Acoustical Design of Television, Radio, Film and Audio Studios
MEDIASOLUTION.in provides solutions for sound isolation, noise
control and room acoustics for private and public broadcast and
recording studios, as well as TV, Radio Station and Production
Houses. Our design team has the multi-disciplinary expertise to
provide the best possible acoustical design package for new
construction or renovation of your studio.
The Importance of Acoustics
Excellence in sound quality and room acoustics is fundamental to
the successful operation of studio facilities.
The
success of building broadcast and film studios require cautious
implementation of many aspects of acoustical design, including:
Noise Isolation
The
single most important design element for broadcasting and
recording studios is that they are QUIET and PIN DROP SILENCE.
Noise from sources external to the building, such as aircraft,
trains and road traffic etc and noise from adjoining spaces of
both similar and dissimilar use, must be adequately controlled.
This requires careful design of separating partitions to meet
the requirements of the broadcast and recording industry. We can
provide acoustic design advice on the complete noise isolation
of a studio, including isolated walls, floors, ceilings, doors
and windows.
In
exceptional cases, for example where studio buildings are
located close to environmental noise sources such as top of
building in a hilly area, the studio building can be designed to
be constructed on air isolation bearings.
Ambient Noise Control
Ambient noise within studios must also be kept at very low
levels. Primarily, this means sufficient silencing of air supply
and exhaust systems, low duct velocities and selection of low
noise grilles and diffusers. However, this is not the only
consideration. Noise from sources of structure-borne noise
throughout the building such as mechanical equipment, elevators
and plumbing must also be very well controlled.
Echo Control
Room
acoustics is critical to the studio environment. Special
attention must be paid to the design of the room in order to
keep the echo time short and within very close tolerances. We
help by providing construction assembly details for support of
bass response and balanced room decay by selection of suitable
sound diffusing and sound absorbing surfaces. We also provide
guidance on relative room dimensions and on the control of
reflections that would degrade the sound quality and imaging of
the control room monitor loudspeakers. Fixtures and fittings can
also be detrimental to studio sound quality. Special attention
should also be paid in the selection of lights, dimmer switches
and switching power supplies, all of which can generate low
level hum or whimpers that are audible in the low noise studio
environment.
Site Services
The
careful design of broadcast and film studios does not guarantee
the successful provision of a high quality product to the
client. Many of the acoustically critical construction and
assembly details are not fully appreciated by Clients on site.
We can make thorough site inspections during the construction
stage of a studio project to ensure that the design details are
being implemented properly by the building contractor. This is
the most critical aspect of studio construction. Time spent on
site by the acoustic consultant during construction can save a
great deal of time spent on diagnostic investigation if
commissioning tests show a failure to meet the contract
specifications. In Indian scenario, very few Acoustic
Consultants Inspect the studio site during construction stage
and very few Clients appoint Acoustic Consultant before the
studio construction.
FOR EXAMPLE:
We
want to build a studio in basement, can we build it so that any
buddy won't hear anything?
Building a studio space in existing industrial construction
severely limits the amount of sound isolation that can be
achieved. Wood frame construction is difficult to isolate
because of its light weight, and connectedness. You can't start
separating the structural sound paths without having your
building fall down. Even isolated ceilings and isolated inner
walls, which may achieve STC ratings over 50, do not provide
significant attenuation below 125Hz. For this you need mass,
concrete would be a start, but depleted uranium or solid lead
would be better, and not much more impractical than trying to
pour concrete walls and ceilings in place in a basement. Even
concrete walls and floors need additional attention. You have to
shield the concrete structure from a loud sound source by
building an isolated wall. Once the sound energy enters the
concrete building structure, it will travel throughout all the
walls and floors. This shielded and isolated construction
rapidly erodes ceiling height and floor space, and costs a
bunch.