John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello,
I'm an architect here in India. Currently I'm working on a friend's studio. He has rented out a place, so structurally we dont have much choice but to make the best of the house. It's an old building in Kolkata with 450mm walls. I've attached a pic of the existing plan along with some notes mentioned. The house has windows on all sides AND neighbours. But also its on the ground floor, on a narrow road and a main road behind it. So there's a lot of noise and also the whole building vibrates everytime a truck/bus passes by. I'm planning on ceiling all the windows and do a sound check and then decide on ways to control whatever sound I need to. I will be removing all parallel lines and installing double windows and doors. The double will be a standard MDF or other such absorbent material with a cavity and glass wool. The thickness etc I will decide after the sound test.

In the meantime, I need to work out the acoustics. Can you please tell me where do I need to put slat resonators, diffusors etc? I need to address the Lows and the Low-mids. I understand that one needs to place slat resonators and diffusors. But money is a BIG issue here. So I have to place only where required and only the sizes that will do. Nothing more. I read and read a lot of material available on your website and have an idea. But the cost is working out way over the budget. So I decided to ask you opinion.

All the orange in the pic are existing. the purple is proposed. The height is almost 4m. I will bring it down to 2.4m
I hope the information I have given here is enough.

Thankyou.

Sharada

Helpng indirectly for the moment, if you tell us what is cheap in you area we can no doubt give direction on achieving the same acoustic results using materials and labour in the area.

Andre

Hi Andre,
Thanks for the reply. Here is what I'll be doing:

For the floor-
I'm raising a 5" brick on edge, fill the caivity with sand (compacted). I'll be using silver sand which is extremely cheap here. Then I'll have 25mm board over that with 2mm vinly.
Will this do? Should I use neoprene between the 25mm board and the brick? I also have the cable duct on the floor in mind. I'll be detailing it out today. Will let you know when its done.

Walls-
Leaving a 100mm cavity, I'll place 3" gypsum wall, angled to avoid parallel lines. The gypsum is made up of 2 boards with a cavity within. I'll fill the cavity between the gypsum and the exisitng wall with insulation. I'll be checking out a insulation material tomorrow. I'm sure to find a good one which is not too expensive. The face of the gypsum wall inside the studio needs to be treated. For this first I need to identify where and how much of absorbers/diffusors/resonators/base trap etc I'll have to provide. Most of the studios that I've seen cover almost the whole face of the wall with this kind of treatment. I'm wondering if so much is required. I would like to only what's required. And this I'm not able to figure out.

Ceiling-
Will have a standard false ceiling with absorbent tiles. We'll make these on site. If I dont angle the ceiling, then would diffuors on top suffice? Or should I angle the ceiling and not bother about the diffusors. I mean can I use any certain kind of material that will take care of it?
hmm...I know this sounds really vague..but that's exactly how it seems to me

Other than this, the dorrs/windows etc will be done as per standards.

I think I've covered everything for now. hmm...!
I hope this info is enough for you give me some sound advice.

Thanks for you time.

Sharada

Not meaning to put you through a lot of redaing, however the nature of your questions implies to me that reading and understanding the recording manual

http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html

will help you alot.

Should I use neoprene between the 25mm board and the brick? I

From what you have described, there is no ned for the neoprene.

The gypsum is made up of 2 boards with a cavity within

This sounds like you are getting into a triple leaf situation. Bad.

For this first I need to identify where and how much of absorbers/diffusors/resonators/base trap etc I'll have to provide. Most of the studios that I've seen cover almost the whole face of the wall with this kind of treatment. I'm wondering if so much is required. I would like to only what's required. And this I'm not able to figure out.

Thjis is geting into where the recording manual will help.

I hope this gives you a good start.

Andre

.. I hope so too. I will go through it.

I'll take your advice on the Gypsum. Maybe a 2 layer of MDF stuck together or even 3 layer with a cavity behind would be better.

I went looking for materials today. Got samples and cost too.
Frankly it was fun!!

We have sealed off all the windows and plastered them too.

Will be starting the isolation work tomorrow.

Will send photos as the work progresses.

Thanks again..

ta ta

Sharada