New book on www.amazon.com 

ISBN: 9798447674649



ACOUSTICAL DESIGN OF BROADCASTING AND RECORDING STUDIOS

Requirements, Recommendations, Architectural guidelines

Author: Blažo Guzina

 

 viii + 322 pages, 53,250 words, 15 chapters, 25 tables, 68 illustrations

 

Cover pictures source: www.BlazoGuzina.yolasite.com

Top left - ''Grey'' Control Room, MD Audio Wizard, Belgrade, Serbia

Top right - Studio ''Odbij'', Novi Sad, Serbia

Bottom left - Control Room, Radio Dedal, Leštane, Serbia

Bottom right - Control Room, Studio ''Barba'', Belgrade, Serbia



  

Contents  

Preface   


Introduction

 

1. NATURE OF SOUND

1.1. Sound source

1.2. Sound field

1.3. Sense of sound

1.4. “Colour” of sound

1.5. Intensity of sound

1.6. The units of audio measurement

1.7. Audio level meters

1.7.1. The VU Meter

1.7.2. Peak Programme Meter

1.8. Audio signal headroom

1.8.1. Signal level scale

1.8.2. Headroom in digital equipment

1.9. Controlling programme volume

1.10. Monitoring loudness in radio and television broadcasts

1.11. Loudness Meter

1.12. Perception of direction of sound

1.13. Reverberation time

1.14. Influence of reverberation time on speech intelligibility

1.15. Speech intelligibility in speech studios

1.16. Influence of diffusion on the uniformity of sound decay

   

2. ACOUSTICS OF RECORDING AND BROADCASTING STUDIOS

2.1. Studio and control room

2.2. Music studios

2.3. Acoustics of a pop/rock music studio  

2.4. Acoustics of a concert hall used as a recording studio

2.5. Television and film studios  

2.6. Control rooms and other technical areas

2.7. Sound insulation, mass law

2.8. High degree of airborne sound insulation

2.9. Flanking transmission   

2.10. Suspended acoustic tile ceilings  

2.11. Floated floors

2.12. Lightweight timber floors

2.13. Box within a box construction  

2.14. Noise rating criterion  

2.15. Studio design considerations     

2.16. Economical aspects, investment in insulation

2.17. Subjective tests  

 

 3. THE USE OF ABSORBERS AND DIFFUSERS

     IN STUDIO ACOUSTICS       

3.1. Absorption and liveliness of a speech studio         

3.2. Absorption and reflection of sound waves  

3.3. Acoustic treatment  

3.3.1. Porous absorbing materials

3.3.2. Mechanical (panel) resonators

3.3.3. Acoustical resonators   

3.4. The use of absorbers  

3.5. Acoustic diffusers   

 

4. HOW TO OPTIMIZE SPEECH FOR BROADCAST

4.1. Recommended values  

4.2. Resonant modes  

4.3. Interactions of loudspeakers and control rooms

 

5. MONITORING LOUDSPEAKERS PLACEMENT  

5.1. Loudspeakers in 2.1 and 5.1 setup

5.2. Studio monitors setup considerations

5.3. Bass behaviour in control rooms  

5.4. Acoustic wave theory

5.5. Mixing console and equipment racks placement    

5.6. Interaction of loudspeakers and room acoustics  

5.7. Surround sound for digital radio and television  

5.8. The effects of loudspeakers placement on loudness levels

5.9. Room volume and speaker power selection‎   

‎‎5.10. The choice and working distance of microphones  

 

6. TAKING CARE OF HEARING HEALTH

6.1. Preventative measures      

6.2. Perceptual changes   

6.3. Listening levels  

 

