# Music Room - ideas and tips.



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I'm suddenly finishing my basement (wasn't expecting this for at least a few years) and the wife and I have chosen our theme rooms. I have obviously chosen a music room (and she has chosen a christmas one, huh?)

Anyway, I need some tips or ideas. I'd like to soundproof, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Roxul and a particular type of drywall?

One concern is air exchanges. Playing with a few people in a space can increase CO2 to uncomfortable levels and I want to understand how people have dealt with this in the past. I'm thinking the standard return/supply vents would allow sound to escape.

I want to build a low stage with the lighting and whatever else to give it the 'bar vibe'. Any ideas that will keep the heat down as well as the costs?

Do I need the foam on the walls to control sound in this kind of atmosphere?

The room would also have the potential to be an office for when we move.


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## Rideski (Feb 25, 2009)

I'm gonna watch this thread - I'll be in the same position soon..


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Roxul will do a good job of soundproofing your walls and ceiling. "Floating" the floor will really help - otherwise your foundation just becomes a huge speaker cone (but that's not cheap). Getting all sound sources up off the floor will help. Can't help you with ventilation, but I imagine you can get vents that are baffled to prevent sound transmission.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I don't know much about soundproofing or the like so I can't help you there. I don't think you really need any sort of air exchanger or anything. Just try to build the room somewhere where you have access to one of those little basement windows. If things get stuffy, just open 'er up. One thing I will mention that you haven't thought of yet. Plugs...lots of plugs.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

I used Z channel in my basement ceilings. Does a nice job in damping vibrations. There's also this out there.

Drywall Furring Channel + Resilient Soundproof Clips


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

The ideal is building a room within a room. This will be the best way to attenuate the sound but also the most costly. I did not go that route but did a few things that helped.

My contractor showed me literature/stats suggesting that you will get better sound resistance from regular insulation than with the safe and sound for a fraction of the cost. Also installed a resilient channel between the drywall and studs and added another layer of drywall. The solid door/soundproof door will made a big difference as well.


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## isoneedacoffee (Oct 31, 2014)

I'm subscribing to this as well as I will likely be doing the same in a few months. 

Im certainly no expert but from the research I've done:

A) I would forget about the air exchange. Isolating it would be complicated and very costly. And it might not work. 

B) Green Glue. Look it up. It appears to be one of the most effective and affordable (still very pricey) alternatives to building a room within a room.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Is your duct supply trunk going to pass through this room, or only a feeder pipe?


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

They used to sell this green board at Home Depot that would go between the drywall and the studs for soundproofing purposes. The demonstration was very convincing, but I can't find it on their website.

As well, there is a type of drywall called QuietRock that they had on an episode of Holmes on Homes. It really reduced sound transmission. That with some good insulation and isolation techniques should make this quieter.

Don't know what would happen with ventilation though.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Gah, double post.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Thanks for the help. Just working, so I'll have to reply in a bit when I get home.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

here's the common ventilation solution

Exhaust Fans & Ventilation | Energy & Heat Recovery Ventilators | Fantech Heat Recovery Ventilators - GlobalIndustrial.com

For sound, remember that sound is a vibration. Anything you can do that will dampen vibrations inside the room from getting out, will cut down on noise. I had good success with just a suspended ceiling and fiberglass insulation above that between the floor joists. By the time it got annoying upstairs, the volume level was already very uncomfortable in the room below.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

adcandour said:


> Do I need the foam on the walls to control sound in this kind of atmosphere?


I think foam between two walls would only be to keep them apart. The air gap between the two is really what attenuates the sound. Even an inch of air between two layers of wallboard will attenuate a lot. Sonex or other special foams will help control reflections on the outer surface though.

Good luck with your room. My ceiling were only 7' and a bit high so a small stage wasn't an option. So I gotta be down with my peeps.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

adcandour said:


> I'm suddenly finishing my basement (wasn't expecting this for at least a few years) and the wife and I have chosen our theme rooms. I have obviously chosen a music room (and she has chosen a christmas one, huh?)


1) NEVER question your wife decision.
2) NEVER!
3) Add a device that is gonna block every ball or toys your kid can throw at your guitars and throw it back to the christmas room.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

My best advice is to buy this book https://www.amazon.ca/Master-Handbook-Acoustics-Sixth-Everest/dp/0071841040/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

It is a bit of a slog to read through, but you can easily glean some useful information by bouncing around the various sections. Very detailed drawings of best construction practices, including ventilation systems and sound isolation.

IMO, you shouldn't buy so much as a sheet of drywall before you get this book.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

If it is going to be on an outside wall, you cold put in a small air exchanger.

There was a good thread here not too long ago of a member who built a music room that was a room within a room. It worked very well but that may be overkill if it is only for you and another person.

Just putting in a double door will make a huge difference as this is where a lot of the sound escapes.

For a cheap solution that should work quite well and easily put changed back to the original look, see the video below.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

I was going to reply because I see a lot of misinformation and half-truths in this thread, but it'd be quite the essay/TLDR. I have to concur with ronmac's post just above (or as an alternative, go hang out at some related forums where experts on the topic hang out - the subforum on gearslutz is actually pretty good and helpful).

The short version is, if you plan to jam with a band down there, it is not realistic to soundproof the room unless you have very tall ceilings (unlikely in a basement unless you've dug out the floor - that's what the pros do) and a large budget. Don't bother trying if you can't go whole hog/on the cheap - just wasting money. If you do do this I have built sound trapping vents - I still have the inline fans and insulated flex tubing, would be willing to let those go (don't think I'll be building another room any time soon) and show you how it's done, but it is easily googleable.

If just for low volume guitar, things can be done, and even on a budget. If you isolate the amps from the floor (see the Auralex Gramma - easy to DIY a similar device) and use resilient channel as suggested above (or similar products/methods e.g. dual layer drywall with constrained layer in between) it can be quite workable if you don't expect miracles

Lastly; foam ain't worth a damn - make proper acoustic panels out of roxul (if at all possible get the pro type that they use on the outside of high rises underneath the external cladding - same sound absorption as the residential stuff but compressed into 1/3rd the thickness - I couldn't find it at the time so I used the normal stuff; just as good but more bulky) or Owens Corning 705. Personally I like the room gain on the low end of drums so I use industrial carpet underpad (not residential - woven synthetic fiber vs cheap foam) hanging on the walls and ceiling in the drum corner (spaced about an inch off the wall/ceiling) to tame the cymbals. Packing blankets would also work, but the underpad was cheaper. This would work for just guitar/vocals too since there's little bass involved. Rolled up carpets also make good corner bass traps.

