Sound proofing

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Nathangerke

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I am a commercial contractor bidding a small recording studio in an educational facility. I don't have any experience in this type of application. Can anyone point to towards any helpful resources? Mainly concerned with proper methods for wall penetrations and installation of devices in walls. Frankly, i don't know what i don't know.
 
biggest thing is wrapping the outlet boxes to stop the sound from going through them as an easy path... but it depends upon the insulation method in use.
If they are in a permanent studio with the boxes and sound systems already, they will have other boxes you can look at to see how they had it done before. But, the easiest sound deadening system is what was used by the old Roman and English castles.. heavy rugs hanging about six inches away from the walls...
Second most common method that I have seen is egg carton like foam stapled to the walls...

They used to make rubber compound that you put around the electric boxes to stop air flow, and that works as well for noise. Another method is special wallboard, designed for the systems, and that would mean more use of extension boxes because of the thickness of the wall board. Every extra layer of wallboard absorbs so much sound. There used to be a few pages online by the drum companies about ways to deaden sound.

Sorry I cannot be more help as I would have to see is it a new system or modifications to an old system, and how they are transitioning the microphone and sound wiring to the mixer boards, etc...Been about twenty years since the last studio I dealt with so I am not exactly up to date on the newest technologies.
 
Nathangerke said:
I am a commercial contractor bidding a small recording studio in an educational facility. I don't have any experience in this type of application. Can anyone point to towards any helpful resources? Mainly concerned with proper methods for wall penetrations and installation of devices in walls. Frankly, i don't know what i don't know.
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Are they interested in keeping their sound from getting out or outside noises from getting in? They are two somewhat different problems.
 
ggunn said:
Are they interested in keeping their sound from getting out or outside noises from getting in? They are two somewhat different problems.
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:thumbsup:

In addition, if they/you are using foam sound insulation materials on the walls, the flammability of the foam material can mean different things with regard to the electrical installations.
 
Can you give more details?
Plastic vs metal boxes also make a diff.

Are the walls where outlet boxes go to be covered in sound deadening materials?
There are many ways to sound deaden boxes, but not a lot of products that have good fire ratings.
Automotive uses undercoating, Dynamat, LizardSkin, and even FlexSeal rubber spray, but these may not be good in a fire.
The mentioned fire rated acoustical putty is a good option.
Perhaps even surrounding a box using fire rated spray foam is good.

But in terms of receptacle cover being exposed at the wall surface where wall is covered in sound absorbing material, the covers can be reflectors of sound, so perhaps better to make a outlet cover using the absorbing wall material and keep it covered when not in use (not sure if NEC allows that, but it is readily accessible). But then what to do when outlet is in-use? The cap-cord end perhaps should have some foam or something around it at the plug end so that when plugged in the full outlet faceplate is not completely exposed. Also use foam gasket behind faceplates, etc.

Wrapping seems to be the easiest inside the wall
http://metrosupplycollc.com/sound-blocking-putty-pads.html
https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/product/sealtight-putty-pads/
https://www.amazon.com/QuietPutty-Acoustical-Pads-Putty/dp/B004ZG422W
 
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FionaZuppa said:
Can you give more details?
Plastic vs metal boxes also make a diff.

Are the walls where outlet boxes go to be covered in sound deadening materials?
There are many ways to sound deaden boxes, but not a lot of products that have good fire ratings.
Automotive uses undercoating, Dynamat, LizardSkin, and even FlexSeal rubber spray, but these may not be good in a fire.
The mentioned fire rated acoustical putty is a good option.
Perhaps even surrounding a box using fire rated spray foam is good.

But in terms of receptacle cover being exposed at the wall surface where wall is covered in sound absorbing material, the covers can be reflectors of sound, so perhaps better to make a outlet cover using the absorbing wall material and keep it covered when not in use (not sure if NEC allows that, but it is readily accessible). But then what to do when outlet is in-use? The cap-cord end perhaps should have some foam or something around it at the plug end so that when plugged in the full outlet faceplate is not completely exposed. Also use foam gasket behind faceplates, etc.

Wrapping seems to be the easiest inside the wall
http://metrosupplycollc.com/sound-blocking-putty-pads.html
https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/product/sealtight-putty-pads/
https://www.amazon.com/QuietPutty-Acoustical-Pads-Putty/dp/B004ZG422W
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The room is currently a conference room pretty standard, Metal stud walls, 5/8 drywall and acoustic ceiling, with metal junction boxes for devices and switches. I am just not sure what specific systems or material is available to specifically our trade for this application.
 
Do not install outlets back to back in the same stud space. It can be done but it is always better to avoid that as you would if it were a fire wall.
 
The biggest problem is with sound going through, under, over and around the partitions and through doors. Not that electrical boxes wouldn't be a problem but they are minimal compared to other issues.

Unless the (school?) is serious about building this room properly- which means an architect and acoustical engineer coming up with plans, I wouldn't even worry your work. You should be getting your direction from the architect. If they are having this designed by the maintenance department and planning on re-using the existing partitions and ceiling and just basically doing some "redecorating", I would just proceed if this was a regular office.

