OSB-covered walls: a bad idea for a studio?

[Aloe]

Hi,

I'm currently building a second floor in my house that will host the home studio, when done. It will be used for recording vocals, so acoustic reflections is something I'd like to avoid.

Initially I planned to do drywall walls and ceiling, but my wife came with idea of OSB and at that point I'm lost. I'm concerned that it might be a more reflective material than the drywall, so I think I'd prefer drywalls. However I found a couple of articles on the Net that suggested that OSB is as good as drywall for sound absorption.

Can anyone confirm this or deny? Is OSB a safe choice for inner walls in the studio or it will be too reflective? Something specific to avoid, like lacquering it? More advices?

Thanks

 

[Stylee Mousse]

OSB should be as good as wood panels in terms of reflections. To the degree that you can, avoiding parallel surfaces helps.
Studio design and acoustics is well beyond web posts. I’d go old school and get a book or two on home studio design. Also some diy bass traps and diffusers CAN be affordable if you can build stuff. Otherwise $$$

 

[Aloe]

OSB should be as good as wood panels in terms of reflections.

I've read that wood panels produce significantly more reflections, OSB absorbs sounds way better. some even claim, it's as good as drywall. but I'm not sure I can trust this.

but anyway thanks for chiming in.

 

[31HZ]

Many OSB products off-gas formaldehyde, if that is a concern.

Also, you'll lose the fire rating of drywall unless the OSB is of the flame-retardent type.

 

[Aloe]

Many OSB products off-gas formaldehyde, if that is a concern.

Also, you'll lose the fire rating of drywall unless the OSB is of the flame-retardent type.

thanks, I'm aware of both. but I'm more interested in sound reflection/absorption qualities. we frankly don't have much selection of OSB-based products, here it's just OSB with this or that thickness. I do have same kind in parts of my home, so I can make some testing, but don't have any scientific tools for that.

so, basically my question boils down to:
1. if OSB walls would be roughly the same sound reflection/absorption qualities as drywall ones?
2. do I get it correctly, I cannot put lacquer on them, as they will become more reflective? if yes, what other options do I have?

 

[Aloe]

to make this post less boring, I'll attach a view of a tiny balcony inside my home.

I unfortunately don't build things myself, but have some builders at hand. yes, I'm surely not gonna use the aluminium ceiling for the studio, but it looks great IMHO

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Live End/ Dead End for parallel walls. Acoustic tiles are un-GODly expensive for the dead end, but if the space is not entirely covered, or even staggered, it might help. I dont see much difference between OSB and sheet rock, other than the OSB is probably going to be 4-5 times the cost. I can see spending upwards of $10k USD to properly deaden the walls pictured. Everyone ive ever known who has thought about doing this drops out when they see the bottom line.

 

[Aloe]

I dont see much difference between OSB and sheet rock, other than the OSB is probably going to be 4-5 times the cost.

in this case it's likely the question 'OSB, then the drywall' or 'just OSB', so OSB's price is not a concern. but would I benefit from covering OSB with drywall? from the quote, it seems unlikely, if I got it right. again: flamability, gas, moisture are not a concern for this specific case, sound isolation of the walls also not.

 

[Deleted member 394512]

If sound isolation / proofing is not a concern and you are focused on reflection, I would use furring strips on the OSB wall and mount 2" - 3" of 703 fiberglass board to them and cover with some cinema poly batting then finish with a nice acoustic quality fabric stretched over that. Fabric on the top 2/3rds of wall and carpet the bottom 1/3rd with a nice piece of trim between the two is nice. A drop ceiling with Nubby Tiles works well.

That is a cheap easy way to kill a room.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

in this case it's likely the question 'OSB, then the drywall' or 'just OSB', so OSB's price is not a concern. but would I benefit from covering OSB with drywall? from the quote, it seems unlikely, if I got it right. again: flamability, gas, moisture are not a concern for this specific case, sound isolation of the walls also not.

I would separate the OSB from the sheetrock using strips of 3/4” PVC, perhaps doubled, creating a dead air space between them. I dont think this would do so much for anything below 400 Hz, but would probably deaden 1,500Hz and up somewhat. You could lay R-3 foil backed foam between the strips. If nothing else, you’ve effectively insulated the space- no harm, no foul.

 

[SoCal80s]

IMHO, you're going to want to cover the walls with sound-deadening material since either drywall or OSB will give you flat reflective surfaces. So I would go with whatever is easier/cheaper and then cover it with deadening material.

 

[Aloe]

thanks everyone for solid advices! I think, I know what to do now.

that's why I love TalkBass: so many educated and experienced people here. thanks again!

 

[TheReceder]

I went to a company that services vending machines. They receive new machines in foam paneled crates that rival acoustic tiles. Cost me nothing, and I completely covered the room. When I move, they come down without anyone knowing any better.

 

[King Harvest]

Do the room however you want, keep geometry in mind, and build a vocal iso booth.

 

[Kal-El]

What you are planning has the potential to be a nightmare vis a vis your home insurance and any building inspections that may take place. Flammable wall materials are a big no no. Use fire rated drywall and build movable acoustically reflective or absorbtive panels if you need them. The laws may be different in the Ukraine but the same danger exists. Use common sense. Stay safe.

 

[Pocket Dave]

OSB as an accepted interior design element is extremely niche, and won't appeal to many if you put your home on the market.

Fire rating or lack thereof might also be of concern to potential buyers, as well as their inspectors.

If you go that route, do an initial seal on the back side & final seal on the front with clear fire retardant - and keep your receipts.

To add purpose and a finished look to the design, consider staining sheets with different colors and mounting them horizontally; Frank Lloyd Wright emphasized horizontal thrust for residential spaces - He may have been on to something. Here's where someone did this for a commercial space, and added a 1/2" silver reveal between sheets.

 

[BassFalcon]

Double Drywall with this:

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[JKos]

Why would you want to look at OSB? And why so dismissive of flammability and outgassing?

 

[Joeywhat]

I would do whatever is cheaper. Either way you'll have to treat the walls to get good acoustics. This means adding sound panels in the correct spots to achieve the desired results.

 

[micguy]

Drywall isn’t used for its reflectivity - it readily reflects sound back into the room. To tame the room you’re in, you need absorption in the room, which drywall doesn’t do.

Where drywall helps is in reducing transmission to adjacent spaces - it’s density is what does that. And, so you know, single layer drywall and normal construction, even though drywall is better than other materials, it still doesn’t isolate very well. For good isolation, you need to look into staggered studs and doubled up drywall - for a small upcharge in materials, you can get a lot more isolation.

I agree you shouldn’t dismiss the flammability issue. No one is gonna OK your construction if you willfully ignore that.