This is my current room's acoustic treatment (not soundproofing - no need as it's in an industrial building and I only go there after hours) - I use what I have recommended:



















The best thing for a room's acoustics however is to avoid having any parallel surfaces (walls and floor/ceiling). This can be very difficult, especially in a basement as regards sloping the ceiling, but might be doable with the walls. This is my previous room which I built into a large unit (current room is the entire unit that I rent), it sounded amazing in there, especially for mixing:


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

when i was a kid i met another kid who sound proofed his bedroom with cork board. he worked in a place that made cork mats. he just brought them home and stuck them on the walls with glue, making layers. when i saw it, it was about 4" deep, and all the seams were staggered. he had about 4 bizzilion carpet pads under the carpet, and the back of the door had a big cork pad on it. there was also a heavy curtain in front of the door. you could totally rock out in there, and the sound out in the hallway was hardly anything. it was hotter than hell in there too. it was a job done on a teenager's budget. 

some people mention adding a fan to intake/exhaust air and heat. just remember, that's 2 holes in an exterior wall, unless you do it through a casement window or something already there. you'll get plenty of sound through the fan to the outside, but i'm not sure if it would be loud enough to be a disturbance during the day. you could always wrap the duct with armaflex
http://resource.carrierenterprise.c...constrain,0&defaultImage=ce_image-coming-soon

it's totally expensive but it kills noise and is really serious insulation. i've fabricated systems at work using it that were pretty high velocity and static pressure but didn't make noise. we made a shop cooler with some leftovers and that thing held ice for an insane amount of time.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Alex said:


> The ideal is building a room within a room. This will be the best way to attenuate the sound but also the most costly. I did not go that route but did a few things that helped.
> 
> My contractor showed me literature/stats suggesting that you will get better sound resistance from regular insulation than with the safe and sound for a fraction of the cost. Also installed a resilient channel between the drywall and studs and added another layer of drywall. The solid door/soundproof door will made a big difference as well.


pick fiberglass or roxul?


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

adcandour said:


> pick fiberglass or roxul?


Roxul


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

bw66 said:


> Roxul will do a good job of soundproofing your walls and ceiling. "Floating" the floor will really help - otherwise your foundation just becomes a huge speaker cone (but that's not cheap). Getting all sound sources up off the floor will help. Can't help you with ventilation, but I imagine you can get vents that are baffled to prevent sound transmission.


I think I'll have my amps on stands, but I actually prefer the sound off them when they're sitting on the floor. That'll be a tough one.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

JBFairthorne said:


> I don't know much about soundproofing or the like so I can't help you there. I don't think you really need any sort of air exchanger or anything. Just try to build the room somewhere where you have access to one of those little basement windows. If things get stuffy, just open 'er up. One thing I will mention that you haven't thought of yet. Plugs...lots of plugs.


For sure. I was even thinking I'll have some built into the raised floor.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Scotty said:


> Is your duct supply trunk going to pass through this room, or only a feeder pipe?


only a feeder pipe


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Lincoln said:


> here's the common ventilation solution
> 
> Exhaust Fans & Ventilation | Energy & Heat Recovery Ventilators | Fantech Heat Recovery Ventilators - GlobalIndustrial.com
> 
> For sound, remember that sound is a vibration. Anything you can do that will dampen vibrations inside the room from getting out, will cut down on noise. I had good success with just a suspended ceiling and fiberglass insulation above that between the floor joists. By the time it got annoying upstairs, the volume level was already very uncomfortable in the room below.


I've got an HRV, but this room will be no where near the furnace, and there's no window either, unfortunately.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

High/Deaf said:


> I think foam between two walls would only be to keep them apart. The air gap between the two is really what attenuates the sound. Even an inch of air between two layers of wallboard will attenuate a lot. Sonex or other special foams will help control reflections on the outer surface though.
> 
> Good luck with your room. My ceiling were only 7' and a bit high so a small stage wasn't an option. So I gotta be down with my peeps.


Sorry - I meant the acoustic panels; the ones people put on the walls. I don't like the look of them, but if it's a significant help, I'll try them.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

ronmac said:


> My best advice is to buy this book https://www.amazon.ca/Master-Handbook-Acoustics-Sixth-Everest/dp/0071841040/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
> 
> It is a bit of a slog to read through, but you can easily glean some useful information by bouncing around the various sections. Very detailed drawings of best construction practices, including ventilation systems and sound isolation.
> 
> IMO, you shouldn't buy so much as a sheet of drywall before you get this book.


I'm hoping that I can avoid spending the $50 and just get a few tips that will minimize sound. I'm not concerned with eliminating it. I'm going to keep going through the recommendations and see what combination of things will make the most sense.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

adcandour said:


> only a feeder pipe


That's better scenario if you're worried about sound through the ducts. If you want to be absolutely thorough, replace the main trunk with an insulated one if not done already (black duct insul inside the duct - any HVAC shop can make one cheap) and it will help sound from travelling through it. Replace the straight pipe for corrugated aluminum flex. Will be a little less efficient but should help trap the sound transfer


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> . *you could always wrap the duct with armaflex*


I was reading your post without looking to see who posted it when I saw the word "Armaflex" and I thought, who is this that knows that trade name? Then I looked and said, yup, we are likely the only two on the forum that knows what that is. There might be another one or two but I don't know of any others in the HVAC/R business.


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## BMW-KTM (Apr 7, 2015)

Deleted


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Hand out these to family and neighbours...


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## Axe Dragon (Aug 21, 2013)

adcandour said:


> I'm suddenly finishing my basement (wasn't expecting this for at least a few years) and the wife and I have chosen our theme rooms. I have obviously chosen a music room (and she has chosen a christmas one, huh?)
> 
> Anyway, I need some tips or ideas. I'd like to soundproof, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Roxul and a particular type of drywall?
> 
> ...


Can't help with the sound proofing, but I'm interested in your project as I'll be doing the same shortly.