7. HEATING, VENTILATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING 

7.1.1. Structure-borne noise   

7.1.2. What kind of noises does an HVAC system create?

7.1.3. General indications   

7.1.4. Stringent criteria   

7.2. THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF AV INSTALLATIONS

7.2.1. Passive and active    

7.2.2. Hot spots   

7.2.3. Equipment fans    

7.2.4. Fan performance    

7.2.5. Dust and humidity    

7.2.6. Noise aspects


8. STUDIO ROUTING, WIRING AND SHIELDING

8.1. Mandatory separation  

8.2. Studio and control room grounding  

8.3. Potential source    

8.4. Short circuit   

8.5. Balanced/unbalanced lines  

8.6. Final inspection    

8.7. Electrical services     

  

               Part II

 

                   TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

             ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN GUIDELINES

 

9. ACOUSTICS OF RADIO STUDIOS

9.1. General purpose    

9.2. Speech studio  

9.3. Sound drama studios  

9.4. Music studios   

 

10. ACOUSTICS OF RADIO CONTROL ROOMS

10.1. Purpose   

10.2. Production control rooms   

10.3. Reproduction control rooms   

10.4. Editing control rooms   

 

11. ACOUSTICS OF TELEVISION STUDIOS 

     AND CONTROL ROOMS

11.1. Purpose   

11.2. Large television studios   

11.3. Small and mid-size television speech studios  

11.4. Television control rooms

 

12. ACOUSTICS OF LISTENING ROOMS 

      IN RADIO AND TELEVISION CENTRES

12.1. Purpose   

12.2.1. Small listening room

12.2.2. Large listening room  

12.2.3. Reference listening room

 

13. PERMISSIBLE BACKGROUND NOISE LEVELS

      IN RADIO AND TELEVISION STUDIOS 

      AND CONTROL ROOMS

13.1. Radio drama studio    

13.2. Television music studios and dubbing studios, except pop and rock music studios  

13.3. Large speech studios, pop and rock music studios, production control rooms and listening rooms    

13.4. Broadcast control rooms, reproduction control rooms in radio and television, large television studios

   

14. APPENDIX – Review and comparative analysis of the relevant international and national technical requirements and recommendations 


15. DRAWINGS 


16. BIBLIOGRAPHY


                         ..........................................................................



PREFACE

   Studio acoustics design begins with the appropriate determination of geometric shape and dimensions. Correct ratio between the length, width and height of a room helps to avoid unwanted noise phenomena from the start and saves the costs of potential additional refurbishments with possible unfavorable effects.

The same applies to noise reduction, where an elaborate layout of the studio premises can easily prove more effective than costly subsequent investments in complex sound insulation measures involving massive structures and heavy, expensive doors.

The introductory Chapter 1 as well as Chapters 2 to 8 deal with the rules of internal acoustical treatment of recording and broadcasting studios, in the radio, television and cinema industry. Basic physics and phenomena such as reverberation, influence of acoustical space, permissible noise levels, monitoring loudspeakers arrangement and psychoacoustics were explained from the standpoint of the operator/listener in the control room or the performer in the studio.

 In the second part, five chapters are devoted to recommendations for the acoustical design of radio and television studio premises, based on the original Technical recommendations published by the former Jugoslovenska radio televizija, JRT (Yugoslav Radio Television). At the time, an experts working group lead by late Milorad Marjanović was established with a mandate to write and publish the two volumes of the Technical recommendations, and – being an acoustics engineer at Radio Belgrade – I was privileged to be chosen by Marjanović to work on the draft manuscript as his assistant.

 Furthermore I was impressed by the attitude of the working group which insisted in delivering probably a kind of almost the most stringent requirements in the world with respect to the sound insulation of studio facilities. We were fully aware that a new, exciting era of digital radio and television was waiting around the corner.

      In due time, I gave a presentation of my paper ’’Sound insulation in radio and television studio premises’’, at the 80th Audio Engineering Society Convention, preprint 2340 (8 pages), in Montreux, Switzerland. Following the 20 minutes presentation, during 10 minutes discussion in front of 800+ acoustics engineers, professors and audio professionals, certain German engineer asked me in a rather rude manner: how came that Yugoslav Radio Television had provided such a stringent requirements for the sound insulation. When I replied that we have simply anticipated not only the requirements of the future digital and TV broadcasting, but rather the emerging digitization of the recording and production process at the studio production side, I was greeted with a huge applause.

