Building a Music Studio in Los Angeles

Are you an artist that is looking into building a music studio in Los Angeles? An in-home recording studio is very convenient because you never have to leave the comfort of your own house in order to record or play music. Your local Los Angeles construction company, Hugs Construction, will give you the basics of building your very own music studio. If you are not willing to take on the challenge yourself, Hugs Construction has years of experience in creating music studios, and can help you out.

Five Things to Consider When Building a Music Studio in Los Angeles

1. Picking the Right Location – Depending on what you’re going to be doing in your music room, recording classical music on the piano, or playing hard rock on your drum set, you will need to consider that when picking where to set up your music studio in Los Angeles. If you will be very loud, you want to create a space with the most soundproofing capabilities. Good choices are garages, attics, basements, or even new additions to your house.These will provide a good barrier for noise isolation since they are either next to, above, or below your living space. You don’t want to set up a recording in a spare bedroom because, even if space permits, the noise will most likely travel and disturb your family members. If you are considering building a new space for your studio, check out our blog about home additions for some tips.

2. Soundproofing – In a previous blog about soundproofing in Valley Village, we provided different ways to trap noise inside your recording studio, and keep outside noise to a minimum. You can install double paned windows, which are windows with two layers of glass that do a great job of trapping noise. You want to make sure to hire a reputable Los Angeles construction company for this job, because they need not leave any tiny holes around the area which will help sound escape.

The small space around your door will also need to be soundproofed. Since you will need a functional door to enter and exit your space, you have two options. You can either purchase a brand new heavy door, or put Sheetblok around your current door. Sheetblok is a vinyl material that acts as a sound isolation barrier.

Sound also travels through your regular drywalls and ceilings. One of the cheapest and easiest ways to soundproof your music studio in Los Angeles is to use carpets or rugs. Not only would you lay them on the floor, but you would also staple them to walls and ceilings. Shag carpeting is the best choice for soundproofing your recording studio.

3. A Room Within a Room – This is a common principle used by Los Angeles construction companies when building a music studio in Los Angeles. This is the most complicated part of creating a recording studio, but it must be done to isolate noise. Sound Proofing Company recommends these four steps. First, create a frame by building a deep double wall system and a suspended ceiling. This type of ceiling is “suspended from a roof or ceiling deck, which consists of structural framing joists that support loads above and below the deck. The majority of suspended ceiling systems are made up of steel grid and acoustical tiles, though other materials can also be used,” according to Wise Geek. Second, you want to insulate with either 6″ of material, or fiberglass. Third, use at least two layers of 5/8″ drywall (three layers for ceilings); this heavy mass will work great for trapping sound. Lastly, use green glue, a non-toxic viscoelastic compound that changes sound into heat, between the layers of drywall.

4. Fine Tuning – In order to have a successful  recording studio, you need to make great sounding music. In order to do so, ask your Los Angeles construction expert how to use absorption and diffusion to fine tune the sound. Music Radar explains that “diffusion involves sending the reflections off in different directions, breaking up the sound, while absorption soaks up certain unwanted frequencies.” The site recommends utilizing 2’x4′ sheets of hardboard and 1″ slabs of mineral wool to make absorption panels

5. Recording Software – If you want a recording studio, it cannot be done without recording software. Depending on your needs, whether you are recording a professional album or simply having fun recording for your friends, you want to decide about how much to spend on equipment. Do you want to invest in brand new, professional equipment, or can you purchase something more affordable? Gizmodo recommends a desktop app called Pro Tools Express, which lets you record music right on your computer. It’s included with the company’s $299 Mbox Mini audio interface.

Hugs Construction has over 20 years of experience and is a full service construction company in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding Los Angeles area. We work on projects of all sizes, such as kitchen and bath remodeling, wiring and electric work, soundproofing, installing windows and doors, specialty projects and new constructions.

We pride ourselves on utilizing green products to sustain the environment. We strive to maintain high customer satisfaction with every job, making sure that our work lasts for many years to come.

To get a quote for your home renovation, contact us.