How many sq.ft is it? Do you have a layout?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I have no idea about the square feet, but I can check today. I just told the contractor where I want the walls going up and this point.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

adcandour said:


> I'm hoping that I can avoid spending the $50 and just get a few tips that will minimize sound. I'm not concerned with eliminating it. I'm going to keep going through the recommendations and see what combination of things will make the most sense.


Ha! I get it. Avoid spending $50 on something that is guaranteed to point you in the right direction, as opposed to spending nothing for the advise of a whole bunch of people who have possibly read something on the internet about "sound proofing". What could go wrong? 

Perhaps you could get a copy at the library? 

There has been some good advise posted here, and some that isn't... ^)@#


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## blueshores_guy (Apr 8, 2007)

My music room was also done on a limited budget. It's in a corner of the basement, with two outside walls and two walls shared with other basement areas. Here are my low-cost suggestions:

1. For the walls between the music room and other areas, use 2x8 top and bottom plates, and stagger 2x4 studs on 16" centres as shown below. If you need a nailing surface at both ends and on both sides of these walls, make the end studs 2x8.



Then, put in your insulation (I used Safe&Sound), like this.....(but on both sides of the stud wall):



You need to notch the insulation around the studs, but that's easy to do. This method gives most of the wall area a double layer of insulation.

2. The guy I hired to do the drywall work recommended a product called Sonopan to go between the wall studs and drywall. It comes in 4'x8' sheets, is made from wood/paper fibres, about 3/4" thick, and green in colour. Goes up very easily. You do need longer screws for the drywall, though, and for all your electrical outlets and switches to reach the boxes. Not a big deal. 

3. I chose not to drywall the ceiling (other stuff up there I might need to get at some day) and just installed a suspended grid ceiling. But there's three layers of Safe&Sound above the ceiling panels, up into the floor joists above.

4. Definitely spend a bit more and buy a solid door rather than a hollow one. This makes a big difference.

5. The floor is carpeted, on a nice thick underpad.

My room has a window, so getting fresh air isn't a problem. It also has an HVAC outlet in the ceiling. I pondered for a long time on how to stop sound transmission through this pipe into the rest of the house, and eventually did nothing but wrap it in insulation. This is not a perfect solution. Others here have made good suggestions about insulating this pipe.

These fairly simple measures had a very good result. My intention was to cut down the sound travelling to the rest of the house, not completely eliminate it. There will never be a drummer in there. Rap your knuckles on these walls and you get a dull, suppressed thump. My proof-of-concept test was to play a CD very loudly in the room (with the door open) and measure the sound level in the room immediately above. Closing the music room door cuts the sound level by 30db upstairs. Yes, you can still hear it, but only faintly.


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## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

At some point you're going to wish you had air conditioning, something beyond simple air exchange. There are small ductless split a/c units available that require no ductwork, are compact and are the cat's meow.
You may as well be comfortable and since you're finishing your basement it should be a much simpler install than a retrofit.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

Steadfastly said:


> I was reading your post without looking to see who posted it when I saw the word "Armaflex" and I thought, who is this that knows that trade name? Then I looked and said, yup, we are likely the only two on the forum that knows what that is. There might be another one or two but I don't know of any others in the HVAC/R business.


i know it's a trade name, but i don't know what the actual name of that material is. a real bugger to cut alot of. it eats razor blades like candy. they cut great for a few slices, then they very quickly get dull


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> i know it's a trade name, but i don't know what the actual name of that material is. a real bugger to cut alot of. it eats razor blades like candy. they cut great for a few slices, then they very quickly get dull


I don't know what the material is either but it does dull knife blades really quickly. Rubatex is another common one used in the HVAC/R trade which you have likely come across. They are both open cell foam and does a good job.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

blueshores_guy said:


> 1. For the walls between the music room and other areas, use 2x8 top and bottom plates, and stagger 2x4 studs on 16" centres as shown below. If you need a nailing surface at both ends and on both sides of these walls, make the end studs 2x8.
> 
> 2. The guy I hired to do the drywall work recommended a product called Sonopan to go between the wall studs and drywall. It comes in 4'x8' sheets, is made from wood/paper fibres, about 3/4" thick, and green in colour. Goes up very easily. You do need longer screws for the drywall, though, and for all your electrical outlets and switches to reach the boxes. Not a big deal.
> 
> ...


Some responses. I mean no offense; the goal is to help other people who may be considerring doing what you did. Let me start off with the basic statement I should have put out there before: there are 2 things you need to stop sound, and you need them both usually because it is very hard to get enough of just one of them - decoupling (eliminating mechanical connections that transfer vibrations efficiently) and sheer mass (if you can, use cinder block).

1. This is a lot of money spent for very minimal gain. The shared top/bottom/corner 2x8s render the staggered inside vs outside studs almost completely useless because they are mechanically connected. Much cheaper and more effective than this (though still very imperfect due to floor transmission etc) would have been a single stud wall, Roxul insulated , with a second (and even 3rd) layer of drywall on the inside mounted either using a constrained layer (e.g. green glue) or a resilient channel type product (i.e. no mechanical connection between top layer of drywall and the studs - part of that is to make sure that top suspended layer does not touch the shared-with-the-outside floor/ceiling; leave a bit of a gap). Staggered studs only work when the inner studs are only attached to a floating (isolated) floor with no connection to the outer studs (separate top/bottom plates; proper room within a room) - don't bother otherwise because it's no better than additional mass, which there are cheaper and easier ways to apply (this is very labour intensive).

2. If you have screws going from the drywall thru the Sonopan into the studs, the Sonopan's effectiveness is greatly reduced- see above re mechanical connections. Whatever the top layer is; glue it on, not screw (the glue has to be somewhat compliant not rigid to work as a constrained layer, but there are cheaper alternatives to Green Glue).

3. This is actually reasonably cost effective and worthwhile, the tradeoff is loss of room height.

4. With a single door (vs double doors)? Not necessarily. One way to increase sound transmission loss across a barrier is to increase the number of times the wave must transfer mediums (mechanical fasteners through 2 mediums counter this effect) . Putting a glued-on layer or 2 of drywall on the front and/or back of a hollow door is easy and exponentially better, but even just a (less flimsy; seen some real shitty ones) hollow door has that air gap which is actually a decent sound insulator. That said, the gap under the door is a bigger problem than the door itself; devil is in the details (use a sweep for that; the kind with 2 or 3 rubber fins - luckily this is something that can be dealt with as an afterthought).

