[David Abrahams]

Hi All,

Sorry for the emotional appeal, but with a baby on the way, I fear the
large amount of leakage from my basement practice space/recording
studio is going to be completely unacceptable (during what little time
I'll actually be able to spend down there), and I'm motivated to try
to do something about it well before the our date.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...d?dmode=source

shows the layout of the room (approx. 12 ft by 28 ft with a 10 ft
roughly-hexagonal area tacked onto one corner). I eventually will
want to add acoustic treatment (e.g. bass traps), but isolation from
the first floor of the house is my first priority.

I've Googled around a lot and I've read lots of different schemes for
doing this, so I know the basic principles (e.g. airtight +
mass/air/mass stops sound). I'm hoping to get help formulating a plan
that I can have confidence will work for my space.

I expect this project could easily cost $15K, but it would be good to
save some money if possible... On the other hand I've already tried a
cheapo approach so I know you get what you pay for

Some particulars about the room:

* The walls are non-structural 4" concrete block; on two sides they
are sister walls to the actual rock foundation of the house. In
some places they do touch beams and floor joists, but in theory that
connection could be chiseled away without doing any structural harm.

* Currently I have a dropped tile ceiling.

* I have enough mass-loaded vinyl to cover the entire ceiling. I
(now) know MLV on top of tile is not particularly effective for
isolation , but in case it can be useful somehow, it costs me
nothing.

* There is a special 4" high by 1" deep baseboard channel around the
outside walls that routes any potential floodwater into a sump
system. Baseboard heaters have been mounted above the channel on
the long outside wall.

* There are two small windows near the ceiling that currently serve
little purpose -- one window well is full of insulation.

* Note that the room is already kinda narrow; eventual bass traps will
take up more space, so I'm leary of doing anything that would make
it even more narrow.

Expert help would be deeply appreciated. My greatest fear, next to an
un-soundproofed studio in a house with a baby, is that I'll build
something expensive and time consuming and it doesn't really work.

Thanks a billion in advance!

-Dave

[Richard Crowley]

"David Abrahams" wrote ...
Sorry for the emotional appeal, but with a baby on the way, I fear the
large amount of leakage from my basement practice space/recording
studio is going to be completely unacceptable (during what little time
I'll actually be able to spend down there), and I'm motivated to try
to do something about it well before the our date.

Headphones?
How much leakage do you have now?
Can you move the nursery to the 2nd floor?

OTOH, people (even infants) get used to ambient
noise that they grow up with. Convincing your wife
may be a separate issue, though. :-)

[David Abrahams]

"Richard Crowley" writes:

"David Abrahams" wrote ...
Sorry for the emotional appeal, but with a baby on the way, I fear the
large amount of leakage from my basement practice space/recording
studio is going to be completely unacceptable (during what little time
I'll actually be able to spend down there), and I'm motivated to try
to do something about it well before the our date.

Headphones?

Not much good for band practice with real drums.

How much leakage do you have now?

Enough that my wife isn't comfortable anywhere on the first floor when
we're playing.

Can you move the nursery to the 2nd floor?

That's where it is. I just can't imagine that my wife's willingness
to stay not only with the kid, but upstairs with the kid, is going to
coincide neatly with times I could use the studio.

OTOH, people (even infants) get used to ambient noise that they grow
up with. Convincing your wife may be a separate issue, though. :-)

She doesn't think it's going to be a major problem, actually. I'm the
one who's not convinced. Then there's the issue that footsteps from
the floor above are clearly audible in the basement, which could
easily ruin a recording.

I appreciate the chance to examine an easy way out, but sooner or
later I know I'll need to get an idea of what's needed for effective
isolation (and figure out what it will cost me in time and money) so I
can make an informed choice about whether to do it.

Thanks,
Dave

[hank alrich]

David Abrahams wrote:

I appreciate the chance to examine an easy way out, but sooner or
later I know I'll need to get an idea of what's needed for effective
isolation (and figure out what it will cost me in time and money) so I
can make an informed choice about whether to do it.

