Building a new room.

[Lukemacneil]

I've finally decided the bedroom just isn't going to cut it, and that it's time to get a new structure built up in the back yard.

I went out to look at some of my local prefab shed builders this afternoon and learned that the largest width they can do in a single story structure would be 14". The largest stock size they can do is 14x24. That would be the cheapest option. They can stretch it out lengthwise, but if I want a wider room - I'd have to add a second story.

The walls are 7 inches and change, however the pitched roofs are ... Quite high.

My intention would be to use this room for tracking (primarily acoustic guitars and vocals) - and mixing.

Some of the questions I have - before going further, are...

1.) Would a crushed stone foundation provide enough isolation to not piss off my neighbors, or would I have to go with a concrete slab.

2.) Is it worth custom building a slightly larger room (something like 16x26 to try and shoot for Louden's ratio.

3.) Should I be concerned about the pitched roof if at the lower end near the walls I'm around 8ft, but I'm closer to 16ft in the center? Is the higher pitch more desireable than trying to shoot for a 1:1.6:2.6 ratio? I suspect that it is, but I'm not confident.

If anyone qualified has some recommendations, I'd most certainly appreciate it.

Thanks,

Luke

[Mark WarnerParticipant]

Hi Luke,

I am not sure if my studio building experience can help you but I built mine in 2011 using off the shelf kits. I didn't know anything about room size ratios so never took those into account and it has not been an issue because I put in so much equipment in there. There are no bare walls to cause issues. I also have a pitched roof which isn't an issue. My best advice would be to build as big as possible as it is surprising how quickly you fill the space up. Here in the UK we use concrete slabs due to proximity of tree ( roots ) and building regulations suggest that concrete is less likely to move over time. I planned my studio internally to use screens and booths which could be moved around inside the space rather than use it as one big space. I only record individual artists, not complete bands, and I don't do live drums that works for me. I don't get any issue with sound being transmitted through the slab, it's too big and absorbs sound being very dense and solid. I insulated my building using modern foam for heat and noise which has worked well. I had to pay special attention to doors and windows though. I double glazed the windows and if I did it again I would triple glaze to keep noise both in and out. Doors probably need to be doubled as well, e.g. a set with in a set to give a second barrier for sound. In general a brick/stone building will always work better than a timber building for noise absorption, that said I am very happy with what I can achieve in my own self built studio.

Cheers Mark

[Steve AParticipant]

Hi Luke,
These are some pretty big questions, if not for anything else, but how much of an investment would be involved.
If you don't find enough answers here, maybe contacting John Brandt directly could work for you.
In his Q&A, he did give out information that is not available except inside this forum.
I don't want to repost it, but here's the link to where he gives that info out:
https://www.producelikeapro.com/forums/topic/engaging-johns-services/

[Lukemacneil]

Thanks guys, I did reach out to John. Appreciate the recommendations.

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