5. Yep.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

ronmac said:


> Ha! I get it. Avoid spending $50 on something that is guaranteed to point you in the right direction, as opposed to spending nothing for the advise of a whole bunch of people who have possibly read something on the internet about "sound proofing". What could go wrong?
> 
> Perhaps you could get a copy at the library?
> 
> There has been some good advise posted here, and some that isn't... ^)@#


I realize that it's a small price to pay - but it's a timing thing. They started work today, and we don't even have a layout. I'm so busy with my work, plus I started another job last week that time is scarce. I'm reading 2 books at the moment, meditating, playing with my son, walking the dogs (I think you get the pic). I should be laying down tape in the basement as we speak, but I'm here....procrastinating.

The main thing is that I don't actually need to soundproof - I just need to minimize the sound, so the wife doesn't bitch.

I'm on the fence between doing roxul everywhere, or only on the ceiling and then using green glue everywhere else. Solid door and I think I'll be at a reduction level I'm comfortable with.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

adcandour said:


> I realize that it's a small price to pay - but it's a timing thing. They started work today, and we don't even have a layout. I'm so busy with my work, plus I started another job last week that time is scarce. I'm reading 2 books at the moment, meditating, playing with my son, walking the dogs (I think you get the pic). I should be laying down tape in the basement as we speak, but I'm here....procrastinating.
> 
> The main thing is that I don't actually need to soundproof - I just need to minimize the sound, so the wife doesn't bitch.
> 
> I'm on the fence between doing roxul everywhere, or only on the ceiling and then using green glue everywhere else. Solid door and I think I'll be at a reduction level I'm comfortable with.


Why don't you do the minimal and see if it works for you. If not you can always make some other changes to get where you want to be.


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

Just jumping in late here. Sorry if I add any redundancies..

I built a small guitar room in our old place, kind of half under the stairs. It was very small, maybe 15x20 with a weird nook under the stairs. 
I only used a sort of roxul of the time in the walls ceiling, and under the stairs. Then I added two layers of 5/8ths drywall. It was cheaper that way than a 3/8ths layer of greenboard/soundboard and has more mass which is more important. A little more work sure, but its not like you have to prime twice, only tape twice. I also found an old commercial solid core door and got it cut to size with a automatic rubber seal that lowers when closed. I found that to be the most important in the next rooms in the basement and even carrying sound upstairs. 

It was cozy, good for a small couch, couple stools, gear and computer desk. I could play at 4am with a couple dudes jamming or listening to loud music and not disturb anyone in the house, in fact I'd be surprised after loud nights that nobody heard a peep. Are you going to play your 100w plexy, or even 30 watt AC30, no, but you wouldn't want to be in that small of a room with it anyways.

If you want full on drums with the wife watching dancing with the starts upstairs, expect triple the work and money.



As for overbuilding it and adding stages with lights and stuff. I personally find that a bit tacky unless you know its your forever home. If thats the case, go all out and build it right. Room within a room, greenglue, the whole nine, I'd even consult an acoustical engineer for layout and placement. Or do tonnes of research on gearslutz.com in their studio building forum. So much good info and techniques for everything you asked, both pro and DIY.

I know when we were house shopping last time, I wanted to find a place that someone had already put some of this work in. I saw 'studios' with glassed control rooms, patio door setups, raised stages, crazy cheap foam everywhere, wood diffusion panels etc., and not one really suited my style or tastes. Theres always a few areas that people either compromised, made it tacky, or just plain cheeeep. Now, if I were to be looking at a home that had that and was thinking office space? No way.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Working on mine as we speak. The guy at Home Depot was a guitar player & sound engineer, so I followed his advice to get the most bang for the buck. My room is not very wide, so building a room inside a room was not an option. Here's what has been done so far:

1) Owens Corning makes an acoustic type fibreglass pink insulation that is comparable to Roxul at 1/2 the cost. Put 2 layers in the ceiling & 1 in the interior partition walls. 

2) Swapped out the door for solid core.

3) Double drywall with Green Gloo in between. We tested after installing the insulation & a single layer of 1/2" drywall but the volume was still too high. Adding a second layer of 5/8" drywall & Green Glue made a huge improvement. Using 5/8" both layers of drywall may have also helped. Didn't touch the exterior walls due to minimal space, added Green Glue & 5/8" drywall on top of the existing finished wall.

4) Saved the original hollow core door & put it on the outside of the frame. This helped a little.

5) We stuffed some insulation in the windows & that made a huge difference. Apparently foam works quite nicely as well (there's a good place in Vaughan). Going to place a towel or some foam under the door when playing. You can insulate the walls & ceiling all you want but the sound will escape through the cracks & ******.

Apparently resilient channel doesn't do much, you're better to spend your money on Green Glue.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

adcandour said:


> The main thing is that I don't actually need to soundproof - I just need to minimize the sound, so the wife doesn't bitch.
> 
> I'm on the fence between doing roxul everywhere, or only on the ceiling and then using green glue everywhere else. Solid door and I think I'll be at a reduction level I'm comfortable with.


I was in the same situation & decided to tear down existing drywall on the ceiling & interior walls. The most costly thing was the Green Glue ($15/tube x 2 tubes/sheet of drywall) and I didn't want to do the double drywall & Green Glue then find out that it wasn't enough. 

Insulation was cheap (esp. the Owens Corning acoustic product vs. Roxul) & the most sound was coming up through the ceiling so I decided to do both from the start. If anything do the insulation & 5/8" drywall then blast your amps & see how loud it is. You may be able get away without Green Glue & double drywall.



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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Roryfan said:


> Working on mine as we speak. The guy at Home Depot was a guitar player & sound engineer, so I followed his advice to get the most bang for the buck. My room is not very wide, so building a room inside a room was not an option. Here's what has been done so far:
> 
> 1) Owens Corning makes an acoustic type fibreglass pink insulation that is comparable to Roxul at 1/2 the cost. Put 2 layers in the ceiling & 1 in the interior partition walls.
> 
> ...


Resilient channel is harder to install properly, and there are different brands and types (some may be better than others). That said I also prefer a constrained layer such as Green Glue.