Given you might spend $15K on it, I'd say getting in touch with an
acoustical architect/studio designer might be well worth your time and
money.

--
ha

[David Abrahams]

(hank alrich) writes:

David Abrahams wrote:

I appreciate the chance to examine an easy way out, but sooner or
later I know I'll need to get an idea of what's needed for effective
isolation (and figure out what it will cost me in time and money) so I
can make an informed choice about whether to do it.

Given you might spend $15K on it, I'd say getting in touch with an
acoustical architect/studio designer might be well worth your time and
money.

How would I go about finding qualified/appropriate people in the
Boston area? The yellow pages and Google don't look like they're
going to be much help.

TIA,
Dave

[Scott Dorsey]

David Abrahams wrote:

How would I go about finding qualified/appropriate people in the
Boston area? The yellow pages and Google don't look like they're
going to be much help.

Call other local studios and ask who they used. Hell, call Fletcher.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[David Abrahams]

(Scott Dorsey) writes:

David Abrahams wrote:

How would I go about finding qualified/appropriate people in the
Boston area? The yellow pages and Google don't look like they're
going to be much help.

Call other local studios and ask who they used.

I'll try, bugt the only ones I know don't have anything like the same
kinds of issues.

Hell, call Fletcher.

Fletcher?

[Scott Dorsey]

David Abrahams wrote:
(Scott Dorsey) writes:

David Abrahams wrote:

How would I go about finding qualified/appropriate people in the
Boston area? The yellow pages and Google don't look like they're
going to be much help.

Call other local studios and ask who they used.

I'll try, bugt the only ones I know don't have anything like the same
kinds of issues.

That doesn't matter. A good acoustical expert will be able to deal with
a wide variety of problems.

Hell, call Fletcher.

Fletcher?

Of Mercenary Audio. Hell, call BBN and see if they have anyone willing to
take a small job on the side.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[David Grant]

"David Abrahams" wrote in message
...

Hi All,

Sorry for the emotional appeal, but with a baby on the way, I fear the
large amount of leakage from my basement practice space/recording
studio is going to be completely unacceptable

Whew! Looking at the subject line alone I feared you were going to try to
soundproof the baby's room to keep you from hearing crying at night.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[hank alrich]

David Abrahams wrote:

(Scott Dorsey) writes:

David Abrahams wrote:

How would I go about finding qualified/appropriate people in the
Boston area? The yellow pages and Google don't look like they're
going to be much help.

Call other local studios and ask who they used.

I'll try, bugt the only ones I know don't have anything like the same
kinds of issues.

Hell, call Fletcher.

Fletcher?

Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: +1 508-543-0069
FAX: +1 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"


--
ha

[hank alrich]

hank alrich wrote:

David Abrahams wrote:

(Scott Dorsey) writes:

David Abrahams wrote:

How would I go about finding qualified/appropriate people in the
Boston area? The yellow pages and Google don't look like they're
going to be much help.

Call other local studios and ask who they used.

I'll try, bugt the only ones I know don't have anything like the same
kinds of issues.

Hell, call Fletcher.

Fletcher?

Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: +1 508-543-0069
FAX: +1 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

And this just in from Fletcher, whom I heads-upped:


Hey Hank, good to hear from you. I don't have access to r.a.p. so
please feel free to post this response for me...

If the bro would like to give a call I may be able to do some stuff on
the cheap for him on the back of a bar*napkin or something*if he's into
self carpentry and not assigning blame. If he would like something
designed correctly I would highly recommend Bob Alach of Alactronics in
Wellesley Hills, MA [+1] 781-239-0000

Bob is one of the best acousticians on the planet... and happens to be
conveniently located down Route 9, 20 minutes from downtown Boston.
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: +1 508-543-0069
FAX: +1 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.comhttp://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

--
ha