My new studio

[Cosmic]

Its St. Stephens Day here in Ireland and I'm just fluting around in my shed experimenting with recording vocals with a figure of 8 pattern condenser..which is great incidentally! Anyway,due to a bit of talk about the importance of acoustic treatment in another thread I thought I throw up a couple of photos of my efforts.

Due to the lockdown over the summer I had nowhere to do my music with the spare room being used as my ladies wfh office so I git busy out in the garden and built what is essentially a giant bass trap I can sit in.

Its made out of pressure treated timber, osb and rockwool. The walls are 150mm thick. Double glazed pvc window and door. You couldnt have a drumkit in (well its absolutely tiny for one thing) here but you can play monitors loud enough to damage your hearing without disturbing anyone outside. Sound is class for what it is. Theres a null at 140hz right where I sit but thats lessened somewhat by opening the door!

All in all I'm pretty happy with it!. It is TOASTY warm obviously enough. The heat off my guitar amp computer is enough to heat it

[zeekat]

That's a super cute audio shed. Can you crank that micro stack without blowing the windows out?

Good to see you here!

[maxdembo]

That is fantastic. Great work.

[Cosmic]

Theres nothing getting cranked in here.

That little Harley Benton amp is beautiful incidentally goes lovely with the Harley Benton strat

[Tone Deft]

oustanding!

6" thick walls (for reference)
I'm pretty sure there would be online CAD-like shed building tools that would help someone plan out the lumber costs. or if I find a space, take out 6" to plan for wall buildout.


I had a friend that tried to pull this off with a very good effort, smart guy who could go into physics or career musician, no problem. it didn't work out for him, many woes. great to see this in action and a recent build.

looks very pleasing as well. even if not for its function a fun looking soft block of bright geometry just looks cool. I have a fabric store nearby and have seen tons of threads regarding stuffing materials. I have no money to spend but I have the time to collect and build stuff.

I hope to get into a shed like this someday but there's stuff I could do at home now.

edit - regarding sound levels. getting a dB meter for my wall has been very educational. it's at 40dB when I don't type, 44dB when I do (these are dynamic measurements, not logged charts.) considering what happens when you just lower the noise floor in your room how much more headroom you get out of that without ever getting loud means higher fidelity. recording and listening.

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I thought I throw up a couple of photos of my efforts.

Nice job man. Good to hear from you, it's been awhile!

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

Nice job man. Good to hear from you, it's been awhile!

Right back atcha Karbo..delighted you're still knocking about!

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by Tone Deft

oustanding!

6" thick walls (for reference)
I'm pretty sure there would be online CAD-like shed building tools that would help someone plan out the lumber costs. or if I find a space, take out 6" to plan for wall buildout.


I had a friend that tried to pull this off with a very good effort, smart guy who could go into physics or career musician, no problem. it didn't work out for him, many woes. great to see this in action and a recent build.

looks very pleasing as well. even if not for its function a fun looking soft block of bright geometry just looks cool. I have a fabric store nearby and have seen tons of threads regarding stuffing materials. I have no money to spend but I have the time to collect and build stuff.

I hope to get into a shed like this someday but there's stuff I could do at home now.

edit - regarding sound levels. getting a dB meter for my wall has been very educational. it's at 40dB when I don't type, 44dB when I do (these are dynamic measurements, not logged charts.) considering what happens when you just lower the noise floor in your room how much more headroom you get out of that without ever getting loud means higher fidelity. recording and listening.

You would'nt need a physics degree to build this! In fact the hardest part for me was flashing the window and doors and sourcing the shingles.We don't use shingles in Ireland..and our windows don't have a flange on them like the ones in the U.S.

I lived stateside for a few years working construction by day tthats how I knew how to build this I guess. Its the same as a house you'd find in suburban New Jersey..only much smaller!

Just start accumulating materials and do it as you go you'll get there eventually and its so worth it.

[Tone Deft]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I lived stateside for a few years working construction by day thats how I knew how to build this I guess. Its the same as a house you'd find in suburban New Jersey..only much smaller!

