Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I am wanting to build a home studio, that is about the size of your average 2 car garage but a little longer. Anyone have any idea how much this might cost? I have a basic layout of what I want here....

http://www.snapdrive.net/files/535597/studio.jpg

Just to build the room, or to actually stock it with recording gear too? I'd say 2-5k depending on quality of materials to build it, and then 5-50k on gear, also very dependent on quality.

Then again, you can take my route and buy all cheap amateur gear for about 1k and then just buy used carpet scraps for soundproofing the walls, ceiling, and floor

Kramerguy wrote:Just to build the room, or to actually stock it with recording gear too? I'd say 2-5k depending on quality of materials to build it, and then 5-50k on gear, also very dependent on quality.

Then again, you can take my route and buy all cheap amateur gear for about 1k and then just buy used carpet scraps for soundproofing the walls, ceiling, and floor

I already got the gear, just need the building. Thanks!! probably gonna buy some auralex, and do it right. may have to take out a 2nd mortgage to fund it

Is this a separate building, or an improvement in your existing home?

There aren't any dimensions on your link. What size is it?

philbymon wrote:Is this a separate building, or an improvement in your existing home?

There aren't any dimensions on your link. What size is it?

Well... I'm not sure on the dimensions. All I know is I need the playback monitors to be 6 ft apart, so I figure the wall with the main window in the control room would need to be about 8 ft, as for the rest I really don't know I'm nut much on carpentry. The building will be detached.

Okay - I'm guessing from the info you've said that the bldg is 16 x 20.

Ceiling height - would you prefer a cathedral? Maybe a partial cathedral ceiling. 8 ft walls, then the ceiling follows the roof pitch to about 10 ft. No more than a 4/12 pitch on the roof line. This leaves about a 4 ft level strip down the middle of the ceiling, but it also deflects sound nicely.

Rough guestimate brings you in on the bldg at about $19,000, w/finished walls & ceiling, electric hookup, carpeted floors over concrete pad, ceiling lights, shingled roof, w/no exterior windows, or plumbing or painting.

That's what it'd cost you around here, anyway.

philbymon wrote:Okay - I'm guessing from the info you've said that the bldg is 16 x 20.

Ceiling height - would you prefer a cathedral? Maybe a partial cathedral ceiling. 8 ft walls, then the ceiling follows the roof pitch to about 10 ft. No more than a 4/12 pitch on the roof line. This leaves about a 4 ft level strip down the middle of the ceiling, but it also deflects sound nicely.

Rough guestimate brings you in on the bldg at about $19,000, w/finished walls & ceiling, electric hookup, carpeted floors over concrete pad, ceiling lights, shingled roof, w/no exterior windows, or plumbing or painting.

That's what it'd cost you around here, anyway.

yeah I like the partial cathedral idea, not worried with plumbing, got a sh*tter in the house I also got a buddy who's gonna help frame, drywall, and run the wiring for it, My brother used to be a brick layer, and did a lot of other construction stuff, so he's gonna help with the foundation. There is already a slab where I want to put it, but no type of water barrier, so I have to get it formed. My main concern is material cost. A friend of mine said there is some sort of inexpensive insulation material I can buy which i can put between the walls to deaden them to escaping sound, that might piss off the neighbors. Basically what I need to know is how much for the wood, concrete forming, wiring(electrical), carpet, aurolex, and interior windows may use some kind of Plexiglas fothe this, and frame it to look like a window).

Well, do remember that the cathedral ceiling will make your angles on the interior off-square walls more of a hassle to build.

I do recommend the use of the plastic rather than glass on your interior window. It's much quieter.

I'd say your cost of materials will be around $9,000, if you're doing all the work yourself & with free friends, & since you already have the pad.

There are some very good insulating materials out there...I forget who turned me on to the idea of the furniture foam. It comes in black, & can be used in conjunction with standard insulation to reduce any sound outside. You just staple it to the walls on the inside. I'd still use standard insulation in the walls, myself. It, too, is a good sound barrier, to a degree, & if you use it with the furniture foam, it will make the room virtually soundproof, provided your doors are also padded & kept shut, of course.

Bldg materials have gone way up with everything elae. It's reeking havoc on my day job & my lifestyle. I've built a cpl of these for ppl, unfortuately I never got to use any of my own designs.

If I were to build one, all of the walls would be slightly out of plumb, or, in layman's terms, "not level." They would all tilt inward a bit, for better sound deflection, & nothing would be truly square. It's much more of a challenge to build this way, but would work well for sound deflection & suppression.

Good luck with your project. Post some pics as it develops, if you can.

I sure will!!! although it may be a while. Thanks for all your advice. Also I put a bass trap in my design, because I saw it on some other studios sites. Any Idea of the true purpose? Is it for catching the lower sub frequencies? or just to keep the low end from bouncing? That's my best guess.
thanks again

I cant help you with cost, all I know is good acoustic tiles are not cheep. A good freind of mine built a studio in a shed and he used nails in the exterior sheeting and it vibrated alot. All drywall and sheeting of anny type should be glued and screwed. and all walls should be filled with foam not fiberglass, No moore than 16" centers on your studs less mayby 12" centers would be better, The less space you leave brtween studs the firmer the drywall sufaces the less likly you will have anny vibration. And no glass all lexan the thicker the better. It sounds like over kill but you dont want to go back and fix stuff after your done. I do alot of computor server rooms and I sugjest a small splt heat and air unit to control heat you will be shocked how much heat alot of electronics produce in a room, and be sure you lay out the sizes of all of your gear in your design because over planning will give you better results.

GOOD LUCK

PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!