener pointed me to it.

As to answer your question Space, I've read in numerous places that decoupling the recording space from the structure it is being built in is essential, because sounds travel through the structure into your recording space if not decoupled... especially the heavy sounds of people stomping around on the floor above you. You are saying that this is false? Please respond.

Thanks,
Richard

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:18 pm

I'm saying it seems to be the first place folks mention as one of the first things to do when a build starts.

Not walls or ceilings or the support beams in the middle of the room, it is often, not always, but a high percentage mention floating floors first. Many find that it is not what will be required to have a qualified isolated recording environment.

It is not a false statement by itself.

I'm going to point you to two, only 2 different threads, you read them and then decide if you still need this floor that some other link put in your mind with little to no support Smile

Is floating a floor right for you?

Paul's STUDIO BUILD DIARY

For me, eyeveedrip, because I swing a hammer everyday and have first hand information on how heavy "heavy" really is, PLUS, I quit smoking 4 days ago, it gets under my skin! Kinda like this nicotine patch? I wonder if rolling it up and lighting it will be better?

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:43 pm

bytheby..."Thanks so much geniuses of recording.org! I'm ready for your guidence." /quote

This doesn't apply to me. Just to be sure.

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:56 pm

Space,

Thanks so much for your reply! That is the kind of awesome information I'm looking for! I guess now my concern is this: if I build decoupled walls and celing directly on my basement concrete slab, is the slab going to allow sound to be heard on the upper floors? The first article you sent to me would lead me to believe that decoupled wall and ceiling right on the slab would be fine and not bother residents upstairs. I'd probably have to be more concerned about the frame of the room reverberating and transmitting sound?

I don't know exatctly what you were plannign on rolling up and lighting, but if it's not tobacco I say go for it! Perhaps some nice green leaf lettuce or oregano? Nicotine = Evil. Good luck kicking it.

Richard

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:13 pm

Maybe I should change my little known and not much cared about Signature file to say something like that?

"It doesn't matter how you got it, as long as you get it!"

Applies to so many things don't ya think Greener? Smile

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:40 pm

I'm always a bit shy of people who think the end justifies the means.

Unless the end is a chocolate cake and the means is some first class baking.

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:45 pm

So it does matter how you get it?

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:16 pm

Ultimately one should plant their own wheat and process it by hand.
Raise some chickens for the freshest of eggs.
Refining Sugar and Cocoa should be taught in primary school.
From just one cow you can get the milk, butter and cream needed.

However I'm lazy.
Huge machines reap and process the wheat, eggs come from chickens kept in shoe boxes, sugar can come from Cuba, cocoa from South America and both always come from a farm with similar working conditions. Calves become veal so we can have milk products.
With the finest of baking skills you can't tell the difference.

Everything and nothing matters.

Is this threadjacking?

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:24 pm

Beats me. I was referring to how a person gets the right information on if a floated floor is needed and why it most likely isn't.

But that cow and cake thing was OK too. Got to admit though...made me kinda hungry!

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