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Help building a small room with audio

Hey everyone, I've got a small "area" in my basement that I use as my computer/recording studio area. I've been thinking about walling it in to make a "room" out of it and I was wondering if I could get some advice.

My speakers are Von Schweikert VR-1's and my rig is a yamaha M406 mixer powered by a Stewart PA1000 power amp. Source is primarily audio files on my PC. The primary instrument recorded via mic is trumpet - everything else is typically electronically generated or recorded directly.

Here is a link to a JPG rendition that I hastily concocted:
http://netnet.net/~tyandjo/forsale/room.jpg

The room is to be 10x8 feet with a desk running the entire length and left side. There is one 2x2foot corner that is cutout to make room for the chimney. Ceiling is roughly 7 feet and will remain unfinished. Desk will be constructed of 2x4's and plywood. Floor is concrete but would be carpeted. One wall is concrete and the others would be drywall. I could drywall the concrete wall but would prefer not to.

My main reason for walling things off is keep the room warmer in the winter months. I live in Wisconsin and it gets cold down in the basement!!

I'm pretty happy with the way things sound right now in spite of the concrete floor and wall. Will it sound completely horrible if I wall it in?? What can I do while constructing to make a small room sound decent?
bentx2
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
I've done a basement media room, and aside for some of the comments already made, attention needs to be paid to isolating the sound that the furnace will make. Not only the furnace itself but also the duct work. It is very difficult to get the noise floor down, especially if the furnace is old and the blower unit is not properly mounted in the housing. Depending on the unit, it may pay to look into replacing a replacement blower.
bentx2 OP
1 posts
 
Thanks for the input everyone. I think what I'll do is wall in three sides instead of all four. That should trap enough heat to keep me more comfortable while working but keep it from being a little box of a room. Honestly, it is a pretty noisy area with the furnace and everything so there is only so much that can be done. I will have to replace the furnace in the next couple of years and will hopefully get one with a quieter blower.
zargon's avatar
zargon
453 posts
 
Bentx2, I believe that if you leave a foot of space above the side and rear walls, and cover only the inside of the walls with drywall, the bass will move right through and not magnify the modes in your nearly square room. You can stuff insulation between the studs and still have an enclosed room for heat purposes and some reduction of the furnace noise. If noise reduction is needed to the upstairs, you can insulate the ceiling and add two layers of drywall for mass. Good luck and let us know how it turned out.
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