Build a music studio in an apartment building

Step 4 The weekest link: the door

The is no point in going through all the trouble and expense of building a great wall if you ruin if by putting in a regular door. When I started researching my options I came close to despair: one quote for a measly STC of 41 (slightly better than a regular door) was over USD 1200.00 for a single door.... Another for an STC of 56 was over $6000.00, again, for a single door. Since the best way to get good results is to use a pair of doors, this was not an option for us. I decided to try my luck at building my own doors using layers of MDF and Greenglue, and special sound gaskets, but I wasn't certain of the results, and it wasn't going to be that cheap either.

That's when I really lucked out: on Craigslist I found somebody who was leaving a rental studio and dismantling all the expensive, custom fixtures. Not only did I get a pair of doors the perfect size for my space ($500 for 2 doors & frames), but I got loads of beautifully built panels for sound treatment.

If this seems like just dumb luck which you couldn't possibly have, think again. You make your luck. I was looking on Craigslist every single day for months, so when I saw it I was ready to jump. And unfortunately with this economy, plenty of sound studios are going belly up. They're glad to get a chance to get whatever they can to recoup some of their investment, but they're also usually on a very tight deadline to get out of their space -- so prices can be negotiable. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, be patient, flexible about dates and pick-up, and chances are you will have just as much luck as I had. Plus you might save great stuff from clogging up dumpsters... I heard about Sound One dismantling some studios one week after their materials were carted away to be buried on Staten Island. That was upsetting on so many levels....