Just start accumulating materials and do it as you go you'll get there eventually and its so worth it.

in 2021 I will move out of the city life after 30 years to go own my first ever back yard. it's for real, heh, I can start collecting my future home's acoustic treatment now and disguise it as "necessary packing materials."

it'll take me longer to build, the quality of the build TBD. I only dropped the physics thing because the guy knew about air gaps and floating etc, it was also the 90s before the website searches so much of this was word of mouth pipedreams. our collective would agree that if anyone had a chance, he did, and it wasn't a usable room, after a lot of thinking and bravado.

when I look at places to live I should take out a dB meter to check the noise floor of each home. you've made me realize it's not just how loud you can get inside, it's how much noise you can keep outside. I judge a Room on how much I can hear my clothes move and then hear my own ears ring then subside. then it's the natural reverb finger snap test. I don't go into a Quality Room and start screaming.

I want my next 'mancave' or whatever the wife and realtor want to call it, to have a noise floor of at least 30dB or so TBD. 20 would be wow, 10 might be too quiet. throwing numbers out there as I eat lunch.

[martmix]

very nice studio dude !!!

[msundh]

Really like that!
My wife is a flower fundamentalist, so I won't be able to do that.
Glad you're back.

[ivansc]

Lovely job, Cosmic.

Especially the bass traps, which are bigger than mine & probably even more effective.

Got to ask: Do you always play guitar standing up, or are the arms removable on that chair?

[ivansc]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I lived stateside for a few years working construction by day thats how I knew how to build this I guess. Its the same as a house you'd find in suburban New Jersey..only much smaller!

Relieved you didn`t go with vinyl siding like they do down in Tennessee...
Our first home there we thought was brick, but it turned out to be a wood frame with one layer of brick cladding on the outside instead of cladding.Worse still, the inside was lath and plaster with BARE wires inside the walls running the electricity thru. At least it had ceramic insulators on them.

Mind you, 2400 square feet for $57,000 in 1983! In suburban Nashville.

[toleolu]

Very cool.

That's a $250,000.00 single family home here in Hawaii, even more if it's on the beach.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by ivansc

Lovely job, Cosmic.

Especially the bass traps, which are bigger than mine & probably even more effective.

Got to ask: Do you always play guitar standing up, or are the arms removable on that chair?

I kinda have to adopt a classical kinda posture when I'm playing

[zeekat]

Since I got a slightly too small headless guitar I discovered merits of using Tom Morello-high guitar strap while sitting. Really helps with restless changes of asscheek-chair configurations and bumping the instrument into things.

[BenK-msx]

So then I read some posts by cosmic and the forum didn't seem half as dilapidated..

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by zeekat

Since I got a slightly too small headless guitar I discovered merits of using Tom Morello-high guitar strap while sitting. Really helps with restless changes of asscheek-chair configurations and bumping the instrument into things.

I wouldnt mind one of them Steinberger guitars that are just like a stick

[ivansc]

Originally Posted by toleolu

Very cool.

That's a $250,000.00 single family home here in Hawaii, even more if it's on the beach.

Is that nowadays, or 1982? Certainly in Nashville prices are way higher than that now.

[ivansc]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I kinda have to adopt a classical kinda posture when I'm playing

What: Like Yeats, or the Greek gods?

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by ivansc

What: Like Yeats, or the Greek gods?

I love a bit of Yeats

I play the guitar just like him

[ivansc]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I love a bit of Yeats

I play the guitar just like him

Back to the usual Norm, Cosmic!

How long hav e you known him?

[Dork Lard]

that looks awesome. You must feel damn good about this.

I see you've even got some sort of a grim reaper figurine supervising on the top left there.

[maxdembo]

Originally Posted by Dork Lard

that looks awesome. You must feel damn good about this.

I see you've even got some sort of a grim reaper figurine supervisioning on the top left there.

It looks to me like a poop emoji

[GameAudioRvlzzr]

O.O Oh my, well done!

I assume your door doubles also as your air ventilation system? :-D

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by GameAudioRvlzzr

O.O Oh my, well done!

I assume your door doubles also as your air ventilation system? :-D

Ahh..no. I have passive vents behind the shiplap on two opposing walls.


Also the window opens.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by maxdembo

It looks to me like a poop emoji

Bingo!

[Tone Deft]

what's the measured noise floor in that room?

