I needed a private place where I could go and make noise. I also needed a place to meditate and be away from noise. I spent a long time researching what needed to be done within the limitations of the space, and at long last, this is the journey of the soundcloset.
The inexplicable compulsion to create the Soundcloset was definitely of the “if you build it, they will come” variety. The original 4’x5’ prototype was built in my bedroom, in the only corner without windows. My mattress was shoehorned between it and the closet door opening, door removed. The structure had to accommodate floor radiators, which I learned run dormant when air circulation is decreased. This meant that for a while I had heat stroke from the head of the bed being up against the section of radiator that was still circulating heat, until I had a custom sheet metal cover made which reduced the heat output. This original structure was by no means soundproof or acoustically treated, but it did offer some modicum of privacy.
When I moved to a new apartment, I had the opportunity to reimagine the Soundcloset in a slightly larger space. On the enclosed back porch, in a corner with two windows, I had almost 6ft squared of available space for the new booth. I should mention, absolutely nothing about this space was level or symmetrical. The entire build required lots of finagling. While not an appropriate size for a mastering studio, it has proven very cozy for practice and demo recording. I had done some preliminary research at the last location, but this time I focused on finding budget-friendly techniques for proper soundproofing and acoustic treatment. First I laid down sheets of closed cell foam designed to decouple vibrating parts in car interiors, to help separate the wall studs from the vintage wood wall paneling. There was a drop ceiling to contend with, so in order to make the walls fill every inch of available space in a way that was still modular, I attached the studs with L brackets.
I used Rockwool foam to insulate between the studs, as this was more affordable than soundproofing foam, and similarly rated in sound absorption properties. The studs were not spaced properly for several reasons. First, I was attempting to stay frugal by reusing components from the original booth, such as the door frame. Second, I used a double drywall technique commonly used in studios, which not only doubles the weight but also requires the drywall panels to overlap at their seams. This is why you can see chunks of 2x4 attached to the studs in strategic places, so that I could widen the overlap seam and still screw into studs on both sides. Once I filled the walls with Rockwool, I then covered the walls with plastic tarp to keep debris from falling out while I hung the drywall. I cut the drywall layers to fit as snugly as possible to decrease gaps, and the friction holding the first layer in place allowed me to apply the Green Glue to the first layer, and then screw the second layer in place with as few screws as possible. Green Glue is designed to prevent vibrations from transmitting from the top drywall to the bottom drywall. If I’d had the budget for it, I would have invested in screws and clips made by the same company that would have decreased sound transmission even further. This may be cringe worthy from an engineering standpoint, but for my purposes, this did the trick.
I did the flooring as well, just as I did the walls. I created the stud grid, placed it on top of the closed cell foam, filled it with Rockwool, covered it with green-glued double drywall panel, and then covered it with a sheet of plywood to act as a durable surface to stand on. I then built the walls on top of the floor platform, as described above.
Next I installed the door casing and double doors that had been part of the original booth. I decided to make these double doors so that when they swung inward they didn’t take up too much real estate within the booth. The doors themselves are an interesting ad lib, because they are essentially two laminated particle board shelves sandwiched together with closed cell foam in between, and fancy antique door handles. They are very heavy, and they do an ok job of blocking sound on their own. The major source of sound leak is the gap around the perimeter of the doors, especially near the hinges. That is why I installed a sliding door using an antique solid wood door with four wheels attached to the bottom, and two wooden runners for the door to slide inside.
Installing the ceiling ended up being a tricky maneuver, because gravity. To be honest, I spent the majority of construction cursing like a sailor at every setback, including things like the ceiling, which seemed easier than they turned out to be. Getting the ceiling studs in place snugly between the walls and drop ceiling wasn’t too bad, but lifting four interlocking double drywall panels over my head and drilling them in place at the same time was impossible, so I asked for an extra pair of hands. Before adding the Rockwool and drywall I made sure to string an industrial extension cord plugged into the only outlet on that side over the whole booth so that I could have a place to plug things in outside of the booth. Knowing that this is one giant fire hazard, I made sure to use power strips exclusively.
There is more to this story, and I will continue to add to it as time and energy allows. Thanks for reading!