The Owens Corning product is OC 703 (rigid fiberglass). I prefer rockwool (like Roxul). I think the industrial version (compressed to a rigid board as I mentioned previously) is cheaper per panel but comes in larger packs than the fluffy consumer (in wall) version. In either case I find the rigid stuff to be better for acoustic panels than wall insulation. Roxul is definitely more effective than standard pink fiberglass in that application BTW. Also safer to install (no mask required; can still be a bit scratchy, so wear gloves, but nothing like fiberglass.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Ah, didn't see that in the store. I used OC Quiet Zone. There was a sale on so I was able to do the room (~120 sq. ft.) for >$200


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Don't think it is a standard item at Home Despot etc - ask a contractor where to get it.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

TheYanChamp said:


> Just jumping in late here. Sorry if I add any redundancies..
> 
> I built a small guitar room in our old place, kind of half under the stairs. It was very small, maybe 15x20 with a weird nook under the stairs. .


that's small? that's how big my living room is, and probably 30% bigger than the rehearsal factory's room i rent every other week. if that's small, you must hang out with robin leech


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

cheezyridr said:


> that's small? that's how big my living room is, and probably 30% bigger than the rehearsal factory's room i rent every other week. if that's small, you must hang out with robin leech


Im a dude, its prob 2 inches smaller.

It was the L shape that made it unusable for drums. And the angle under the stairs that went over part of it. Ita hard to explain and its been 15 years.

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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

So, after taking it all in:


I'll check into roxul or owens corning to see what's better. I'm a contractor that has access to all the goodies.
1/2" drywall, green glue, 1/2" drywall.
I'll put insulation on the ceiling and partition wall to another living space (not an exterior wall).
No green glue on the ceiling. 
proper door that is weather-stripped.
As for tacky...it's for my son and I to enjoy. I'm starting to have second thoughts though due to the 8' ceiling constraint. It'll feel weird being that close to the ceiling.

I'll have to look online for more ideas. But this pic is what I had in mind:


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

adcandour said:


> So, after taking it all in:
> 
> 
> I'll check into roxul or owens corning to see what's better. I'm a contractor that has access to all the goodies.
> ...


Thats sharp. I was about to comment that I thought the wall behind might bounce sound, but then I remembered an apartment building that I live in 30 years ago. The hallway was carpeted and the walls were a rough faced architectural brick. It was super quiet. You only heard voices in the hall when they were passing right in front of your door. I think the brick absorbed a lot of noise


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

TheYanChamp said:


> Im a dude, its prob 2 inches smaller.


it's 5 am, and i laughed loud enough to wake my dogs


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

I would use 5/8" drywall for both layers & also do GreenGlue + double drywall on the ceiling in addition to insulating in between the joists.

I used 1/2" for the first layer and found that OC in between the joists + 1/2" drywall didn't do nearly enough (I'm not an audio engineer but I had my fiancée stand in various locations in & around the house while I played during the various stages of construction). Hindsight being 20/20 I would have used 5/8" for both layers.

After helping the contractor with the boarding, I understood why he wanted to use 1/2" instead.....but mass is one part of the equation.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

So the perfect wall equation is : Ext (5/8 drywall + green glue + 5/8 drywall) + Roxul + Int (5/8 drywall + green glue + 5/8 drywall)?


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Ti-Ron said:


> So the perfect wall equation is : Ext (5/8 drywall + green glue + 5/8 drywall) + Roxul + Int (5/8 drywall + green glue + 5/8 drywall)?


I'm not sure about "perfect", but probably the best option for me. My room is L shaped and only 6'6" wide at the narrow part so I wanted to maintain as much space as possible. Building a second wall inside the existing walls was not an option. Since the outside walls were already finished with insulation & drywall I added Green Glue & 5/8" drywall on top. I only lost 1 1/2" of interior space (5/8" drywall + Green Glue x 2), I can live with that.

One layer of 1/2" drywall + insulation in the ceiling didn't do all that much, so I'm guessing that having the extra mass of 5/8" on the first layer as well (a 4x8 sheet of 5/8" weighs 30kg, ~double of the 1/2" light weight drywall that is most common) would have helped somewhat.


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

Noise proof music room....riiiiight....


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Hey Guys, just a bit of an update.

Firstly, once the studs went in and then the double drywall, the room got all "pencil-dicky" - i.e. 'thin'. It's too thin for a stage.

So,... I'm at a loss for what to do for an accent wall. I'll be on the hunt for ideas soon.

Instead of spending tons of cash on sound panels, I've decided to build some on the cheap. I bought canvas paintings on clearance and built 2 different types of acoustic materials into the framing. I painted all the different shapes less one print (for each shape) that I will keep. Here's the process:

Grab an ugly cheap painting:









Add acoustic ceiling tile:








Cut rigid acoustic tile to fit:








Hold in place with wood glue and brackets:









Paint away the ugly:










And here's your panel that's made to match your colour scheme:


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Right on! I was just lucky that a telecommunications centre was closing, they had 1000's of these hanging from the ceiling. OC703's.










Sent from my other brain.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

adcandour said:


> Hey Guys, just a bit of an update.
> 
> Firstly, once the studs went in and then the double drywall, the room got all "pencil-dicky" - i.e. 'thin'. It's too thin for a stage.
> 
> ...


Great idea - one thing to watch out for though: canvas +thick paint (acrylic or oils + the paint you put on top) is reflective at high frequencies. I'd recommend removing (replacing) the canvas or at least sticking a pc of felt over top. In a small room the highs can hurt.

The speckled panel in the post below yours is much better - despite the surface hardness, the texture diffuses high freqs vs reflecting them.

Lastly, remember to mount those so there is an inch or 2 gap between the back of it and the wall. This will increase the effectiveness of absoption at lower frequencies. This could be as easy as putting a few feet made of random offcuts in the corners.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Not to be a downer Donnie, but the painting surface will not likely be porous enough to mitigate any mid to high frequencies, and not enough mass to be effective at low frequencies.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

@ronmac
@Granny Gremlin

Yeah, I was afraid that that might be an issue. My thoughts on that are to just flip the boards around and add trim to hide the edges (if I absolutely have to), since the backs are textured and sound-dampening. I received a large amount of Amazon Gift Cards and I'm currently shag rug area rug shopping too.

I'd prefer not to spin them around, due to the ugly factor. If worse comes to worse, I may spray glue a textured wall paper fabric to the fronts.

