Trailer Studio Build...

[DrummerMan]

Seems like a good time to share this little adventure with y'all. I'm building a studio, or as I prefer to call it, a "Music Production Workspace" inside a 1950's travel trailer. I use that term in order to deflect some of the standard consideration when dealing with a proper "studio build". Mainly, sound isolation and the size of the space. I can only add so much weight without compromising the structural integrity, so that limits, especially, the use of sheetrock. I know there are alot of reasons not to do this, but the reasons FOR seem to outweight those against, so there it is, and I feel like I can work with it.

Anyway, I got delivery of the trailer at the end of august and have been slowly chipping away at demolition and am now in the midst of reconstruction. I took a video of the inside when I got it, but am having trouble finding it right now. When I locate it, I'll post.

Here's the trailer in full disaster deconstruction, after pulling out the side cabinets, the kitchen and the bathroom:
the back

and the front:



Here's the inside as of a couple days ago:
the back:


and the front. This will be the somewhat-isolated booth. I pulled off the side panelling and sealed up the aluminum, then stuffed 2" 705 in between all the studs to bulk up the outside mass. The roof and front exterior wall have some sort of 5/8" MDF under the aluminum, which was a little relief when I discovered that I couldn't pull off those interior panels without removing a good deal of the interior frame first . This pic was taken in the middle of putting up the RC strips. As of now they are up on all the walls. :


Here's facing back from the "drum room". I've framed out a curved wall to try and deal with some of the reflection issues I'm sure to have. Another thing about this trailer is the front wall is sloping out at about a 10 or 15 degree angle, so I'm hoping that will also help with some reflection issues. The ceiling is also sloping up at a slight angle, which gives me a much needed extra foot of height at the front, but the angle isn't enough to make a treatment difference, especially since I'm planning on doing my best to "disappear" the ceiling:


and for those who missed it in the "latest gear" thread, here's the first of the bass traps. I used the cabinets that were already there, because that's where some trapping is needed and I didn't have the heart to tear them down. It's fabric covered 2" 703 on the outside, with still-in-the-package pink insulation inside. Should do something...


I'll try and keep posting as it progresses. I'll hopefully be sheetrocking sometime next week, if I can borrow my neighbor's pickup to go pick the shit up at HD and if I can convince another buddy of mine to come through and help me with the work. I hate sheetrocking alone .

[JohnDavisNYC]

looks awesome geoff! we need outside pictures, too!!!

john

[Judas Jetski]

That Philco refrigerator is sweet.


I find the tone of vintage refrigeration much superior to modern refrigeration, although on an everyday basis modern refrigeration is of course more practical.

[DrummerMan]

looks awesome geoff! we need outside pictures, too!!!

john

BAM!



Hey John, did you get my PM. I'm ready to do that other business.

[Judas Jetski]

That drum booth looks promising. But how the heck are you going to stop your outdoor studio from becoming a caterwauling earsore for the rest of the neighborhood? (Or to put it more diplomatically , how do you plan on containing the sound effectively? Or don't you have to worry about the neighbors?)

[JWL]

wicked cool!

[DrummerMan]

That drum booth looks promising. But how the heck are you going to stop your outdoor studio from becoming a caterwauling earsore for the rest of the neighborhood? (Or to put it more diplomatically , how do you plan on containing the sound effectively? Or don't you have to worry about the neighbors?)

Well, it's going to be a compromise. I have no expectations that the neighbors won't hear some drums but I'm doing a few things to reduce that as much as possible.

Like I said up top, I tore down the side walls (the weakest link in terms of exterior wimpyness). I then painted about 1/8 - 1/4" thick of this stuff called Noxudol all over the aluminum. Noxudol is supposedly used in ship hulls and heavy machinery to reduce vibration. The way they describe it, it's supposed to act kind of like green glue, turning sound vibration into heat. There isn't the same data to support their claims as there is with GG, but it wasn't too much money (in the grand scheme, that is) and at the very least, it adds some mass to the aluminum and guarantees that every little hole and crevasse is sealed up. Then comes in the OC 705. Then resilient channels, followed by 2 layers of sheetrock with Green Glue in between.

For the windows, I'm first closing and sealing up the pre existing windows so they're airtight. Then, once the sheetrock is up, I'll be installing laminated glass windows on the inside. After that's all said and done, I'll probably also build some window plugs for when needed. I know that the smartest thing to do would be to just cover up the windows, but when I have work, I spend long hours in the studio and I can't imagine not having any light. I'll also be doubling the glass on that door between rooms.

