semi-portable iso booth

[CK9]

Hi all,

I'm buying a house with my girlfriend soon, which means all 3 of us will have to co-exist... me, my girlfriend and my home studio.

I do a lot of recording late at night and my girlfriend goes to bed quite early, so I am seriously thinking of building an isolation booth to enable me to record loud vocals and guitar at any time of the night. If I can build it myself out of timber and 'drywall' (in Australia we call it plasterboard) it will be way cheaper than having something like a whisper room shipped over to me.

It doesn't have to be completely sound proof but I want to make it as sound proof as possible so my recordings are as clean and professional as possible. (I've got a pretty decent chain: Rode/Royer - Avalon - Lavry Blue, thinking of getting a Pearlman).

Here's where it gets complicated... I want to make an iso booth which can be taken apart in a few years time if we move again. I realise that stud walls with foam and two layers of plasterboard either side will be heavy but if you only have to dismantle it once every few years how bad can it be?

So here's my plan:

• I build four seperate sound-proof walls using the information on the Gearslutz threads. One wall will obviously have a door. No windows required.
• I build four 'corner pieces' to hold the four walls together. (Diagram below)
• The overall size will be 2 metres x 1.5 metres x height to be determined.
• The floor will be the concrete slab of the house with carpet.

So my questions are:

1) Do you think the corner pieces will be a total failure when it comes to isolation, or just a partial failure? A partial failure might still be suitable.

2) What should I use as a roof?

3) What the hell am I going to do about ventilation?

P.S. Sorry about the long post, but just thought I better explain as much as possible.

[avare]

Originally Posted by CK9

Hi all,

1) Do you think the corner pieces will be a total failure when it comes to isolation, or just a partial failure? A partial failure might still be suitable.

No. The key thing is paying attention to detail. Your idea is good.

2) What should I use as a roof?

The same as the walls. Roofs are just walls turned 90°.

3) What the hell am I going to do about ventilation?

Have serpentine paths for air to come in and out. Fans will help here.

Keep the questions coming! The more you know, the better the project will be.


Anfre

[CK9]

thanks for that!

ok next question... what are serpentine paths? I did a search but there was nothing on Gearslutz.

Are the fans part of the serpentine path? Do I need one blowing air in and one sucking air out?

[PhilR]

Originally Posted by CK9

thanks for that!

ok next question... what are serpentine paths? I did a search but there was nothing on Gearslutz.

Are the fans part of the serpentine path? Do I need one blowing air in and one sucking air out?

Sepentine as in with many bends and folds. You can create DIY silencers for air ducting by building a baffle system whereby air flows through a absorber-lined maze structure.

[jwl]

I recommend looking at John Sayers' inside-out wall design. Basically, you build your walls with standard timber, 2 layers of drywall on the outside (Green Glue between layers if you want to get better iso), put insulation between the studs and cover the inside with cloth.

Easy to build in modular, 4x8 sections. I imagine you could do a booth with them without much trouble. HVAC is another issue though....

[avare]

Originally Posted by jwl

I recommend looking at John Sayers' inside-out wall design. Basically, you build your walls with standard timber, 2 layers of drywall on the outside (Green Glue between layers if you want to get better iso), put insulation between the studs and cover the inside with cloth.

Easy to build in modular, 4x8 sections. I imagine you could do a booth with them without much trouble. HVAC is another issue though....

A single leaf is almost useless for sound isolation. If you add three dB for doubling the mass, the TL is still lousy. See pdf page 74 in IR 818.

[CK9]

How about this design for the vents?

What material would you use to make the vents?

[avare]

That looks great! Plywood, 1" thick board, etc. Line the path with mineral wool or similar.

Andre

[CK9]

What is the most sound-proof way of getting cables through a stud wall?

Is there some sort of product out there which is specifically designed for that task?

[jwl]

Originally Posted by avare

A single leaf is almost useless for sound isolation. If you add three dB for doubling the mass, the TL is still lousy. See pdf page 74 in IR 818.

Right, the inside-out wall design would just be for the inner leaf, ie the iso booth itself. The room that the iso booth is in would constitute the 2nd (and possibly 3rd leaf.... )

[avare]

Originally Posted by jwl

Right, the inside-out wall design would just be for the inner leaf, ie the iso booth itself. The room that the iso booth is in would constitute the 2nd (and possibly 3rd leaf.... )

I understand your logic. I thinking there are doorways, and thin doors between the isobooth room and the other spaces.

Which is it?

[Daniel Antix]

where in australia are you? i have a portable sound proof room that John Laws / 2UE used to use as an outside broadcast booth for radio... it's just lying around at my dad's work... i wanna get rid of it as i don't need it. it's a decent size... nearly the size of 2 car spots i think. I'm in Sydney.

[CK9]

I'm all the way over in Perth but if its the right thing and the right price I'll have it shipped here.

I can PM you my phone number if you like?

[Daniel Antix]

Originally Posted by CK9

I'm all the way over in Perth but if its the right thing and the right price I'll have it shipped here.

I can PM you my phone number if you like?

it would cost a lot to ship it... i hired a budget truck when i picked it up and it didn't all fit in the one truck, had to make a 2nd trip...

[CK9]

Do you think it would fit in one ship container?

I might call a company next week and get a price just for the hell of it.

[Daniel Antix]

Originally Posted by CK9

Do you think it would fit in one ship container?

I might call a company next week and get a price just for the hell of it.

hmm don't think so the truck was bigger then that but i'll find out for you.

[Daniel Antix]

doesn't look like it will fit in a shipping container sorry mate.

[CK9]

ok I'll let it go.

So what do you think of my design?