Garage Listing room

hiend2-

Just want to explain so you don’t get the wrong idea. Read through it all you will see these guys are talking past each other. When I said 5/8" cuts sound in half compared to 1/2", that is correct. In fact, it is conservative.

Sound is measured in dB. This is a log scale. What this means, a 3dB difference is twice as much power. There really is no scale for what we perceive as loudness, let alone half as loud, twice as loud, etc. It is a judgment call. If you build it, you will see. It will be apparent. You will not need an architect, engineer, or anyone else to tell you, you will know.

Notice nowhere does bekske mention or even allude to any of this. Nor does he even mention dB, even though this is the standard of audio measurement. Instead he references only STC ratings, something that might have meaning to another engineer or architect but is meaningless here. (Notice how fast others, equally clueless, are so quick to be fooled by his techno-jargon. Audiophiles love techno-jargon.)

This happens a lot, people with credentials trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Not one word about sound. Fire. We got you covered on fire. And code.

I trust you see the difference.

Okay, here's a fact: bkeske didn't say one word about having built anything, let alone a listening room. What he said is he knows how to follow code.

by code I must adhere to them at times, ... (along with fire separation ratings) ...so that they can be referenced to in conforming to various STC code requirements as necessary with the governing building authorities..

Wonderful. Won't burn down. Noted.

Experience has taught me the last person you want high end audio advice from is an EE, and the last one you want advice on building anything from is an architect. Both have the same problem, they don't know how to think! They only know how to do what other people tell them- usually bureaucrats and administrators who sit on committees writing "codes"! (See above- actually brags about following codes!)

Admittedly, they have great PR. Who is famous for being the greatest architect in the world? Frank Lloyd Wright. What is the leakiest highest maintenance constantly falling apart house in the world? Falling Water. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's a fact. You could look it up.

So much for that pissing contest.

Please do yourself a favor, read my first post again. Specifically,

Usually only people who have actually been through this process know these things. So be careful, because a lot don't, but act like they do.

So for example when I say something like blocks twice the sound, that is because when you build it you will notice about half the sound getting through. If I wanted to sound all snotty and impressive I could spout dB specs all day and all night. This is the difference between trying to inform and trying to impress. Really wish the BSD types would catch on.

Since your walls aren't yet finished, there are a few things that are relatively easy to do right now while the framing is exposed. There are various construction techniques and materials that will help reduce sound transmission, both outside noise getting in and inside noise getting out. Which ones will work for you depends a lot on how things are laid out and where the noise is coming from/going to. The garage door I would think will be a major one. You will have to decide either replace it with a wall or seriously modify it to be more like a wall.

Also be sure to run your one dedicated line now before sheetrock. One line direct to wherever your system will be, another circuit for all other outlets and lights. 

There's a lot of options. Some like 5/8" sheetrock and single dedicated line cost next to nothing but deliver big time. Others, well you can spend thousands and not hear more improvement from a $200 fuse. So don't sweat the room. 

Mine is 17x24x9. Yours will be fine. Use 5/8" sheetrock, it blocks like twice the sound of 1/2" for almost no additional cost. There's endless things you can do, the trick is to figure out which ones like the sheetrock trick cost next to nothing but deliver results big time. Usually only people who have actually been through this proces know these things. So be careful, because a lot don't, but act like they do.