Unfortunately, aesthetics are just as important as effectiveness.

I'll be sure to post more as I get closer to completion.

I was also considering doing one vertical wall up using these ceiling tiles. At about 70sq.ft, it won't cost much and I think it'll look pretty cool.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

.srry dbl post


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

ronmac said:


> Not to be a downer Donnie, but the painting surface will not likely be porous enough to mitigate any mid to high frequencies, and not enough mass to be effective at low frequencies.


Possibly it was bad choice of words, so sorry of this sounds like playing semantics, but I think it is important to be clear here - porosity is irrelevant. The issue is whether the surface covering is absorptive or reflective . Obviously this behaviour depends on the freq in question; when it comes to high freqs, a general rule of thumb is litterally how hard or soft/compliant a given surface is (this is a generalization, but a mostly useful one). Even a pc of paper will reflect the highest audible frequencies. Midrange down to bass will go right through it (the surface of painted canvas,... or a pc of paper) - I mean, if it will go through a wall why would you think this thing would stop it? 

The ideal broadband absorber is soft but dense/has great mass. Such a thing doesn't really exist (or would be too huge) so you need to cover the rigid insulation panel (the density required for lower freqs, as in lower than the treble we're worried about reflecting of the surface) with something soft to absorb the high end. That's why you see pro OC based panels coverred in felt or other fuzzy fabrics. If you use the noncompressed/non-rigid/residential Roxul meant for inbetween studs vs the rigid board for the exterior of high rises, you just need a reletively soft/thin/light fabric on top to make it look nice but not reflect any top end (avoid anything synthetic or shiny and you'll generally be fine).


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

adcandour said:


> @ronmac
> @Granny Gremlin
> 
> Yeah, I was afraid that that might be an issue. My thoughts on that are to just flip the boards around and add trim to hide the edges (if I absolutely have to), since the backs are textured and sound-dampening. I received a large amount of Amazon Gift Cards and I'm currently shag rug area rug shopping too.
> ...


Shag rug on the walls - I love it!

Remember, the frame is also highly reflective (wood). But that is getting a little anally retentive about the whole thing. Grab some cheap felt in a colour that matches (or the shag) to cover the whole thing, (frame included!) and you'll be fine.

As for those ceiling tiles, not a bad idea to have a dispersive wall inthe mix with absorptive ones, but do it right or don't do it at all. The pattern needs to be smaller with more variation/less consistency (those pictured have a large reflecticve surface with a raised frame). What would be better, but not as cheap is that faux stone tile:










The knoblier/rougher./coarser the better. It would be a decent approxinmation of a proper full range diffuser like this (also easy enough to make out of 2x2 lumber):










and can look pretty cool:










You can also do it with alternating stripes of various mouldings (different pattern and thickness/height; maybe add some shims under the odd one to get more height varience). That's probably cheaper and easier. Basically try to emulate this sort of readymade panelling:


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Granny Gremlin said:


> Shag rug on the walls - I love it!
> 
> Remember, the frame is also highly reflective (wood). But that is getting a little anally retentive about the whole thing. Grab some cheap felt in a colour that matches and you'll be fine.
> 
> ...


That 2x2 idea looks cool. I could probably get that done quite easily. 

re: stone - I have to go easy on the budget, since I went overboard on the bathroom. I do get stone at contractor pricing, so it's not totally out of reach, but I think I'll be shooting for some trial and error starting on the cheaper end of things.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

There are calculators and patterns for those wood diffusers online (so you can set up yer chop saw for a given length, cut what you need and then move on to the next length).


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Cool thread!!!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

There are some great ideas here!


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## metrick (Jun 16, 2015)

Granny Gremlin said:


> There are calculators and patterns for those wood diffusers online (so you can set up yer chop saw for a given length, cut what you need and then move on to the next length).


Just wonder what lumber and glue would cost for 2x2 and compare to veneer stone.

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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

As creative types musicians are always trying to find creative ways to solve complex problems. Not always the best solution. Trial and error in this case will become the most expensive way to come to a non-working solution.

Do you know what issues you are dealing with, or just throwing up some panels because everyone on the inter webs say that is what you should do and it looks cool? 

To quote Tim Burton "if you don't know where you're going any road will get you there".


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

ronmac said:


> As creative types musicians are always trying to find creative ways to solve complex problems. Not always the best solution. Trial and error in this case will become the most expensive way to come to a non-working solution.
> 
> Do you know what issues you are dealing with, or just throwing up some panels because everyone on the inter webs say that is what you should do and it looks cool?
> 
> To quote Tim Burton "if you don't know where you're going any road will get you there".


That's a pretty frustrating comment. 

Firstly, and _most importantly_....I'm not a musician. 

I can't help it that the current solutions are downright ugly. With the exception of Alan Frew's and Chad Kroeger's/Avril's studio, every home music studio I've visited has been ugly (and there's been a bunch).

My panel construction is based on recommendations from a company in mississauga that is strictly an acoustics firm. They sell the parts to construct the same panel - less the painted canvas. These paintings cost less than making them myself or purchasing them prefabricated from the mississauga seller. 

Once the room is complete, I will put them in there and see what happens. If they don't work, I will simply turn them around to see if that side works better; it should since those materials - on that side of the board - are made for sound absorption . 

Ultimately, I can purchase fabric from the seller and re-do the painting with them, if needed. Further, IF they don't work, they will _still_ look good and I can keep them in there and work around them. What else am I gonna put up? Posters? Fuck that...I'm not 12.

I have a shag rug (that actually looks fantastic) from my old house that I will try hanging as well. I will also have one on the floor. Weird thing is that I'll need one anyway, so no money or wasted time there.

The reason I am already moving in this direction without knowing "the issues I'll be dealing with" is simply because a brain dead dipshit would know that there'd be issues with reverberation right off the bat. What will I ask myself at that point? In addition to _those_ questions, I'll be asking myself why I didn't make a move sooner.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Sorry, I didn't mean to rile you. As someone who deals with (and resolves) acoustic issues as part of my livelihood I thought it would be prudent to warn against applying unknown solutions to an unknown problem. My apologies if the tone of my remarks was hurtful.

Backing away slowly....


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## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

When I finished my basement a few years ago I did double drywall inside the furnace room as the guest bedroom is situated right next door and when the furnace kicks in it can be quite noisy. I drywalled it once, and then went right back over top of it again making sure that the seams did not align. You can not hear the furnace from the guest room when it kicks in. 

