STUDIO DESIGN

Overview

Ken Dibble Acoustics are able to provide a range of services likely to interest recording, broadcast and AV studios, freelance producers, serious home or musician studio professionals and to both independent and international record companies. The practice is able to provide a full acoustic design and noise control consultancy package for new-build and refurbishment projects, or any element of that package as a separate service.

Discussion

It is an unfortunate fact of life that studio acoustics has been largely hi-jacked by self-styled 'studio designers' combining aesthetics with acoustic black-art and wizardry as a single package. Highly fanciful schemes are proposed and implemented which have no possible basis in physics and which - all too often it seems - fail to meet the client's expectations. In fact, there is no black-art in any aspect of acoustic design, be it a recording studio or a village hall. The basic physics of acoustics still apply and the technical and engineering diligence and tool kit requirements do not change. KDA have the experience, the technical knowledge and resources, and as musicians, the first hand understanding of what studio acoustics are actually about. We apply the same level of diligence, technology and real-world expertise to achieve the client's expectations. No waffle. No bullshit. No imagineering.

A typical studio acoustics package might include any or all of the following elements:-

Acoustic feasibility study including initial site survey, noise climate monitoring, identification of noise sources likely to affect the site and, where appropriate, transmission loss measurements between the critical rooms in the case of an existing building.
Acoustic feasibility study including initial site survey, noise climate monitoring, identification of noise sources likely to affect the site and, where appropriate, transmission loss measurements between the critical rooms and other spaces/users in the case of an existing or multi-occupier building.
Liaison with the design team in devising a facility layout which will meet the client's occupancy requirements whilst at the same time enabling adequate acoustic separation between rooms to be achieved.
The use of computer-based acoustic modelling techniques to predict what is practicable in terms of acoustic separation in the context of the building structure and layout proposals, and to develop the constructions and any structural isolation requirements necessary to achieve those goals.
Integration within the design team in bringing the design to the tender stage, with all noise control and acoustics related issues in place, including adequate sound insulation by the building shell, adequate acoustic separation between rooms & interior acoustic conditions suited to the client's requirements. In addition, noise propagation from HVAC plant, boiler rooms etc. would be addressed.
Supervision of site works by attendance at site meetings, handover inspections and carrying out any completion testing of rooms, plant and systems. All necessary instrumentation resources are available in-house.

The following are some examples of studio projects in which KDA have been involved:-

UB40 / DEP Studios, Birmingham
Built in a converted abattoir, this site has a raised section of mainline railway track to the rear, a main road to the front and is in the flight path to Birmingham Airport. Studio #1 is on the ground floor, Studio #2 at 1st floor level, with both the band and record label admin offices on the 2nd floor. The brief was to provide adequate acoustic separation between the two studios and between the studios and circulation/admin areas, to exclude road rail and air traffic noise and to address the studio acoustics and control room monitoring for Studio 2.

Metropolitan Police
Conversion of a video/film studio in an industrial warehouse style building in South London into a facility also suited to sound recording. The brief included both exclusion of road traffic and internal activity noise as well as the creation of an appropriate room acoustic for real-time film/video sound track recording.

Tower Street Studio, Hartlepool
This is an ambitious community project in which a live performance venue, rehearsal room, a fully specified commercial studio suite, a community studio suite, an 8-track room and a recording technology training suite, are all accommodated in a former Baptist church building. The brief included critical analysis of an initial failed scheme, complete redesign of the acoustic separation requirements and supervision of the rebuild through to completion.