Any sound booth/proofing experience?

[81MC]

Hi,
I’m wondering if anyone has real world (or theoretical knowledge) with sound booths or professional level sounds proofing could offer some advice?

Long story short: completely modular sound isolation booth. End goal is 110db inside booth, with the volume outside low enough to not escape a standard dwelling unit. Primary requirement is the ability to easily tear down into transportable, albeit heavy, panels. Secondary requirements include modular size changes and a reasonable budget (<$2000 w/interior treatments).

Regarding my construction, I have two main configurations mocked up:
1. individual panels are butt joined, with MLV on all joining surfaces.
2. Individual panels are offset and lapped, so the joint has 4 90* corners, with MLV on all mating surfaces.
All panel joints will be drawn tight with compression on any MLV.

Given there will be a good amount of panels comprising this thing, I want to avoid having minor sound leaks from seams add up to huge transmissions, but I also don’t want to put that amount of effort (the offset complicates finishing significantly) if a proper butt joint will suffice.
Total depth of joint would be about 5”. I imagine if there was a box of 5” MLV it would suffice in its own, so maybe tight butts (oh yeah) is the way to go?

Thanks for your time, just throwing this out there to see if the CP brain trust can advise.

[calgarywinning]

Easily one of the best posts ever. I like to call this an isolation chamber for married men.

[Titan]

I have no idea how to help but when you are done can you make me one too?

[topfiverecords]

I don’t think 110 will be enough. Gunshots are roughly 140db. I assume you’re paying in cash?

[afc wimbledon]

are you installing over existing drywall as you can get some quite effective sound dampening drywall

[CaptainYooh]

Are you trying to contain your own noise or escape someone else's?

[Locke]

This isnt for your 'clubhouse' is it? Should the authorities or the populace at large be concerned?

Dont buy your supplies from Home Depot, the Government is watching...thats how they got Capone.

[81MC]

Keeping sound in.
Booth will be stand alone, only decoupled floor supports (likely pneumatic casters) will touch building structure.
Always use a silencer.
And I’ve had a couple buddies express interest in a booth. If the finished product can offer professional results at a better price point than commercial systems, I may look at assembling some additional DIY kits in the future.

[You Need a Thneed]

It sounds like you want the whole thing transportable, which means panels should be a maximum of 4’ wide, to have any kind of size, you need a lot of panels, which means a lot of gaps between panels that will all need gaskets.

To contain sound at that level, you are going to need soundproofing on all six sides of the box, and you can’t have any hard surface to hard surface connections from the inside to the outside of the box.

You would have to have a raised floor, set on rigid insulation, or something to that effect. Double studded walls, thick sound batt insulation. The roof would require joists, insulation etc as well.

How big do you want this modular booth to be? An 8’x8’x8’ cube already requires 12 4x8’ panels. Each of which is going to be structural, and then also have sound deadening built in. You need an access to get in, likely two insulated doors back to back.

This is WAY over $2000 already.

[cupofjoe]

In the Home Theatre, I used a box within a box construction, decouples the base. Used resilent channel on the the inner most drywall layer, with a layer of drywall and a layer soundboard behind it, with all having offsetting joints. Everything was insulated as well. Could play ~120 dbs in basement and barely could hear it on the main floor.

I not sure if the same construction has any merit with what you are trying to do with a sound room, no experience there.

Rumour has it that Thor uses a similar setup in his basement....

[topfiverecords]

You can find charts for STC ratings of different configurations of architectural assemblies. Simplistically, but not actually fully true, the STC is theoretically the number of dB that can be reduced by the assembly. Officially, the sound frequency has significant impact on transmission and lower frequencies won’t cut as much as higher frequencies.

Without an acoustic engineer to do some detailed calculations, let’s assume the basics. The weakest point of a fully sealed and well insulated standard dwelling is generally the glazing. Dual glazing provides approximately high 20s STC. In reality, sound will transmit around operable windows, door jambs, wall penetrations etc so expecting high 20s STC from a dwelling is unlikely.

To achieve an STC 80 out of drywall/framing/insulation you need a 10” thick wall consisting of two layers each side of Quietrock 545 and R30 insulation (8” thick). At over $100 per sheet, the cost and weight of the panels would be prohibitive. Then there’s the issue of leak at panel joints.

Finally, you’d need it air tight with an air tight sealable entrance. Which may be good or bad, depending on what’s inside generating the 110db. Perhaps the lack of oxygen is just the type of torture you’re after, or at least a side benefit.

[afc wimbledon]

Also bear in mind a fully sound deadened room sounds awful for music

[DoubleF]

I think the first obvious question is how big is this. There's obviously a huge difference in scope and possibilities from a shower stall size vs something that's the size of a 12 man tent.

You want it portable, but is this intended more for indoors or outdoor use? Which again can modify the materials options available for construction. You want portable, so some of the suggestions might not work due to the durability of certain materials during transport, set up and take down.

I probably don't have remotely close to the same construction experience than others so I can't help in that regard for suggestions, but I can't help but think that a soft corner (ie: some form of foam enclosed connector) would be easier to figure out than a rigid corner if you're trying to make this portable.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

It sounds like you want the whole thing transportable, which means panels should be a maximum of 4’ wide, to have any kind of size, you need a lot of panels, which means a lot of gaps between panels that will all need gaskets.

To contain sound at that level, you are going to need soundproofing on all six sides of the box, and you can’t have any hard surface to hard surface connections from the inside to the outside of the box.

You would have to have a raised floor, set on rigid insulation, or something to that effect. Double studded walls, thick sound batt insulation. The roof would require joists, insulation etc as well.

How big do you want this modular booth to be? An 8’x8’x8’ cube already requires 12 4x8’ panels. Each of which is going to be structural, and then also have sound deadening built in. You need an access to get in, likely two insulated doors back to back.

This is WAY over $2000 already.

Awesome post.



81MC, are you trying to contain the sound of drums?

[Fuzz]

Spoiler!

plus

The ghetto method.

[PostandIn]

Here ya go:

https://www.e3diagnostics.com/produc...ic-test-booths

https://www.e3diagnostics.com/produc...rooms---suites

[PostandIn]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

Easily one of the best posts ever. I like to call this an isolation chamber for married men.

https://www.designboom.com/design/ca...om-10-14-2019/

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

Also bear in mind a fully sound deadened room sounds awful for music

I am curious if the purpose of this is to create a recording studio or not.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Spoiler!

plus

The ghetto method.

That isn't portable though. For portability, ghetto method, I was thinking a better idea would be to buy a short bus or RV, strip it down then isolate the crap out of it with foam and mattresses and stuff.

Originally Posted by PostandIn

https://www.designboom.com/design/ca...om-10-14-2019/

$4,195 USD...

[PostandIn]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

That isn't portable though. For portability, ghetto method, I was thinking a better idea would be to buy a short bus or RV, strip it down then isolate the crap out of it with foam and mattresses and stuff.



$4,195 USD...

Small price to pay vs. 25 years to life.