[Cosmic]

Currently


It floats around the 25 mark I think normally..unless its raining hard or there is an emergency vehicle going by..usual city noise

[Tone Deft]

a proper Study any gentleman throughout the ages would want. outside I'd bet it's in the high 70dB range.

if this build was done inside a home the gains per material cost wouldn't be as great, but lower. by then I guess you're screwed because you've drank the acoustic foam Kool-Aid and now those standing waveforms really stand out above a noise floor that actually makes a difference. in comes more foam. foam begets more foam.

[maxdembo]

Originally Posted by Tone Deft

a proper Study any gentleman throughout the ages would want. outside I'd bet it's in the high 70dB range.

if this build was done inside a home the gains per material cost wouldn't be as great, but lower. by then I guess you're screwed because you've drank the acoustic foam Kool-Aid and now those standing waveforms really stand out above a noise floor that actually makes a difference. in comes more foam. foam begets more foam.

LOL

Thank god I have my tin foil hat.

[msundh]

What are the tempature variations at your place?
At my place -5C is quite normal winter time, but can be down to -15C.
How does that affect the built?

[Dork Lard]

Originally Posted by maxdembo

It looks to me like a poop emoji

no no. It's a grim reaper. Both you and OP are completely delusional.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by msundh

What are the tempature variations at your place?
At my place -5C is quite normal winter time, but can be down to -15C.
How does that affect the built?

The east coast of Ireland is well and truly in the gulf stream ,we don't get crazy extremes. Might go down to -5 overnight in the winter at its coldest.

I was conscious of interstitial condensation within the walls due to the high level of insulation and the temperature difference within and without in winter.Whilst there is no where for sound to go theres also nowhere for the heat to go..so theres an air gap behind the rockwool layer.Its a timber structure it has to breathe and it does I think.

I'll know for sure in a couple of years if the inside starts turning black,which it won't cos its built right.

I would love to build another one for somebody. It would be even better!

[Tone Deft]

I think the condensation would be mostly from your own body or 2 - 3 people sitting around hanging out. maybe think like a camping tent, keep it aired out when humans are in there. otherwise an occasional blast of fresh air is great.

if you get dizzy and pass out try to land near the door it's a short reach away. maybe a voiceless canary would give you a heads up on O2 levels.

you of course checked for Ancient Native Burial Grounds under the site first?! that's the first thing anyone should spend their studio budget on. I had to have one installed.

[OpIvy]

You've finally returned cosmic!
I look forward to hearing some tunes from that little shed.

Looks like you've done a great job. I'm about 6 weeks into building my little soundproof room in the garage so I know how much work and attention to detail it takes. Hopefully 2 weeks and it'll be done....then I need to write songs, then record....should have something by xmas!

[Tod]

Looks great Cosmic, good job. Have you got Sonarworks or are you planning to get it, it works great for setting up your speakers to the room.

What did you do with the top ridge of the roof, have you got a heavy beam running down the length of the top of the ridge?

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by Tod

Looks great Cosmic, good job. Have you got Sonarworks or are you planning to get it, it works great for setting up your speakers to the room.

What did you do with the top ridge of the roof, have you got a heavy beam running down the length of the top of the ridge?

I don't have Sonarworks, I did consider it.. but heres the thing ..the sound from my monitors is remarkably similiar to the sound from my headphones ... Sennheiser HD650 . Like its almost identical! So I reckon just leave it be, its flat enough in here...or at least consistent. Sonarworks won't help with the room mode so I just gotta double check that with the cans.

Theres a 4x2 running along the ridge . I did contemplate putting in some rafter ties but they're not necessary, the span isnt huge and the two sides of the roof are basically rigid structural panels..Its not gonna move . Same with the walls. The wall plate is a laminated 4x2 also, theres no way thats ever gonna bulge out either.

This thing is robust.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by OpIvy

You've finally returned cosmic!
I look forward to hearing some tunes from that little shed.

Looks like you've done a great job. I'm about 6 weeks into building my little soundproof room in the garage so I know how much work and attention to detail it takes. Hopefully 2 weeks and it'll be done....then I need to write songs, then record....should have something by xmas!

Lovely!

Its essential to have a little spot to play in. I was going out of my mind trying to not disturb people.

[jean-yves]

Nice job indeed!

Is it a Monoprice 611705 5W amp you are using?

How does it sound?

I've seen a lot of good reviews about that little beast.
Difficult to get in France though.