Building a Soundproofed recording studio in your home | Is it possible?

[@saltysaltine]

A little tip I learned from a contractor, use different thicknesses of drywall when applying multiple sheets, or on either side of a wall. The different thicknesses resonate at different frequencies and help to reduce amount of sound getting in/ out.

[@tm-dm8lb]

Out of curiosity, do you think that offsetting the 2nd round of drywall (with respect to both the x and y axis) would also help to reduce sound (as opposed to lining it up perfectly with the first sheet layer)? I'm thinking it may create a more convoluted path for any waves to travel (as opposed to easier path through the space between drywall sheets, which I recognize is minimal, but not zero).

[@hypnotechno]

@@tm-dm8lb ive heard similar things. Completely parallel walls to be avoided

[@jimjay8828]

That or 6-5 layers

[@audiononsense1611]

True but still this method is flawed...

[@DamnitCalebDonald]

Brilliant

[@MrAndrewpederson]

Nice!! The ceiling in my studio is R30 insulation, 2lb per sq in MLV, acoustic plastic barrier, 5/8 sheetrock, green glue, 17/32 ply and then repurposed fencing slats to the ply. I am a year into my studio build project.

[@cml8885]

18:14 ... Sounds fun but you should've kept that private!

[@youngoutis7193]

Ayeo

[@cml8885]

@@youngoutis7193 Uh huh...

[@tyrekeism6153]

Aye yo🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@kilgoretrout3966]

two things i have on top of what you've done, was to staple rolls of acoustic rubber before the gap, just before double drywall, then used compressed rockwool tiles as the ceiling.

[@more_cowbell]

Congratulations on your Herculean effort of isolating as best you can. Short of doing a room in the room the only thing you could have done differently was used two different thicknesses of drywall in the ceiling. Everything has a resonant frequency. Having one layer of 5/8 drywall will have one frequency that permeates, but if you do a second layer of quarter inch, that will permeate at a different frequency and be blocked by the other layer, and vice versa. Always use two different thicknesses of drywall or glass or whatever you're trying to use.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for the feedback. Good to know.

[@justinjayschneider5178]

The fabric wrapping on the walls is a great idea, thanks for sharing

[@cadjano]

Yes, you're right

[@scottmckenna]

Works great.

[@hotorangetechtalk7971]

We build sound studios here in South Africa and I must say for a first time builder its not to bad. South African and American building methods are slightly different but we all trying to get to the goal. Good Job

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks a lot.

[@JohnMarionDotCom]

I set up a sound studio in my basement years ago. I agree, sound proofing is nearly impossible to achieve in a home. I have recently set up a super cheap studio in my current home for recording my podcast. My main goal for my current setup is sound deadening.

[@kontemplatemusic2189]

@Scott If I may drop my two pennies. In order from one room to another: drywall, rubber sheet 1/4 inch, rock wool, again rubber and drywall. No matter if its a wall, ceiling or a floor. It stops air movement completely ergo soundproofing completely.

[@nexttvc]

Do I need the license to make this DIY my self?

[@martydenson_mfm]

Awesome! Very similar to how I did the build on my home studio. My ceiling was already finished drywall so I used Auralex 4" Acoustic panel treatment for a large portion of the iso booth walls and ceiling - I might go with the blanket idea when I start the new build in 3 months. I really work the heck out of my noise gate to keep any sort of ceiling noise out when I'm tracking. Threshold set properly prevents any exterior noise from opening the gate. Never had a problem even when the kids are playing above the studio. Anyway, great looking studio and great ideas.

[@scottmckenna]

Hope you're doing well Marty. Yea, the blankets worked great and my room sounds awesome so it's super helpful having a room that is always ready to record for sure.

[@martydenson_mfm]

@@scottmckenna I am well - thank you. Looking forward to you talking about studio gear also at some point. 🎤🎧🎚🎛

[@RelaxingBlues]

Just beautiful! Much respect to You & your beloved family for helping you with this, totally awesome.

