Shed convert to Studio

[jeremyc]

Hello All

Does anyone know people around the Ballarat area with experience in a shed convert to a studio or general music room? Been hard to get quotes form builders, so I am thinking just to bessa brick it, or some such thing just to get it happening. Yep, so any contacts around that general area would be awesome for builders with a musical bent...!!!

Thanks for reading..

Jez

[Ausrock]

Welcome to the forum.

I'd suggest having a look at John Sayers' studio design forums http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php ...............there's a lot of good info to be found there.

Cheers

[jeremyc]

Hello Ausrock

Thanks for the reply..will check it out.

I guess the kind of space I would like to make is not your usual studio layout.....I would like there to be no real separation between the engineer and performers, just a nice place to play and jam in, not so formal and rigid as separate rooms......more relaxed, maybe with the option of an ISO booth as well (maybe).....any ideas of "studio without walls" like that??

Thanks again

Jez

[13thbeach]

Hello Ausrock

Thanks for the reply..will check it out.

I guess the kind of space I would like to make is not your usual studio layout.....I would like there to be no real separation between the engineer and performers, just a nice place to play and jam in, not so formal and rigid as separate rooms......more relaxed, maybe with the option of an ISO booth as well (maybe).....any ideas of "studio without walls" like that??

Thanks again

Jez

You should check out woodstock studios. Its kind of what your decribing. Built by a musician for musicians etc...
www.woodstockstudios.com.au

[jeremyc]

Hello Matt

thanks for that!

Looks awesome...similar vibe for sure.......just on a smaller budget..but right idea...I had this crazy idea about putting monitors on lazy susans so they can be swiveled around...to face the performer for overdubs etc....shivers......gotta raid those asian grocery shops!!!

Cheers

Jez

[Mac]

Hey Jez,
you may have already found Andy Stewarts you tube vid... http://www.youtube.com/audiotechnologym ... 6IW9wD1Gpg

I build my little home office / studio in the shed using similar techniques, (although not as big as Andys shed). One great sideline to the yellow tongue and fibreglass / gyprock construction method is that you basically also make an insulated fridge!!

I am always walking in at around 9 -10am and just loving the 5-6 degree cooler space!

....much better insulation than my house!

[mfdu]

yeah, i'll be going down the yellow-tounge route for the fitout of my garage (turning into 'drum room' - long-term excuse is that my son is only 9 months old, but he's already into banging things).
2 walls are doublebrick/sandstone , the floor ceiling and remaining two walls will be extra thick yellowtounge.
i'll be using rockwool or similar to pack all space between the walls and in the subfloor, and there'll be storage space in the roof space, so the ceiling will be yellowtounge/rookwool/yellowtounge.

[jeremyc]

What about a brick option...bricking inside a shed..does that sound dumb?
any thought on that? bessa mud, adobe?

Cheers for replies and suggestions..

Jez

[mfdu]

as a starting point, density + zero air gaps = noise abatement. so yes to all the above. for the finesse of frequencies and stuff, see the sayer website Ausrock recommended!!!

[jeremyc]

Well i started the shed...

I was fortunate enough to work in Avatar (NYC) for a few weeks and grilled the engineer, (Anthony Routolo), who helped re-fit the studio we were in.
So fully inspired on my return I implemented some of the same principals to my shed.......or as close as I could get it without being in a huge building with a mega budget.....medium shed almost no budget..he he. ANYWAY.
Basically the walls are soft with heshen covering insulation, with board on the back and wooden slats con the front to keep it all together...
I have sandwiched insulation between thick board and the shed walls to stop vibration on the walls, then more insulation and then heshen. I will add the nice wooden slats as I go...will let you all know of what happens....it is being done in 2 stages......I have a double glazed window to the outside and one double glazed widow to the half of the shed that is not being treated, so part 2 will be treating that half to monitor in.....with the ability to still use it even though it is not treated......this is my first building project..(I am helping a builder....asking too many questions as we go probably)

This will have more insulation than my house!

I was at a restaurant in McLaren Vale last week called The Barn..they had heshen ceilings...nice sound in there.....obviously the walls a mega thick, almost stone age...restaurants are too often too loud..very silly.

