How to build a vocal booth?

[redis]

I'd like to build a vocal booth for my home studio and keen to get some advice on how.

The main constraints:

- I live in an apartment and need to get the cutting of materials done in NZ stores or elsewhere.

- I'll need to do the assembly in the room, otherwise it won't fit.

- Budget is limited to 1-2k NZD

Requirements:
- The booth is 2 meters high, the inside floor area is 1x1.1 m, the wall/floor/roof thickness is ~10cm.

- The door size is 185x70cm, ideally it shouldn't let any air in and out and should be the same thickness as the walls to ensure noise isolation

- Ideally a power socket hole is required in one of the walls, the size is 7.5x11.5cm and it's 28cm from the apartment floor

- Don't need done: ventilation, lights, windows or interior.

Questions:

- Is the wood frame necessary or it's enough to make walls out of 2 plywood sheets with insulation sheet inside, and assemble them with angle brackets?

- Which materials would you recommend, especially for insulation / for ensuring there's no movement in plywood+filler 'sandwich'?

- Any general building tips or gotcha's?

- Any ideas on where to do the cutting in the city if I don't find a store that would do it for me?

Any help is appreciated.

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @redis and thanks for joining in the discussion. We are looking forward to seeing this project come together. 

One of our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts in @EricL will be back on the site later today to assist you. Let me also tag experienced members @Brad, @TedBear and @Remarka6le to see how they might go about this project.

Jason

[EricL]

Hi @redis

In order to build your vocal booth, I suggest using Tigerply 2400 x 1200 x 12mm Non-Structural Untreated Plywood in conjunction with Pinetrim 65 x 18 x 1.2m Kiln Dried Untreated Pine Dressed 4 Sides. I recommend using Zenith Chipboard CSK Head 8g x 30mm 30pk Gold Passivate Screw to join them all together.

In order to acoustically insulate the booth, I suggest using two Expol 2400 x 1200 x 25mm S Grade Polystyrene ThermaSlab on top of each plywood covered in All Set 1.8 x 2m Moving Blanket. The blanket will need to be stapled to the plywood so that they don't fall off. 

I suggest having one side of the booth as the door rather than cutting a door into one of the panels. The booth can be secured by attaching handles on the opening sides of the booth.

I'm currently drawing a sketch to give you a better idea of its assembly. I'll post it here tomorrow.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Brad]

Soundproofing blog 

It is a long read and mentions some products that arn't available here.

Interesting to note the use of metal studs instead of wood giving a better dampening result as the metal is less ridgid to reduce vibrations. I thought wood being less flexable would dampen better but it seems I got it wrong.

Nice thought on the door being a wall.

[EricL]

Hello @redis 

I've placed a sample sketch of the sound booth to give you an idea of how to put it together. I suggest speaking to the trade counter to find out which day is the best day to come to have your panels cut down.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[EricL]

Hi @Brad 

The parts are from Bunnings NZ. There are equivalent panels and materials here in Australia.

Eric