[@robgracia509]

yup totally awesome that the family help

[@colsonjadiel5132]

you prolly dont give a damn but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an instagram account? I stupidly lost my password. I would love any tricks you can offer me

[@wildercain1026]

@Colson Jadiel instablaster =)

[@jansensteve06]

Hey Nolly. Are you going to produce a new Periphery record?

[@scottmckenna]

Maybe

[@uptownphotography]

You did a super nice job. I have built quite a few studio renditions over the years at my house when I used to do audio full time and rent it out. I am getting back into audio again (more for myself and not to rent out as I do photography for a living these days here in NJ. I happen to come across your studio build and it caught my eye. Nice that your wife helped you and your dog is very cool. Best of luck. Phil

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks Phil. The space is working great for me.

[@KushdocKD]

Cool, this looks exactly like the type of set up that I think might work out for me. Thanks.

[@scottmckenna]

Glad it was helpful

[@jaceychan7099]

I have an untreated live room and a acoustically treated control room (bass traps) and 2” 703 behind the desk and GIK PANELS on the back wall and a 1” cloud overhead I know it’s not done correctly but for now it’s got to be good enough because my build isn’t done but I’ve got a few people who want to record and release what ever we do and it’s got to be close as I can get it and I’ve got a 10’x 7’ vocal booth with 6” 703 in the joists and covered with sound blankets and 1” 702 covering the entire wall and covered with sound blankets because a gate will sound clean but it’s still has unwanted background noise baked in so I hope this works

[@wesheriveaux9325]

the Idea to cover the insulation with thick fabric just solved a big problem for me. I don't have the money to buy all the materials needed like drywall so this idea is a gold mine.

[@scottmckenna]

Realistically, dry wall is probably cheaper, but I like this better.

[@wesheriveaux9325]

@@scottmckenna really? Wow

[@CardonaThe2nd]

I have no interest in making music or building a studio and yet I watched and enjoyed every minute! Lol Great stuff, I hope you get to enjoy your music making passion in the new studio. The build came out great.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for watching as always.

[@leobrennauer]

Thank you for the great content! You have been a valuable source for my own built!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for watching. Glad this was helpful.

[@RickyGuerreroZ]

Best part of this video was seeing your family and especially your dog helping you haha

[@scottmckenna]

Haha. Yes. They were in there a lot.

[@semihyanyali]

Did putting just Safe n Sound on the walls and no addional drywall...did it still help with the sound proofing? If so how many dB of reduction did you approximately get from it?

[@pallavisreetambraparni6995]

Thanx alot Scott. I sing both western and Indian music and I would like to build a home studio in my home for me to use and also for other musicians to use to record their music.

[@alanmegna3819]

Great video. I may have missed it, but how do you control the temperature in the room and how is it ventilated so as to keep it sound proof? I installed a home theater two years ago and when I really care about what I'm watching, I have to turn off my heating/cooling system for complete quiet.

[@scottmckenna]

Fortunately, it never gets hot in the summer since it’s a basement. When it’s chilly in the winter, I’ll use a small space heater.

[@alanmegna3819]

Thanks. I see now the distinction between basement and lower level of bi-level home. I should have dug a big hole in the yard and buried my theater underground! Thanks for the ideas - will come in handy if I ever pursue a guitar specific space.

[@MartinVanDerSande]

Great work Scott! I hope you enjoy using the space and look forward to hear how the records sound too :-)

[@mspanomusic]

This is great! Super cool stuff

[@Trollkvinnen]

This is very useful info. Thank you for sharing!!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for watching.

[@IZBroadcast]

There's some good elements 👏

[@TopblokeGolf]

Surprised it cost that little, I’m in the process of doing the same in my basement next to my golf simulator, not as elaborate but thinking if using thick lined curtains all around the wall when recording but draw them back when not in use .

