onehappybunny Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I have been given the green light by HWMBO to get an outside space where I can rehearse, record and noodle around on my bass to my hearts content without bothering her or the kids I don't have oodles of cash, so was thinking about soundproofing a standard shed (so I don't need planning permission) but despite googling for various tips don't have much of a clue where to start, soooo... * would it be worth going to the effort of sound proofing a shed, or will this end up leaking sound * am I better off getting a cheapish prefabricated soundproof booth (...and if so, what types of soundproof structures are available) * er....any other options or words of wisdom welcomed!! Thanks folks Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 you can get solid foam roof insulation called "selotex", we're using it in a bungalow renovation. It comes in big sheets that are easy to cut to size and can be fixed with screws. Get it from builders merchants. alternatively you can buy polystyrene sheets although they are flimsier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Hi Stu. My daughters partner (drummer) has been researching this and was telling me of a web site that goes into great detail, with specs and prices etc. I can find out about said site and forward it on, let me know. All the best Gary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 There's a good article in august's sound on sound regarding this sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Sadly I think you're on to a non starter with a standard wooden shed. A standard wooden door hardly reduces volume at all and I'd imagine a shed would actually be worse. Allowing for the fact that you'll probably be looking a six surfaces to insulate it's more trouble than it's worth. The shed itself is effectively useless and you're relying entirely on the soundproofing you install, which would have to be really dense and preferably double skinned. I remember seeing something on the web about prefab booths, but they were far from cheap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 nail mattresses to the walls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duarte Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 (edited) I used some standard wall insulation on mine (a wooden shed) and it is quite good, but you'll need more than just that. I have a couple of big rolls of it left if you want some. I find the biggest problem with a wooden shed is leaks. Mine had mushrooms growing iout of the carpet, right next to my brothers £2000 drumkit and my stingray. Not good. Waterproof aswell as soundproof! Oh and you'll want some kind of electric heater that you can keep turned on. It will get cold in there without it. Edited September 6, 2008 by Duarte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balcro Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 [quote name='onehappybunny' post='278677' date='Sep 6 2008, 04:05 PM']I have been given the green light by HWMBO to get an outside space where I can rehearse, record and noodle around on my bass to my hearts content without bothering her or the kids :) I don't have oodles of cash, so was thinking about soundproofing a standard shed (so I don't need planning permission) but despite googling for various tips don't have much of a clue where to start, soooo... * would it be worth going to the effort of sound proofing a shed, or will this end up leaking sound * am I better off getting a cheapish prefabricated soundproof booth (...and if so, what types of soundproof structures are available) * er....any other options or words of wisdom welcomed!! Stu[/quote] Hi Stu, From wanting to practice and record as above, it sounds like you're looking to store equipment as well as have room to move, so roughly what dimensions do you have in mind? I think the garden shed idea is a bit fragile, but building from blockwork might be more realistic. No doubt you want to go loud occasionally as well as being warm & dry. Planning Departments tend to look at overall dimensions before requiring planning permission, so let us know how big you would like to go. I can find out the maximum dimensions before P/P is required, but not until Monday. Balcro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onehappybunny Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 [quote name='Balcro' post='278774' date='Sep 6 2008, 07:21 PM']Planning Departments tend to look at overall dimensions before requiring planning permission, so let us know how big you would like to go. I can find out the maximum dimensions before P/P is required, but not until Monday. Balcro.[/quote] Many thanks folks for the advice - dry, warm(ish) and soundproofed sounds good . Regarding size, I'd ideally like about 3m x 2m, but would be flexible to fit in with planning rules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I was looking into this at one point, but it got stuck on the back burner for various reasons mostly to do with cost. One of the guys I used to work with was my inspiration - his shed is more or less finished, mine still not started. [url="http://www.ashbysoft.com/"]http://www.ashbysoft.com/[/url] I wanted one big enough for a 5 piece band to rehearse in, which translate into a shed 20' x 10 ' x quite tall. Basic soundproofing strategy: you need a re-inforced floor, to put down 6" foam tiles topped with flagstones. That gives you a nice mass-spring-damper system and sorts out the sound going downwards. Then inside you need acoustic plasterboard or celotex on the walls, and then you build another room inside on the sprung floor as a sound booth. You'd probably leave one end to be a control room. Phil's shed works really well, and you can stand outside the shed while someone is playing the drumkit full-on and have a quiet (though not whispered) conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 If the space is only going to be big enough for you on your own, why bother with sound-proofing? Have you tried something like the Bass Buddy by Phil Jones Bass? Combination headphone amp, pre-amp, DI box, and route into your PC. You can rehearse, noodle and record at any level you like without making any noise at all. Use the sound-proofing budget to buy the right piece of kit and spend the change on making sure the shed is wind & waterproof, plus a greenhouse heater to avoid the temperature ever getting down towards freezing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balcro Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Hello Stu, Further to Saturday's reply, I chatted to the Planning Department this morning, but now I need just a bit more info in relation to sizes. 1. How big is your garden etc? They a get a bit sticky if your building/shed takes up more than 50% of the space. 2. Would a "highway" be effected by the building position or size? 3. Is the building going to be more or less than 5m from the house? Balcro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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