In order to get the most useful answers out of this group, you should
let us know how much effort and expense you're willing to expend on
this matter, and what you're going to do with the space to justify that
effort and expense. If you have a trust fund burning a hole in your
pocket and a line of people at your door waving money at you either to
buy your CDs or hire you to record theirs, then our answers will be
different than if you've got $100 and a holiday weekend to spend
because you think you'll get rich and laid by opening a commercial pop
studio in your basement. Context is key. The correct answer is "hire
a professional acoustic consultant to get you results that will impress
your clients" or maybe "leave that nice house alone, its natural
acoustics will contribute to the charm of your folk blues recordings"
or maybe somewhere in between. Have you considered selling your
computer & recording equipment and buying a Playstation or a bag of
weed?

ulysses


In article nk.net,
Agent86 wrote:

I am in the planning stages of building a small studio in my basement. The
primary purpose of this room will be recording small electric groups,
including live acoustic drums. The house has plenty of very nice acoustic
spaces upstairs, with vaulted ceilings, staggered walls, and large
bookshelves, so acoustic instruments are generally recorded upstairs. The
goal for the downstairs room is to build a good sounding drum room with
enough space for a small combo (3-5 people) to play together.

Soundproofing is not necessary, as there are no close neighbors, but I
would like to add some degree of transmission loss in the ceiling since
there is a bedroom directly above.

The existing space is long and narrow (27' X 10'-4"). One long wall & both
short ones are cement block. The other long wall is a load bearing frame
with 2x6 studs 12" OC. From the concrete floor to the bottom of the floor
joists measures 8'-7". Since the joists are 2x10s, the bottom of the
actual ceiling (floor) is 9'-4.5". The floor above is 3/4" oak over 3/4"
OSB. There is about 6" of fiberglass batting in the ceiling currently.

I will have to build at least one wall which will shorten the long
dimension by about 3' because of some low-hanging plumbing. I will
probably built this wall at an angle, and am considering taking an extra
foot or so & using that space as a vocal booth. On the long framed wall, I
am planning to add an inch or so of firring to every other stud so that the
actual wall surface will not be parallel to the opposing block wall. I
would like to use varying thicknesses of plywood on the inside of this wall
to try & make the whole wall act as a bass trap, but I don't know if that's
feasible. I prefer not to attach anything to the block walls, but I will
screw hooks into the ceiling joists so I can hang packing blankets as
needed. I have built a drum riser which is isolated from the concrete
floor with neoprene pads.

I don't need a control room, since most of the time, the person doing the
recording will also be playing, and I have a mixing station set up in my
computer room upstairs. There are also a couple of other rooms and a
garage partitioned off in the basement where I can stash guitar amps, etc.
if needed.

I am looking for recommendations as to what treatments would work best on
the existing framed wall and the ceiling. Also any suggestions on how much
to shorten the overall length, and the best placement for the drum riser in
the room.

Thanks in advance,
Max

Agent86 wrote in
thlink.net:

I am in the planning stages of building a small studio in my
basement.
The primary purpose of this room will be recording small
electric
groups, including live acoustic drums.

Sounds fun

The house has plenty of very
nice acoustic spaces upstairs, with vaulted ceilings, staggered
walls,
and large bookshelves, so acoustic instruments are generally
recorded
upstairs. The goal for the downstairs room is to build a good
sounding drum room with enough space for a small combo (3-5
people) to
play together.

That's do-able


Soundproofing is not necessary, as there are no close neighbors,
but I
would like to add some degree of transmission loss in the
ceiling
since there is a bedroom directly above.

Well you have 6" of fiberglass already. If you want some sort of
serious db "soundproofing" ie. minimal leakage, you will need a
very
robust construction budget.

You have two issues: 1) how much leakage is acceptable? 2)
designing the
acoustics inside the room to acceptably record a rythm section.

For the first issue, tell us what is acceptable leakage.

For the second you will have to get busy understanding critical
distance, absorption coefficients, standing waves and RT60 (though
this
room is likely too small for RT60).

I will have to build at least one wall which will shorten the
long
dimension by about 3' because of some low-hanging plumbing. I
will
probably built this wall at an angle

Good idea, make it a panel absorber while your at it (Jeff coopers
book)
and use ethans mode calc to determine the best size of the room
givin
your final height. (you might float the ceiling)

, and am considering taking an
extra foot or so & using that space as a vocal booth.

You don't need a vocal booth. Why does everyone think they need a
vocal
booth? I presume its F. Alton. Get the room right - you can track
vocals in the room with the band, or overdub like evrybody else.


On the long
framed wall, I am planning to add an inch or so of firring to
every
other stud so that the actual wall surface will not be parallel
to the
opposing block wall. I would like to use varying thicknesses of
plywood on the inside of this wall to try & make the whole wall
act as
a bass trap, but I don't know if that's feasible.

sure it is if you bulid it right.

I prefer not to
attach anything to the block walls, but I will screw hooks into
the
ceiling joists so I can hang packing blankets as needed. I have
built
a drum riser which is isolated from the concrete floor with
neoprene
pads.

ok, why not float the whole floor?

I don't need a control room, since most of the time, the person
doing
the recording will also be playing, and I have a mixing station
set up
in my computer room upstairs. There are also a couple of other
rooms
and a garage partitioned off in the basement where I can stash
guitar
amps, etc. if needed.

I am looking for recommendations as to what treatments would
work best
on the existing framed wall and the ceiling. Also any
suggestions on
how much to shorten the overall length

Ethans mode calc.

, and the best placement for the
drum riser in the room.

drums in the center. You will need some gobos too.

Thanks in advance,
Max


Mack