[@scottmckenna]

The construction isn’t that expensive. What you put in the studio to make it usable is what gets pricey. Gear is a lot.

[@TopblokeGolf]

@@scottmckenna I’m old and ugly enough to pay 2grand for a foster 8 track without mixer 25 years ago, used logic on Atari , ... the stuff you can do on an iPhone would cost 100 grand 20 years ago. It’s relatively cheap these days. I’d say a very capable hq set up for recording audio can be achieved for 5 grand .

[@connect_music_yvr]

Thanks for this great overview! So nice to hear about the shortcomings and for you to run through the cost breakdown.

[@hypnotechno]

any concern about micro particles of rock wool leaking through thr fabric there is a video by accoustic fiels he says to avoid rock wool for helath reaons.

[@scottmckenna]

Not concerned. The fabric is thick.

[@Briar_Dow]

Can you see the insulation or 2x4 outlined in the canvas like a phone in your pocket or is it thick enough it looks virtually flat in person.

[@scottmckenna]

No. You don't see it at all.

[@DINShandle]

Hi Scott, how many duplex outlets did you install in your studio, and particularly around your work desks and recording booth. Did you use any shielded cables at all? I am picking some electromagnetic or radio ghost signals, don't know why. Thank you!

[@scottmckenna]

I use all shielded cables for recording yes.

[@DINShandle]

@@scottmckenna My shielded cables are only TRS to XLR, and the rest (usb, ethernet, and wall power 110v) are regular. I had an electrician coming to check the "ground", and he said that such interference might be caused by not separating ethernet from the voltage wires next to a power panel, as they are crossing each other in many spots. I am thinking it can be anything, like power strip, something inside of the computer can pick up noise, as I have old but powerful HP desktop from 2009, or it can even be back stubbed outlets or lite switches, which I am going to check, at least I already found few light switches backstubbed, and it can also make poor connection. I assume you were talking about shielded audio cables, which generally should prevent hissing and noise, oh well, I will try to figure it out. Have a great coming weekend!

[@cadjano]

Wow, that is an impressive studio! Thank you for showing it...

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for the kind words. It’s a nice little place for me for sure.

[@cadjano]

@@scottmckenna Yes, my studio as well!

[@BostonRubyEric]

How tall were/are your ceilings before and after treatment?

[@robgracia509]

great video going to start my studio soon I was thinking the same thing with the walls why put dry wall then treat it why not just use the abosorbent material already on it thank you for the video help me allot

[@scottmckenna]

Exactly. Not point doing double the work.

[@patrickwoods2583]

Thanks so much, Scott. It's pretty much exactly what I wanted to know, so I'm happy to find your video.

[@ludovicmorelon6771]

Coo video. what is the ceiling height?

[@scottmckenna]

It’s not super high, but it’s fine for me.

[@TAPPChannel]

so putting a recessed lights in the ceiling will screw everything up? I can't imaging my basement without the can lights :/

[@les_studio]

I just wish I had a basement as an option for studio space!!

[@studiopkh]

Granted the cost would have increased almost exponentially, however, did you consider using QuietRock or Sonopan on the ceiling? Either might have had more of an impact than two sheets of regular drywall. Regardless, great video! Thanks for sharing your journey!

[@CurserTV]

I live in Texas we don’t have basements here. Can I use one of the bedrooms

[@scottmckenna]

Sure.

[@amdenis]

BEAUTIFUL job!

[@scottmckenna]

Hey thanks

[@GoldenProductions2019]

Hey man that square I saw in the middle of the room before you finished the studio that square you can turn that into a vocal booth or a overdub booth that would be sick to do

[@scottmckenna]

That's what I did.