I know nothing about the science of acoustics, but if you're looking to simply contain some of the sound in the jam space, I'd hang a couple layers of drywall in that room.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

JethroTech said:


> When I finished my basement a few years ago I did double drywall inside the furnace room as the guest bedroom is situated right next door and when the furnace kicks in it can be quite noisy. I drywalled it once, and then went right back over top of it again making sure that the seams did not align. You can not hear the furnace from the guest room when it kicks in.
> 
> I know nothing about the science of acoustics, but if you're looking to simply contain some of the sound in the jam space, I'd hang a couple layers of drywall in that room.


So far I roxul insulated the walls and ceiling, double drywalled with green glue in between the layers. I'm not concerned with perfect, since the sweet spots to my amps aren't cranked any way, so I think I'm in good shape for sound proofing - now I need to sound absorb.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

ronmac said:


> As creative types musicians are always trying to find creative ways to solve complex problems. Not always the best solution. Trial and error in this case will become the most expensive way to come to a non-working solution.
> 
> Do you know what issues you are dealing with, or just throwing up some panels because everyone on the inter webs say that is what you should do and it looks cool?
> 
> To quote Tim Burton "if you don't know where you're going any road will get you there".


The trial and error is _where_ you put the panels. Actually making them is always a good idea. How to make them is known; how they work is known; it's a matter of making them right according to that knowledge. You make a couple, place them, listen/measure and rearrange until it's good/better. Then you make a few more as needed.

A bit of absorption is always going to be better than a bare (live vs dead) room; especially a small one. For jamming (vs mixing or , if you subscribe to that method, recording voices) you don't want a totally dead room (no natural verb at all; sounds weird - ever been in an anechoic chamber like the one at the Ontario Science Centre?).

Remember that furniture is also acoustic treatment (e.g. couches as absorption/bass traps; bookshelves as diffusers), so take that into account when doing your first placement and deciding how many panels to start with (absorbers; diffusion is best done a whole wall, or a large portion thereof, at a time).



metrick said:


> Just wonder what lumber and glue would cost for 2x2 and compare to veneer stone.


Depends on the price you can get on 2x2 and how much depth varience you decide to use (in the case of a guitar room you may not need to go too overboard here; just like with absorbers). I estimate 90" of 2x2 per square foot; you could do it with less or more (65 to 120 if you wanna get crazy). Part of the cost analysis should include a value placed on relative effectiveness (the wood thing will be more dispersive due to more varience). Also don't forget about labour (the stone is quicker to install).


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2016)

You could also go *******. lol.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Oh, where do I start?








The orange makes it.








Not bad IMO.








Colour options.








And this one, if you don't mind the smell........


Sent from my other other brain.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

bzrkrage said:


> Oh, where do I start?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Second one doesn't look too bad.

All that's missing from the last one is Twister & a fish bowl for everyone to put their keys in....


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

laristotle said:


> You could also go *******. lol.


It goes from diffusion to resonant absorber as you drink through the wall.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bzrkrage said:


> Oh, where do I start?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My goodness, that's ugly! Then their is the health issues with carpet.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Steadfastly said:


> My goodness, that's ugly! Then their is the health issues with carpet.


Oh, only health issue is seen under a black light! Total Jackson Pollock! While cranking the 8-track, check out the Karate trophy i won!(Bought a t Value Village for $1.99)










Sent from my other other brain.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bzrkrage said:


> Oh, only health issue is seen under a black light! Total Jackson Pollock! While cranking the 8-track, check out the Karate trophy i won!(Bought a t Value Village for $1.99)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry if it sounded I was attacking your use of carpet. That is our personal preference as my wife is allergic to all the stuff they make carpet out of. 

That said, that ^^^^^^is quite the amazing room!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

bzrkrage said:


> Oh, only health issue is seen under a black light! Total Jackson Pollock! While cranking the 8-track, check out the Karate trophy i won!(Bought a t Value Village for $1.99)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love the mirror.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Steadfastly said:


> That said, that ^^^^^^is quite the amazing room!


Isn't that a van? If so, DOOOOOOOOOOD!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Granny Gremlin said:


> Isn't that a van? If so, DOOOOOOOOOOD!


I think it's a shaggin' wagon.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Granny Gremlin said:


> Isn't that a van? If so, DOOOOOOOOOOD!


I thought it might have been a 5th wheel trailer but most bedrooms are not open like that.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

adcandour said:


> I think it's a shaggin' wagon.


Dude! Totally!
Also, I didn't mean to derail the thread, but......come on! Shag carpet brother! Bow-chicka-bow-bow!


Sent from my other other brain.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

adcandour said:


> So far I roxul insulated the walls and ceiling, double drywalled with green glue in between the layers. I'm not concerned with perfect, since the sweet spots to my amps aren't cranked any way, so I think I'm in good shape for sound proofing - now I need to sound absorb.


If you want to go further down the rabbit hole, I would suggest you look in to LEDE theory (Live End, Dead End). I studied this in Don Davis' Syn-Aud-Con course decades ago, and it opened my mind up. 

The basic concept was to design a control room to sound bigger than the studio (by making walls reflect, refract or absorb), thereby taking away the sonic thumbprint of the control room and let you 'hear' the acoustic space of the studio (which is usually the larger room and is masked by the smaller control room with it's earlier reflections). You probably have no need to go full LEDE but the concepts used could be transferred to your situation. They've probably come a long way in the last 30 years as well.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

High/Deaf said:


> If you want to go further down the rabbit hole, I would suggest you look in to LEDE theory (Live End, Dead End). I studied this in Don Davis' Syn-Aud-Con course decades ago, and it opened my mind up.
> 
> The basic concept was to design a control room to sound bigger than the studio (by making walls reflect, refract or absorb), thereby taking away the sonic thumbprint of the control room and let you 'hear' the acoustic space of the studio (which is usually the larger room and is masked by the smaller control room with it's earlier reflections). You probably have no need to go full LEDE but the concepts used could be transferred to your situation. They've probably come a long way in the last 30 years as well.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

adcandour said:


> View attachment 48025


The funniest comedy ever in my books.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

bzrkrage said:


> Dude! Totally!
> Also, I didn't mean to derail the thread, but......come on! Shag carpet brother! Bow-chicka-bow-bow!


