Just got a space for free! Some construction ideas

[TheBeast]

Hey guys,

I just got word that we're going to be getting the 2nd half of our basement space free of charge, almost twice as much as we had before! I have some experience designing our first control room. I made corner triangles out of mineral wool and 6" mineral wool bass traps.

I have uploaded a .png image of the dimensions I have to work with and my ideas for a layout. Any comments on the layout are welcome and I do have a few ideas I'd like to bounce off of someone.

1.) Could somebody point me to a good article on wall shapes of the room? I have about 13.5' x 17' to work with if I use 1 foot walls. I will have the speakers traveling down the furthest wall (17'). Is there a better angle for my walls rather than a rectangle? I do plan on using corner mineral wool on every corner, should I still go with an angled design?

2.) I was thinking about using an IP network based video system for visual communication between rooms, for 2 reasons...

a.) I am trying to minimize the cost of the permanent construction, as I don't know how long this free space offer is going to last. I have a good relationship with the building owner and don't forsee leaving anytime soon, but you never know what could come up.

b.) From what I've read getting sound proofed windows are both expensive, and people seem to have a lot of trouble with sound leaking through. An LCD monitor and camera system could travel with me and seems a lot easier to construct (I'm a network administrator and have experience with the equipment.)

3.) The ceiling down there is only 8' tall. I know, that's a pretty big bummer, but I have to work with the cards I'm dealt. Would there be an advantage to using a "cheap floating floor method" by putting rockwool underneath the subfloor? Perhaps 4" of rockwool with plywood on top? This would lower my ceiling several inches, but would this be advantages to separate the floor from the live room's floor?

4.) Any suggestions for the most economical way to keep sound from coming through the door? Is there a good pre-made solution? I was thinking about using 2 standard commercial doors, and applying a buffer of rockwool between them that would attach to 1 of the doors. Better ideas are greatly appreciated.


I have been lurking this forum all day and found out a lot of info. Any push in the right direction is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

-Mike

[TheBeast]

I just read through Ethan Winer's website again and that answered a lot of my questions.

Still 2 things I am unsure about

1.) Is it worth installing a large window looking into the live room, or am I going to get more bleed through than it's worth without spending big money?

2.) Should I "float" the floors with 4" of rockwool underneath the subfloor? Or should I just construct a subfloor on top of the concrete?

Also, my right side wall is concrete right now. What do I do about this?

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by TheBeast

Is it worth installing a large window looking into the live room, or am I going to get more bleed through than it's worth without spending big money?

Isolation depends on a lot of thing, so there's no easy answer. Cost is another factor. Two layers of thick glass isolates well, but that costs a lot more than one piece of 1/4 inch. If you're concerned about isolation you could use a TV camera and screen, but having a glass window is a lot nicer.

Should I "float" the floors with 4" of rockwool underneath the subfloor? Or should I just construct a subfloor on top of the concrete?

I'm not much of an isolation expert, but again the answer depends on where the other weak links might be. For example, floating a floor over solid cement won't help much if both rooms share a common single-layer wall.

--Ethan

[TheBeast]

Thanks for the reply Ethan, your website is a fantastic resource.

The control room is not sharing a wall with the live room, there will be a hallway in between them. Is there is no other acoustical benefit to a floated floor, other than isolation?

Also, any recommendation on what to do with the concrete wall on the right hand side of my control room? The left side is going to be drywall, should I cover the right side as well for symmetry? Or just place rockwool at the main reflection points?

Really appreciate the info!

-Mike

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by TheBeast

Is there is no other acoustical benefit to a floated floor, other than isolation?

No other benefit that I'm aware of.

any recommendation on what to do with the concrete wall on the right hand side of my control room? The left side is going to be drywall

That should be fine. Both surfaces reflect, so just treat them the same and you'll be okay.

--Ethan

[jwl]

With regard to floating a floor, I'd recommend reading this:

John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum • View topic - Is a Floating Floor Right For You? Answer: Probably NOT.