[@GoldenProductions2019]

@@scottmckenna the studio came out great I also run a KZbin channel and I teach mixing and recording music great studio studio

[@cliffhangerzz8411]

Realest explanation and video of a studio build! Great work man! 👌👌 I am not an expert on this subject but what i learnt from my academy on this topic gives me a concern about your approach i.e., you put the fabric instead of the dry wall but doesn't the insulation spread any allergies or any heath issues specially in the eyes or having problems in breathing? Because that's the whole reason people put up the dry wall (a hard surface) and apply POP (Plaster of Paris) on it to avoid getting any health problems when the insulation is not covered with some hard material?

[@stevendduran]

Great video! Wondering if you thought about adding MLV after the insulation ?

[@scottmckenna]

No. Just what you see here.

[@terrywilhite]

VERY nicely done! Both the video and the project. You're the only person I've known that has used Green Glue. I bought about as much as you did. I really liked the results. I built out part of a detached garage. I really didn't have problems with sounds coming in but I didn't want to get run out of the neighborhood. I pretty much got what I wanted but my 5% was bass leakage to the outside but it wasn't enough to get run out of town. I had 12 inch gaps filled with insulation for the walls. Ceiling much like what you did. Then we sold the place and moved. :::LOL! Somebody got a nice space. Keep 'em coming.

[@CrackaLackTV]

I'm tuned in good sir.

[@camronbridges4543]

Where did you get the fabric for the walls?

[@scottmckenna]

www.bigduckcanvas.com/canvas-fabric-wholesale-10oz/

[@cocoscabana]

I'm surprised you didn't use quietrock..instead of reg. Drywall..

[@joeyollie123]

Surely the ideal solution would have been to create an entire sub-ceiling to decouple it from the floor above?? Doing that in addition to your insulation and double thickness plasterboard would only allow transmission of very very low frequencies.

[@alexkleiner4131]

I'm in the process of planning a similar space. Is there a reason you used regular r30 insulation in the ceiling instead of the same soundproofing insulation you used for the walls?

[@scottmckenna]

R30 is cheaper for the roof. 8 inches of safe and sound in the whole ceiling would be so much more expensive.

[@jasperdany]

What if the roof was concrete, do you think that would reduce the noise ? . In Germany, we have generally concrete floor/roof option for the basement. What do you think about it ?.

[@scottmckenna]

What I did on the ceiling would help any room no matter what. Concrete is even better honestly because sound doesn't travel through concrete because it doesn't vibrate. Hard word floors like I have are actually harder to control.

[@jasperdany]

@@scottmckenna thanks a lot Scott for the tip

[@hypnotechno]

@@scottmckenna scott, impact noise sound most certainly does travel through concrete. i wish it didn't really :(

[@martone6852]

Hi Scott, might be a silly question but did you screw the bottom layer of dry wall on the ceiling or just green glue it? Also did your basement have any humidity, efflorescence or damp issues to begin with? Cheers Dan

[@scottmckenna]

Screwed to top layer in addition to green glue. We have a de humidifier in the basement and didn’t have any damp issues.

[@jamesdrauode]

Great content! I was wondering though, what about ventilation? I live in a very hot area and I’ll probably sweat to death while recording anything in the kind of setup you have lol. Jokes aside i’ve thought about installing a/c in the room before proceeding with sound proofing but i don’t know if the a/c will defeat the purpose, what do you think?

[@Uber_Versace]

I'm going to be doing this myself imma let you know how it goes

[@shaundougie2098]

With the current build that you did, do you turn your music up loud and also do you have a lot of low end frequency coming out of your studio monitors? I'm trying to get an idea of what i need to do to prevent noise from escaping the room as well as entering. I also am planning for a basement studio build as well. The type of music I create has more of the low end frequency range being the most prominent sound 60hz-160hz

[@shaundougie2098]

I also am planning to get a subwoofer as well

[@bhawkk2442]

Scott I’m building a home and essentially the attic level (3rd level) will be a finished room. If I were to use your method of drywall and glue for the ceiling of the 2nd level, do you think sound from Yamaha HS8s and the sub would would be super audible if the studio was on the attic (3rd level)?

[@scottmckenna]

That would definitely help a lot.

