2 double walls and 2 single walls – am I just being too cheap?

[peterosefield]

I’d like to build a soundproof room in my unfinished basement and am wondering what the difference would be between a full “room in a room” vs having fully independent double walls for the 2 interior walls, but using the existing external walls for the other two.  The ceiling will be attached to the walls but not the floor joists above.  More detailed info follows:

Goals:
1)   “Sensitive recording”  I have a ridiculously sensitive mic so I’d like a room with as little background noise as possible.  I can keep the house quiet when I want to record, but there’s a surprising amount of background noise that I can’t seem to “turn off”.
2)   “Late night drumming”  I’d like to be able to play the drums without waking people upstairs.  It’s ok if they can be heard faintly.

continued in next post...

[peterosefield]

Current situation:
•   9’ high unfinished basement
•   Plan to build a room in the corner, about 9’ by 13’
•   My furnace, HRV, gas water heater, dehumidifier are all on the other side of where the 9’ wall will be.
•   Two walls are exterior walls and have:
     o   No windows
     o   Concrete foundation
     o   Wood framed wall with insulation
     o   Metal stud wall with insulation in front of that (I guess for extra thermal insulation)
     o   Vapor barrier in front of that.

My plan (and question re-stated):
•   Build wooden-stud interior walls up to the ceiling.
•   Inside that either build 4 new walls and ceiling with metal studs, or just 2 new walls and attach the ceiling to these and the existing exterior walls.  For cost, effort, and space considerations I prefer the latter.  How much improvement should I expect with the former?

[Randy S]

you have a lot of variables here, because you are doing sensitive recording this will not be a simple system.Room inside of room will be the best approach, we will still have to address concrete foundation.
Give me a call direct when you have a few minutes to discuss.

Randy S.
1-888-942-7723  ext 104