VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

melissa eX

I'm ripping out the old carpet in Studio Manhattan South and replacing it with wood laminate flooring. There's a dressing room area with closets which is where I'll probably record - I may rip out the closets and use it as an editing station as well. So I'm wondering, since I'm ripping up the floor and putting in new flooring, what should I do / add etc. BEFORE I put the floor down in that area for better isolation?

Lee Gordon · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 12:10 am Post subject:

Here's a reminder of what I put under mine:
http://www.vo-bb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16939

If you do choose to build a platform, you probably don't have to go as nuts as I did. Just the frame, Roxul (or equivalent such as the recycled denim insulation), 3/4" MDF or plywood on top and Auralex U-Boat Floor Floaters underneath should be sufficient. And you might consider leaving the carpet in that area in place and setting your new floor treatment on top of it.

If you're planning on just laying something directly down onto your concrete subfloor, you may want to check this out.
Sound Isolation Company -- Wood Floor on Concrete
I bought some of my supplies from these guys.

That latter solution is intended more to keep your footsteps from disturbing the people below you, but that, combined with the mass of the concrete floor, ought to also do a pretty good job of keeping external noise from migrating into your space from below.
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Frank F · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 2:08 am Post subject:

I can suggest a few ideas; but it depends on what you are willing to afford for the project.

One: Once carpet is removed add MLV/MLR to the area of your "booth/recording area" floor and on the wood subfloor. This should be a minimum of 0.5 to 1" MLV/MLR (Mass Loaded Vinyl/Rubber). Add 6" surrounding the area where applicable. Then put a new overlay subfloor on top of the MLV/MLR and then the laminate.

This will add about 2.5" of height to the floor.

Two: Build as directed by Lee.

Good luck and great sound ahead.

Frank F
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

melissa eX · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 4:52 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys, I'll have to think about exactly where to situate the booth - and how high I can practically raise the floor. Good stuff here to show my contractor.

thx!

Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:29 pm Post subject:

Since you're in a high-rise, I assume you have concrete sub-floors. If so, the floor's mass should help mitigate the transfer of noise from below.
_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

melissa eX · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:50 pm Post subject:

THat's what I figure too. I know there are the old asbestos floor tiles under the wall to wall carpet - which I'm not going to disturb when I pull up the carpet. I assume there's concrete under them.

georgethetech · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:00 am Post subject:

What if you place your booth on it's "tippy toes"? You know how all of the high-end speaker stands use metal points as feet instead of rubber pads? What if you do the same thing? Is it just impractical due to the weight?
Things that make you go hmmm... I know with WhisperRooms, the caster plate increases isolation from below because you are reducing the surface area of contact between the two structures, reducing structure born noise.
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vkuehn · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:24 am Post subject:

Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:19 am Post subject:

Gregory Best · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:45 pm Post subject:

I used to do HVAC work. Those rubber feet or pads are called vibration isolators. They are used to minimize vibration from the AC units, exhaust fans, and large comercial electric motors. Should help on bottom of booth.
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vkuehn · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 1:09 pm Post subject:

Building vibration can be a bear! My home is a modest frame home built on a slab. The HVAC is attic mounted and the whole house vibrates. (I turn off the thermostat when ready to record.)

Here is the one that really surprised me. Water heater needed replacing. While I was in the buying mood, I had them add the tiny little electric pump at the top of the water heater to force hot water through the pipes (in or under the slab) to the far end of the house and then through a check valve to return to the water heater. When you are ready to wash your hands or take a bath, instant hot water... even in that distant master bath.

In tracking down noises that were getting into my studio, I found that turning off that pump so the water doesn't flow through the slab, reduced the noise level in my studio by 1.5 to 2 dB. And the studio is in the attic. Above the garage... where no water flows!

Auralex doesn't make a product for running water! So I now have an electric switch, upstairs, in the studio, that kills the pump when I want maximum noise reduction.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:39 pm Post subject:

melissa eX · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:07 pm Post subject:

Good to know Lee. In fact, the location for the booth is near the bathroom, where all 27 floors of apartments in that line have water pipes. But all the pipes are the old cast iron pipes - unless some have been replaced individually - which I doubt - though that may happen in the future.

Frank F · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:19 pm Post subject:

MelissaEx,

The good news is even the water pipe noise can be fixed with MLV/MLR on the walls. Mass Loaded Vinyl/Rubber can help in ways you may not imagine yet.

Just a note, the Auralux U-Boats are cute and do work however, just adding five (5) 2" x 2" x 1/2" Vibration Isolation pads under your booth area and between the laminate and the booth will remove most (not all) vibration points. This means one pad at each corner, and one (up to four) in the center of the booth area floor. They come in packs of eight for under $10.00 USD.

Adding the Vibration Isolation pads is a case of less is more. Do not add so many isolation points it creates more vibration than it quiets.

Frank F
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

melissa eX · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:25 pm Post subject:

THat sounds cool Frank. So they go on top of the floor rather than under it? That would make it easier .