     Years later, while preparing the content of the chapters that follow I have done my best to adapt, revitalise and rewrite those JRT Technical recommendations and to bring them a new fresh look in the exciting times of omni-present digital sound production and broadcasting, with radio, television, film and internet in mind.

      In the appendices in Chapter 14, a brief comparative analysis and commentary on the similar technical requirements of the British Broadcasting Corporation as well as European Broadcasting Union are presented.

  Unlike various national and international guidelines and recommendations where the user is expected to derive the technical data from diagrams and formulae, in the recommendations presented here, one only needs to read the extracted and detailed data, ready to be applied without further effort, in a user-friendly approach for different types of studios, depending on their size and the content of the recorded/broadcast programme.

  For the purpose of film studios, due to the great extent of similarity, the requirements for television recording and postproduction studios as well as for radio drama studios may be applied.

  Closing Chapter 15 contains drawings with cross sections of sound insulation constructions and interior walls, floor and ceiling treatment, double and quadruple glazed studio observation windows, insulation floating floors against impact noise, the lightweight ''box within a box'' structure, various constructions of studio absorbers and cable ducts.

                                               

                                     Belgrade, March 2022                    Blažo Guzina

 




INTRODUCTION

 

Studio acoustics as a part of architectural acoustics can be defined as the study of the generation, propagation and transmission of sound in rooms and buildings in general.

Correct application of studio acoustics principles can significantly improve the quality of recorded and broadcast sound.

Some sounds are desirable and should be emphasized, such as the speakers' voice in the talks programme, or the music in a concert hall. Other sounds are highly unwanted, such as noise or excessive reverberant sound in a room, and should be reduced or avoided.

Although it is known how important a role studio acoustics play in radio, television, film, the internet and audio in general, the acoustical design of studio premises will often inevitably be a matter of compromise, due to high investment costs.

Therefore, in this book not only technical but also economical aspects of studio acoustics - in particular the requirements for sound insulation in sound recording studios, radio and television centres - have been taken into account in relation to relevant technical recommendations and architectural guidelines. 

                                                   .............................................



16. BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

1. L. Cremer, H. Muller, T. Schultz, Principles and Applications of Room Acoustics, Applied Science Publishers LTD, London & New York, 1982;

 

2. L.L. Beranek, Acoustics, American Institute of Physics, Inc., New York, 1988;

 

3. K.B. Ginn, Application of B&K Equipment to Architectural Acoustics, Bruel & Kjaer, Naerum, 1978;

 

4. K.A. Rose, Guide to Acoustic Practice, BBC Engineering Department, London, 1980;

 

5. L.L. Beranek, Noise and vibration control, McGraw-Hill, 1971;

 

6. H. Olson, Modern Sound Reproduction, D. van Nostrand Company, New York, 1972;

 

7. H. Kuttruff, Room Acoustics, Applied Science Publishers LTD, London, 1973;

 

8. A. Nisbett, The Technique of the Sound Studio, Focal Press Ltd, London, 1983;

 

9. J.J. Matras, Acoustique et Electroacoustique, Editions Eyrolles, Paris, 1965;

  

10. H.M. Tremaine, Audio Cyclopaedia, H.W. Sams and Co., Indianapolis, 1978;

 

11. Stanley R. Alten, Audio in media, Wadsworth/Thomson Higher learning, 2008;

 

12. V.S. Mankovsky, Acoustics of Studios and Auditoria, Focal Press, London & New York, 1971;

 

13. H. Olson, Acoustical Engineering, D. van Nostrand Company, New York, 1957;

 

14. EBU Tech. 3276 - Listening conditions for the assessment of sound programme material: Monophonic and two-channel stereophonic, 2nd edition, May 1998;

 

15. B. Guzina, Audio tehnika u radiju i televiziji (Audio Techniques in Radio and Television), Svetlost teatar, Beograd, 2004.

 

.......................................

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