Is concrete block on internal walls better/worse than stud p

[mart1977]

Hi all

I've been lurking a while looking through posts, designs and studio builds. I have a question I havent found asked through searching:

I'm in Ireland and our building practices are generally that all houses and buildings are concrete - normally concrete block. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using say double 4" spaced concrete block on inner walls separating control room from recording room and any iso booths.

Concrete block should have an advantage in terms of mass and cutting down sound transmission over stud and plasterboard. However I've heard talk that the 'give' or resonance in plasterboard membrane has a damping effect as sound passes through the leaf to the next layer - whereas concrete block reflects back as it has no damping qualities.
One other thing about using concrete block would be getting separation between the inner leaf walls at the foundation which might have to be decoupled some way.

Most of the builds I've seen here and in books use stud partition walls but occasionally I see control room walls in concrete block separating the live room from the control room.

Is there a definitive word on this? Many thanks

[Soundman2020]

Advantages: Really good isolation!

Disadvantages: Takes up a lot of space, harder to build, more expensive.

- Stuart -