For the ceiling, I'm just going to be putting 2 thinner layers of sheetrock (with GG) right onto the wood panel (since I can't remove that panel). I will then be covering the whole ceiling in 705 and ultratouch in an attempt to make it "disappear", sonically speaking.

And finally for the floor. Once the walls and ceiling are up, I'm going to layer 2 pieces of chipboard (GG'd together of course) without a frame over 2" of 705. Hopefully this should reduce floor vibrations to some extent.

All this added together probably won't be as good, TL-wise, as if I did the same things in a basement or even in the first floor of a house, but I think it'll work for me. Mostly what I do is soundtrack and scoring work. I don't need to be able to play the drums all the time (average about 1 hour every day), and when I do, I usually play pretty quiet. I think it should at least reduce the noise to a level where I won't be bothering the neighbors too much. Also, the closest neighbors are my wife's cousins that live in the same building as us, and who were the ones who kind of pushed me into going through with the idea. I'd say it's a good 100 ft. to the next house.

Keeping my fingers crossed to some degree, but I went into this fully accepting that if I couldn't do ANYTHING to help with isolation, it'd be ok. Therefor, every little step in the right direction is a bonus, as far as I'm concerned.

[Jay Reynolds]

Man, its going to be really cool when you're done. What security considerations have you taken into account?

[Judas Jetski]

Man, its going to be really cool when you're done. What security considerations have you taken into account?

And... is it still going to be mobile at all?

I have to say, this is quite the cool project.

[DrummerMan]

Man, its going to be really cool when you're done. What security considerations have you taken into account?

Ahhhh, yes.... security.


Bars on the windows.

Remote motion detector system inside.

Motion sensor activated video camera outside.

Signs that let others know about these things. Still trying to decide if those should be more subtle to not attract too much attention, or really blatant.

and Insurance.

[Jay Reynolds]

I'd throw a Lo-Jack system (or whatever the 2008 equivalent is) in there as well.

[Judas Jetski]

And a big, frickin chain from the axle to the nearest immovable object...

[DrummerMan]

And... is it still going to be mobile at all?

It'll be mobile in that when I move, I should be able to take everything, equipment-wise, out and tow it there, then re set up. I'm definitely adding on a bunch of weight with the sheetrock and stuff, but I also removed alot of the interior, so in the end, it's not too much heavier than it was when I got it, but I wouldn't want to push my luck with taking it out on the road too much. I also would have to go through the trouble of getting vehicle registration and keeping that up. Basically, I have no plans on it being a functioning "mobile" studio in the traditional sense, it'll just remain parked wherever I live, until I can afford a house that's big enough for me and my wife and however many kids we'll end up with and an office for the wife, AND a studio space for me, keeping in mind that basements are not real big in southern California. Hopefully, once I'm that loaded, I'll be able to also afford a piece of land in the wilderness up north where I can relocate the trailer to for "getting away from it all" recording. That's many years away, though.

[Judas Jetski]

And... is it still going to be mobile at all?

It'll be mobile in that when I move, I should be able to take everything, equipment-wise, out and tow it there, then re set up. I'm definitely adding on a bunch of weight with the sheetrock and stuff, but I also removed alot of the interior, so in the end, it's not too much heavier than it was when I got it, but I wouldn't want to push my luck with taking it out on the road too much. I also would have to go through the trouble of getting vehicle registration and keeping that up. Basically, I have no plans on it being a functioning "mobile" studio in the traditional sense, it'll just remain parked wherever I live, until I can afford a house that's big enough for me and my wife and however many kids we'll end up with and an office for the wife, AND a studio space for me, keeping in mind that basements are not real big in southern California. Hopefully, once I'm that loaded, I'll be able to also afford a piece of land in the wilderness up north where I can relocate the trailer to for "getting away from it all" recording. That's many years away, though.

That's just brilliant, brilliant! My heart breaks a little every time I hear about somebody investing hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into a space, only to lose the space to some C.H.U.D. who wants to use it for a convenience store or whatever. But here you seem to have the ultimate solution! And they say "you can't take it with you...."

I will be watching this with great interest.

[DrummerMan]

I've also got the wheel chained to a cinderblock and there's couple of locks covering the hitch preventing anybody from towing it with a truck, without spending a good while sawing away and making a racket. I'm not saying it's impossible, but the whole thing being towed away I'm less worried about than someone grabbing some stuff out of it and running off.

The Lojack's not a bad idea, though. We'll probably be moving into a house sometime next year. One of the priorities will be having a long gated driveway which should add to my comfort level.