Now the rain..what do I do about that???

Thanks for the rave

Jeremy

[Ben M]

Don't forget about the crickets or cecarders in the summer. They can pierce the thickest walls and most sound proofed spaces. With one chirp they may well stop you recording that quiet vocal or quiet anything.....
Or put a mic outside and bring them into the recording. If you can't beat them join them.

good luck with the shed.

[jeremyc]

Hello people,

The shed id coming along....for those interested you can see at my facebook link the series of photos as it is being built....
We have had a few jam sessions in there and it sound really nice.....intimate yet live.....

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/alb ... 0814864105

It's no where near sound proof, but the neighbours are about 100 - 200 meters away, and friendly.

It's getting powered up this week, and then time to find some band to experiment on in there!!!!

Thanks!

Jez

[jeremyc]

sorry the facebook link does not work..

my facebook name is

Jeremy D Conlon

Find me if you want to see the photos!

thanks

jez

[qiktune]

Hey Jeremy, I checked out your pics...congrats on the build. I don't mean to come a cross as a d!ck but you may have benefitted A LOT by posting pics as you went and asking some of the guys on here for advice.

[jeremyc]

yep....heads up to that....i am a happy chappy though.

Cheers

Jez

[mfdu]

i *finally* checked out your facebook pics. well done on the build!

hopefully i'll start on my garage conversion soon. definately by the time my 1 year-old is three, it'll be done. for sure. no, really!

[jeremyc]

Hey thanks mfdu

it's warmer than the house, a really nice room to play tunes..drum sound great in there so far....

very happy...

cheers

jeremy

[mfdu]

ha yeah - when i put double glazing into the control room / lounge room we got the unexpected benefit of a far more efficient space - cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

good to know someone is keeping warm in central vic!

cheerio,
chris.

[jeremyc]

The RAIN!!

what is the best way to deaden that rain sound...at the moment it's a fair weather project studio all other aspects are great!

The roof is Tin.....then sisalation, poly bats then structural ply.....

Can I place another layer over the ply to get that rain sound down..?

Something on the outside of the roof maybe?

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.

thanks

Jeremy

[mfdu]

something on the outside of the roof? like, maybe, a tiled roof with a 1m air-gap? or maybe a second-floor green-room?

i've cancelled my plans for garage conversion - just can't justify it right now, given everything is on hold due to the toddler anyway.

and seeking an old valiant to rebuild and run in the historic drags. that's impacting on available funds a little bit . . .

i hope you can control the rain - a fair weather studio is a little bit dodgy.

[Kurt]

Bitumen coating maybe?

[tweakeasy]

I remember an episode of Grand Designs where they covered the (flat) roof of a house with some kind of moss-like plant. It arrived in rolls like turf and holds moisture really well. Doubtful this would be a solution for you but just putting it out there as it looked amazing and that roof would have been ABSORBING the raindrops... not amplifying them.

Also wanted to ask - did you spray the hessian with fire retardant? That stuff's pretty damn flammable... I was showing a friend your photos as they're about to do a shed convert and they told me a story of their good friends losing everything (including masters) when an incense stick fell against one of the hessian walls... Personally I never have anything that smokes in my studio, but electrical faults would also be a concern.

That said - I love the look and concept of your studio. Looks really cool and inviting, especially love the deep red pigment of the concrete paint. I'm planning to build a yurt-based studio in the next few years at the back of my family property which overlooks Mt Cooran in the Sunshine Coast hinterland (absolutely gorgeous view and not a house to be seen in any direction - just bush!) and the overall feel and principles of your studio have inspired me.

[The Tasmanian]

I'll tell you a inexpensive way i have dealt with the rain on a tin roof in the past that worked really well.
Get some used coolroom panels (3.0m x 1.2) and lay them on the roof with rubber squares keeping the panels from touching the existing tin roof.
Then you need to strap the panels to each other and to the building so that they dont blow away (steel strapping)
The trick is to keep them together and not able to fly away in a windstorm and injure people/assets
I got my used panels for $30 each and did the job in a day. Could not hear the rain after that.
Good Luck!