[@jeshurun3512]

This was awesome Thank you

[@scottmckenna]

Glad you enjoyed. Thanks.

[@stewvlogs5084]

Just subbed. Great video. Thank you for sharing. I am building a studio in a small garage. I was going to plaster the walls then try and do something about the sound bouncing around. Your way is much better and I think less expensive. Thank you.

[@scottmckenna]

Glad it was helpful. Let me know how it comes out.

[@darren4635]

Why didn't you use rubber in the ceiling?

[@TAPPChannel]

thats what I'm doing now... Finishing my basement to party/studio space :D Can't wait to have it done... BTW what lens did you use for this one? Your head look different than usual

[@pheldonmajors2999]

Thank you so much for your help!

[@suniltmg637]

what are the exact materials you used on those walls ..?

[@scottmckenna]

Safe and Sound insulation and fabric.

[@king-kore-studio]

Resilient strips would have been a better choice instead of wood spacers. Nice work.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks

[@cnotebeats8061]

thanks the video, may I ask what mixer this is on your desk?

[@cadjano]

Not sure, could be a presonus

[@scottmckenna]

Presonus StudioLIVE

[@adrianzaharia8885]

I like the new focal lenght. 85? 100?

[@scottmckenna]

85mm Sony. Was just testing it.

[@paulbishop2161]

Please tell me your second drywall layer is not only being held up by green glue?! Green glue is not an adhesive (despite the name) it is a constrained layer damping compound, designed to reduce the resonances of sheet goods through damping. You MUST screw ALL the layers to the joists above.

[@scottmckenna]

it has dry wall screws as well.

[@crystal_star6222]

Hey how about you put carpet on the wood floor

[@scottmckenna]

I have a few large carpets as you see, but I don’t want it completely dead in the whole room.

[@pacoTHE1ANDONLY]

Thank you for this! Building a basement studio in a rental house so I can't go nearly as far as this but still... Lot of helpful information!

[@scottmckenna]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@milodogliani1727]

Hi there, currently working on my outhouse home studio, what fabric did you use?

[@scottmckenna]

Just updated linked in description.

[@kelvincruz1461]

Where did you get the blankets

[@scottmckenna]

www.vocalboothtogo.com/product-category/acoustic-sound-blankets-sound-absorption-panels-producers-choice/

[@aapadre]

Can u lean on the fabric like a wall?

[@scottmckenna]

I probably wouldn’t.

[@sendforacar9323]

I think you could have skipped the green glue and just built a new roof to your isolation booth. That way you would have an air buffer between the two ceilings. Looks good though. 👍

[@scottmckenna]

I didn't want the ceiling to be any lower.

[@scarycrazymann]

@@scottmckenna how come you didn't use resilient channels for the ceiling? And couldn't you also have used the Rockwoool insulation for the ceiling.

[@hypnotechno]

@@scarycrazymann 2 good questions. would one use green glue AND reslient channel? i'd like to know

[@brobob52]

so just to clarify, the second layer of drywall, u didnt use screws. All you did to get the drywall to stick was use green glue

[@scottmckenna]

Still used screws at the end because it’s dangerous to not use screws as the drywall is heavy. It’s not perfect but it works pretty good. If I were to do it again, I would lay the second layer of dry wall not in the same pattern as the other layer just to help it more.

[@hypnotechno]

@@scottmckenna could you elaborate what you mean by pattern? this is gold

[@chrish1233]

Great video! Thanks

[@djdanger9812]

Best "soundproofing" 3 brick walls, first pair air gap second pair insulation.

[@jasonmccaffreypgh]

I get the idea about the walls but that stuff 100% cotton. Flammable as hell. That would go so fast bro. Be safe but I don't think that is code ✌

[@scottmckenna]

That’s all code. This was done by a licensed contractor. There is all fireproof insulation between each pillar and it’s just as safe as a normal install would go.

