Rehearsal Room Design
Good sound isolation effectively blocks the transmission of sound from one room to another. All walls in the music rehearsal area should be enclosed, ceiling to roof height. They should be soundproofed with Mass Loaded Vinyl Sound Barrier and all outlets and vents must be acoustically insulated as well. All seams need to be caulked, creating an airtight seal.
The best approach in building the rehearsal room is to build a room within a room with the use of isolation clips and hattrack channel or resilient channels. These methods decouple the walls and isolate structural sound. Bass frequencies are considered structural sounds because they easily pass through floors and walls and often make the windows rattle. This type of sound is most difficult to eliminate and contros the type most often complained about.
The ideal practice room is separate from the rest of the building. When this is not possible, it should be separated by as many walls as possible. Even hallways, closets and storage rooms help keep sound from creating a nuisance to others sharing the building.
Within the practice room, door and windows should be limited, since even small openings around them allow sound leakage. If absolutely necessary, use doors or windows that have high STC ratings. Solid doors are great for this purpose.
Other concerns include limiting sound that may interfere with the creative process of making music. Fluorescent lighting should be avoided, since it can be disruptive. HVAC systems also are known to create unwanted noise, so it is important to place these where they will cause the least disturbance. Different types of systems are also quieter than others. It is well worth taking the time to shop for a quiet heating/air conditioning system for your practice or rehearsal room. These things become critical in a performance or recording environment.
Parallel walls should be avoided since they easily reflect sound. The design of the room is critical.
For absorption of reverb, we recommend using foam or fiberglass wall panels, or acoustic draperies. Thicker panels are known to dampen lower frequencies.
Avoid polyurethane, since it is highly flammable.
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