ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 10 months ago - Diarmuid Keane

am make sure to ling the floor with the insulation wool. (Knauf Crown Acoustic or similar)

11 years, 10 months ago - Diarmuid Keane

Hi Christian if you need more information on acoustic walls goto www.knauf.co.uk and the basic system I'd recommend is the Silent Spacesaver which can reduce the noise to as much as 63db(Rw) with a wall depth of 208mm. If you have the budget for the Isolator system, then you can achieve a reduction of upto 74db(Rw) ILC3/08, but at a compromise of having a wall depth of 400mm.If you need more information give me a shout.

11 years, 10 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Wait, you have windows? I have to agree with Paddy on that one. Additionally, you're going to have to block the light coming in to give yourself more control when lighting your subject. So why have them in the first place?

11 years, 10 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Is the studio space big enough to do everything you're after? I see it's 4m across, after soundproofing the walls, adding in cycs, etc it may get a little compact, especially once you add a power distro, lighting grid, winter heating, summer cooling, any kind of kit area, shooting area, etc let alone the shower/loo/kitchen/seating/desk etc. Also are windows not your enemy for a sound stage? Even double-glazed ones? It may be worth thinking thoroughly about what it's going to be tuned towards, then doing that 100% as opposed to a bit of a mix of everything?

11 years, 10 months ago - Diarmuid Keane

If you are suspending the floor of the ground I'm sure you know but the best thing to do is use rubber shoe if you are using a raised access floor.

11 years, 10 months ago - Diarmuid Keane

BTW I work for an interior fit out company and I was the design manager for the new Sky Studios in West London.

11 years, 10 months ago - christian darkin

thanks for this- really great info. and you're right - I've only got 4(ish)meters across, so it's not going to be for epic flying fight scenes - and sound should be pretty easy to mic up.

I'm going for acoustic insulation and plasterboard. I can't quite stretch to the "room within a room" approach, but I want to do the best I can within a reasonable budget.

the floor is suspended off the ground which should help a little.

11 years, 10 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Hi Christian, I've built 4 music studios over the years, and sound proofing is a little more than using "tiles." There is also the idea of keeping sound out (which for a shooting stage, that's what you want) and controlling the sound on the stage itself. Sound proofing a shooting stage is a lot easier than a music stage (no base traps, for example), but you also have a lot more space to cover.

I see you're building this from scratch, and it's quite small. This seems more an insert stage, rather than something you'd shoot sound on--other than talking heads.

The idea for sound, is to create traps for it. First I'd start with the insulation. True soundproofing insulation is expensive. Most is a mineral fiber type, and doesn't look like typical insulation.

Once you have that in place, don't just drywall over it. You can get soundproofing drywall. Again, expensive, but really effective. Alternatively, get the thickest drywall you can. Possibly a double layer, the first lays vertical, the second horizontal. But don't just nail it to the studs. It will be more effective if it is sitting out from the studs to create an air pocket for the sound to get trapped in. There are some commercial products that work great for this:

Check out the Auralex website to see what I'm talking about. http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolation_rc8/sound_isolation_rc8.asp

Don't forget the floor and ceiling. One of the most effective things I've used is Sheetblok, also on the Auralex site. Again, expensive. As an alternative, you can lay out a rubber mat floor (think flooring at a commercial gym), then build another floor on top of that with insulation in-between the floor joists. There is also a product called "u-boats" (I think) that fit on floor joists to stop sound transfer up through the floor. Lots of ways to deal with a floor.

There's a lot that goes into soundproofing, so do some research. Think of sound as water on steroids. Think of anyplace it can get in, and do something about it. For example, electrical boxes on your outlets need to be wrapped in a special adhesive foam. If your ceiling isn't proofed, a simply rainy day can ruin a shoot.

As for wall treatments, most foam types are the same. Just keep in mind that the less you do for soundproofing on the walls when you build it, the thicker the acoustic foam needs to be. So you'll be spending the money, regardless! Best to get the basic construction right in the first place.

Good luck. I'm a bit jealous. I've always wanted my own sound stage!

11 years, 10 months ago - christian darkin

This isn't supposed to be a full sound stage with lighting grids and cycs. this is primarily an office, but it'll be a place photographers and videomakers can shoot the odd interview or greenscreen plates for fx work.

There are plenty of high-end, high-cost studios out there with plenty of space to attract people with budgets. However, most of the places used to make lower budget film, corporate video and even some broadcast TV are much more modest.

I've been presented with footage for TV, music videos, and vfx which has been filmed using very basic setups and although it's often rescuable, I'm hoping I can create something that gives a more reliable solution to those with simple filming/photography needs.