Help me design my rooms

[The Scum]

If you aren't planning on being there for very long, remodeling will be a sunk cost.

Real estate is the most predictable "investment" in this game. Own it if you can - if you've got a mortgage for it, at least you get a 1098 at the end of the year.

[coplinger]

I went back to the space to take another look. Wall is definitely not load bearing and electrical looks like its coming up from the floor rather than the ceiling. I think I can cut the wall at 48" high and leave the top half open. That 21x22 box in the corner is the chimney. Thats gotta stay, so there would be a half wall coming off that for about 5ft into the center of room. I can set up workstation here. The rest of the wall can come out.

[coplinger]

Got the Gervais book in today. This is a GREAT resource! Thanks so much for the recommendations

[drumsound]

I've looked at the diagram a few times. My biggest wonder has to do with the common wall with the retail space. Will the studio and the retail space be operating at the same time, or will there be a bit of Sun Studioesque evening only session? If its the former that wall and doorway need to be dealt with more 'extremely' to keep the two as separate as possible.

[coplinger]

Yes I'm going to find some heavy doors to put there and weather seal around them. I'm going to build a removable 'gobo' panel that fits into the door opening for when we're working. I may have to beef up that wall some too, but I'm trying to do as little permanent remodeling as I can.

[drumsound]

Yes I'm going to find some heavy doors to put there and weather seal around them. I'm going to build a removable 'gobo' panel that fits into the door opening for when we're working. I may have to beef up that wall some too, but I'm trying to do as little permanent remodeling as I can.

Smart. It would probably be smart to have that be the control room/area if you make it more of a one-room thing, and have the mics further away. Also, use tripod mic stands as they translate less floor vibration than round base stands.

[coplinger]

Anyone used mass loaded vinyl before?

[The Scum]

Yeah. Tons. What's the question?

[vernier]

Looks good. You don't really need to do anything except for noise leaking outside, depending on who it might bother. Any unwanted reflections can be fixed with blanket or curtain.

[coplinger]

Would it be good to get a roll of mass loaded vinyl for this project? Would it be useful in my door or window treatments or gobos compared to plywood or drywall? Would it be good in the attic for blocking sound? Or sandwiched with drywall or plywood...

[The Scum]

Well, it's pretty easy to use. But not magic. If you're laminating the room with the stuff, and overlap all of the seams to seal things up, it can help some. It's easier to apply during construction - between drywall layers, laminated to doors. It needs something structurally solid to mount it on - it's really floppy otherwise. It's best application is to make diaphragmatic bass traps - it works better than masonite.

It's also like 6x the cost of drywall, and if you're in a space that wasn't built to be soundproof, there are probably spots where simpler, locally available, less expensive materials will do more good. Seal up every gap (particularly around windows/doors), get solid core doors if you don't already have them, fill any cavities with fiberglass/rockwool. You're making a submarine, and it's only as good as it is leakproof...if LMV helps with that, then use it.

[vvv]

You're making a submarine, and it's only as good as it is leakproof...

[roscoenyc]

How much work do you expect to do there?

Can you schedule your loudest activities, like tracking drums, around the retail space's hours?

Soundproofing is very expensive, especially if you have to do it twice.
You really can't expect to take your soundproofing with you when you leave without encountering another great expense.

In the life of many recording studios tracking drums is maybe 20% of the time.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

Yeah seriously. Don't go crazy with MLV or whatever in a space you're only going to be in for a year.

[coplinger]

I was more thinking of using the mlv for windows. I've seen where people velcro it to the window frame. I think I'll just use a combination of drywall, plywood and fiberboard and a seal around the window. That will be much cheaper and removeable when I leave.

What do yall think about these for the doorway? I'm wondering how effective they would be with the opportunity for air gaps. I guess I could use velcro to minimize that.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081K8FW3V/re ... dGb33FZAXM