[@avghunter07]

Adding a false ceiling would have cut down on all that work needed to sound proof the floor above. This makes the studio separate from the house floor.

[@JediaelOliveira]

Room within a room is a solution that works by making a room de-coupled form the house.

[@TopblokeGolf]

Gets complicated with ventilation, cooling

[@scottmckenna]

Yea it’s another method that works well but can definitely be tricky.

[@sonicacoustics9176]

Awesome content! This is so helpful! :)

[@cooperarbogast4018]

I love the idea of the fabric walls, but I sincerely hope that you doused them in fire retardant.

[@danacarigua]

cost estimate?

[@KingJusGaming]

Amazing studio bro.. keep it up.. hope I can record there hehehe.. doing voice over

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks a lot. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@JasonMorrisMusic]

Wait a second.. did you NOT use screws on your second layer of drywall? You know green glue is not really glue, right? From GreenGlues FAQ: Q: Can I use the Compound as an adhesive/glue? A: No, the Compound cannot be used as a glue and requires screw pressure, spaced per building code, to function.

[@scottmckenna]

We used screws as well.

[@tucko11]

Do you charge bands to record ?

[@scottmckenna]

Yes.

[@jayritter604]

Decoupling the wall and ceiling is a far better way to go and much easier. Results would be exponentially beyond what you have with fabric.

[@scottmckenna]

The fabric method works great for me.

[@biggbarbb]

My dream 😊

[@Oz-ov1uu]

You must have watched Jeff at home renovision. This is what he did. It's the most cost effective and simplest

[@scottmckenna]

Never seen it, but glad to know I did things right.

[@noelghallager4672]

cool, lemme just go buy a home real quick so I can start on this...

[@scottmckenna]

Haha. Perfect.

[@synclavier123]

Wheaten terrier?

[@scottmckenna]

Yes.

[@AlexCorbett]

Amazing!!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks Alex.

[@idkelcuzzo69]

Soundproof panels on the ceiling

[@akoyoat]

Why not use hat channels instead of wood to decouple?

[@scottmckenna]

I'm no expert.

[@cfwproductions]

This would be helpful to play songs with a lot of bass! Subwoofer all the way!!!

[@hotdecembercafe5612]

Hat rail furring strip would have taken care of the kids running.

[@scottmckenna]

Hmm..we did add spacers between the main floor and the first layer of dry wall, but not those exact ones.

[@hotdecembercafe5612]

@@scottmckenna To get rid of vibration your sheetrock cant be touching the studs cause that's what carries a vibration, spacers really nullify anything you did for vibration because they still touch your studs. a hat rail allows you to attach your rock to the rail and the only contact point is the one screw into the stud, canceling most of the vibration from walking, jumping, and low end in your studio. I mean its not a big deal now lol after 2 stacks of 5/8ths but In general, for anyone looking to get rid of that vibration, that's how you do it. They also sell isolation clips (it gets expensive) that have rubber behind them that even takes away the contact point of the screw.

[@tonzokinawa]

Was the fabric fireproof? Seems kind of dangerous to have fabric as your walls. Just a thought.

[@scottmckenna]

The insulation is all fireproof and it's concrete behind it.

[@markgarthwaite1919]

nice room really cool, might want to chill on saying actual tho.

[@hypnotechno]

"no sounds comes through concrete". boy did i wish that were true

[@gabrieltorres866]

Lmaoo you aren’t handy at all my man. Wifey was putting you to shame in those time lapse vids 🤦🏻‍♂️😂😂

[@PrimalVideo]

Fourth!

[@scottmckenna]

HAHA

[@kongmongo]

Twentyone thousand nine hundre and fourth!

[@murat_buyuk]

Why didn't you build a room-in-a-room system? That'd be the best sound proofing.

[@scottmckenna]

I didn’t want to make the room smaller

[@murat_buyuk]

@@scottmckenna Yeah, I see the height could have been an issue. Anyway the build looks good and it still helped to sound proof.