-Hal
 
If it is in a school then they probably will not want to do anything special, which means basicaly building a room within a room... to get the air space necessary to stop sound...Last recording studio I dealt with was basically just that, a wall was built 3 inches from original wall, with a double layer of thick wallboard on it... no connection except the few cords from one wall to the other.. cut a foot off the floor space basically, but made the noise less... false roof as well... insulation up there... loads of work for the framers but lighting was all spotlights so musicians could read their music instead of full lighting.
 
Adamjamma said:
If it is in a school then they probably will not want to do anything special, which means basicaly building a room within a room... to get the air space necessary to stop sound...Last recording studio I dealt with was basically just that, a wall was built 3 inches from original wall, with a double layer of thick wallboard on it... no connection except the few cords from one wall to the other.. cut a foot off the floor space basically, but made the noise less... false roof as well... insulation up there... loads of work for the framers but lighting was all spotlights so musicians could read their music instead of full lighting.
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Air space does not stop sound, it just conducts sound less efficiently than do solid materials if they are in contact with both the inner and outer walls. The lower the frequency of the sound the more difficult the attenuation; a sheet of paper can take very high frequencies down 20dB or more but the same level of attenuation for very low frequencies can take several feet of concrete.
 
hbiss said:
I've heard of the use of lead-backed sheetrock, otherwise used for x-ray rooms to help deaden sound transmission.

-Hal
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There is commercial sound transmission reducing sheetrock, which essentially has a sound deadening (heavy and soft) layer sandwiched between two half thickness layers of gypsum. It is pricey, but does the job well without the additional expense and loss of space of framing an additional non-structural wall.

Applications include music listening, home theatre, and recording rooms and separating workshop area from living area. Also useful in conjunction with special windows to reduce freeway or air traffic noise inside a house.

AFAIK much cheaper than lead backed!

Some examples:
https://www.quietrock.com/ (the site includes a free design guide and sources acoustic putty that you might use.)
and
http://askforpurple.com/tips-tools/soundbreak-xp-demo/ , a product of National Gypsum (site includes a recorded comparison demo)
 
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Studio Design

Studio Design

Nathangerke said:
I am a commercial contractor bidding a small recording studio in an educational facility. I don't have any experience in this type of application. Can anyone point to towards any helpful resources? Mainly concerned with proper methods for wall penetrations and installation of devices in walls. Frankly, i don't know what i don't know.
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I am a former Recording Musician, with countless hours of studio time.
Sound is stopped by density.
The old school way was double thick sheetrock with no 2 walls running parallel.
 
Quiet rock

Quiet rock

We did one in QuietRock and just fire caulked around the boxes. Note the quiterock is very heavy and eats blades for cutting it, we ended up getting carbide poke saws.
 
just the cowboy said:
We did one in QuietRock and just fire caulked around the boxes. Note the quiterock is very heavy and eats blades for cutting it, we ended up getting carbide poke saws.
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Still confused about the room.

If its a "recording" room then it needs to be two things, 1) dead inside, and 2) not allow noise in.
If its just a "noise" room that needs to be silenced to the outside folks, then that's something different.

Agree, sound engineer should architect the solution.

But in general, in context of just walls, a dbl framed wall w/ either r13 or r19 std insulation (depends on stud size and wall spacing) and 1/2" rock on interior (5/8 even better) will make a room very quiet in and out. Also way less $$ then using the expensive sound products.

I suspect the ceiling will be most challenging to dampen out sound in two directions.
 
Love these threads here. Just love the extra learning that I get... they actually make putties now for the job... great...
as the one studio guy said... basically fire wall rules... but have done it all sorts of ways... biggest thing is, by building second wall not tied to first, you have air space to help deaden and you have the extra wallboard. Again, double the board, increase the noise blocked.. trick also works on busy roads... amazing how happy your customer is just by putting an extra layer or two of wall board on their walls...
learned from experience... styrofoam board actually increases the amount of transmitted noise. Now there are warnings about it reacting with nm wire as well...
anyway... listening for more hints as have three people in Jamaica talking about studios in their new homes.. their architect is a friend and bugging me about ideas for wires and such for the mikes, boards, etc...
 
Acoustics

Acoustics

FionaZuppa said:
Still confused about the room.

If its a "recording" room then it needs to be two things, 1) dead inside, and 2) not allow noise in.
If its just a "noise" room that needs to be silenced to the outside folks, then that's something different.

Agree, sound engineer should architect the solution.

But in general, in context of just walls, a dbl framed wall w/ either r13 or r19 std insulation (depends on stud size and wall spacing) and 1/2" rock on interior (5/8 even better) will make a room very quiet in and out. Also way less $$ then using the expensive sound products.

I suspect the ceiling will be most challenging to dampen out sound in two directions.
Click to expand...

The QuietRock has a very hard outer layer, 1/2" regular rock with 1/4" solid face. It allowed acoustics inside as per the musician. He would come in and Clap his hands while we were working and say AH nice. He did the same thing in my log home with the wood walls and ceilings,
 
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