Party On, Excellent


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Schwing!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Well, we're in the final stages - I just need a door and some trim. 

Doors are gonna take 3 weeks, and I can't wait, so I've moved down any way and built a pressurized chamber for the goofs to complete the rest of their cuts.

Here is what it looks like so far. The difference between having the panels up versus out is very noticeable, but I don't have enough and I'm still getting some reverb, but it's definitely not unpleasant. The bass seems boomier, so I'll have to mess around with stuff until I figure that out.

I'm thinking it looks cool and should turn out well. I don't know if it's soundproof yet though.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Looks good!


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

adcandour said:


> Well, we're in the final stages - I just need a door and some trim.
> 
> Doors are gonna take 3 weeks, and I can't wait, so I've moved down any way and built a pressurized chamber for the goofs to complete the rest of their cuts.
> 
> ...


After all this work and money you still only have a corner of the room?!
Poor you..


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)




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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Granny Gremlin said:


>





Ti-Ron said:


> After all this work and money you still only have a corner of the room?!
> Poor you..


Exactly, at least I have a floor.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

It's looking good. I'm not a lover of green but the combination of the yellow and green matches very nicely. How big is the room?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Steadfastly said:


> It's looking good. I'm not a lover of green but the combination of the yellow and green matches very nicely. How big is the room?


Thanks.

That's some sort of programmable stage light - it cycles through colours among other things, so it's only green for a moment.

The room is 10 × 20. It feels way smaller than I expected, so I've got to keep it simple. It feels good in there though.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

If the boominess is a problem down the road, you can consider bass traps in the corner(s).


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Granny Gremlin said:


>


Oh man, I'm now a perfect troll face emoji!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

High/Deaf said:


> If the boominess is a problem down the road, you can consider bass traps in the corner(s).


I'll look into those. It could be the LE buster (but it's supposed to have a pretty tight low end - and does when using in the bedroom), so I'll try the Moratto downstairs - which I know how to tweak very well and see if there's a difference.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

That looks nice!


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

So what's the final inside dimension of the sound proof area? Looking good. Lmk when the hunt for the drums begins. It's hunting design for drum gear. Never been a better time for gear.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Final Update: You need to do more than I did.

I'm not exactly sure why it isn't totally soundproof (or even close, tbh), but I suspect it's because I cut corners on the insulation and didn't do much about the vents. There's not much else I could have done with the walls - short of a room within a room (which space did not allow).

The good news: I can still play loud and the family can't hear it when they're sleeping (which is the only reason I did this).

What I did:

steel framing
roxul - only on walls that weren't exterior, so I think this was a contributor
roxul on ceiling and around supply ducting
double drywall
green glue and staggered sheets
sound proof door that has been weather stripped


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Just wondering if you or anyone else has any idea if would framing would have made any difference over the steel?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Steadfastly said:


> Just wondering if you or anyone else has any idea if would framing would have made any difference over the steel?


I'm positive it wood to some degree.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I sense sarcasm....


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

adcandour said:


> I'm positive it wood to some degree.


Thanks, Ad. I've never used steel for any personal renos so I wouldn't know. I would think that door you used and the double drywall did a lot to contain the sound.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Sweet brother! Can you do some photos for us?

Edit: went back, saw pics. Awesomeness.




Still… shag carpet on the walls still could help.


Sent from my "other" other brain.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

bzrkrage said:


> Sweet brother! Can you do some photos for us?
> 
> Edit: went back, saw pics. Awesomeness.
> 
> ...


Thanks. Ikea actually sells 2'x2' shag rugs that I was thinking of putting on one wall. They're $10/piece though, so it'll add up quick.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

My room (Owens Corning "Quiet Zone" fibreglass pink insulation in between studs & joists, double drywall with Green Glue in between, double doors - a new solid core & decided to salvage the original hollow core) turned out reasonably well, however the biggest offender is the ductwork. The guitar is loudest in my daughter's room, which is on the other side of the bsmt, so I've taken to stuffing a towel or some foam into the vent when playing. Any other suggestions?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Well, last night was my first true test with a couple of guitars going (thanks @Budda). I asked my wife if she heard anything the next day, and she didn't. We also had the door open.

I wouldn't say we were playing quietly, but we definitely weren't cranked. I wouldn't play it much louder than Justin was playing.

I think it's the lows that make it through the house. Not sure how to fix that...


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Bass traps? I'm surprised she didn't hear anything, granted I don't know where she was in the house. It's a lovely house by the way.

I'm sure that question has a few answers though (how to stop bass frequencies from escaping a room, without sacrificing the room).


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Budda said:


> Bass traps? I'm surprised she didn't hear anything, granted I don't know where she was in the house. It's a lovely house by the way.
> 
> I'm sure that question has a few answers though (how to stop bass frequencies from escaping a room, without sacrificing the room).


From the main level perspective, we were playing beside the front door (opposite the office - in the guest bedroom). They would have been down the hall in the basement passed the ping-pong table, if that helps. So, we were pretty far and they have a white noise maker in the room. Still, prior to the music room, they could hear everything. Regardless, I was pretty happy to hear they couldn't hear us.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Anyone know if those acoustic panels will help with Vents in the basement? That's one of the main issues (among others) for my sound space at the moment. It isn't a separated room, the entire basement is finished but wide open except for furnace room and bathroom. The main vent is totally enclosed in a wood casing which certainly help a bit, but I'm thinking if some acoustic panels or some other material is on the outside of the frame it would reduce vent noise fairly considerably. or would it? I'm also considering those sound proof drop ceiling panels, but my understanding is that I would need an entirely new system to hold heavier panels. Armstrong makes sound proof ceiling tiles that look like they could do the trick.

Anyone experienced this kind of thing?

Oh, great looking room BTW Adcandour. If I could do the basement area again, I'd follow a different path more resembling yours to be honest. A bit late now, but I think there are things that I can do to tighten that shit up.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

The answers to all of your questions are contained in Post#15, page 1.

Knowing a little about something will often get you close to the finish line. Not so with acoustics...


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

ronmac said:


> The answers to all of your questions are contained in Post#15, page 1.
> 
> Knowing a little about something will often get you close to the finish line. Not so with acoustics...


Thanks man.


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