Sound Insulation of Drum Studio

Project Overview

In July 2020, professional musician and drummer Venko Poromanski reached out to DECIBEL with an acoustic challenge in his drum studio located on the 16th floor of a residential building. Venko experienced two significant issues - soundproofing and vibration transfer to neighbouring areas, as well as poor sound quality within the studio. The small space did not allow him to hear the full range of his drum sounds accurately, which was essential for his practice. Our task was to enhance both the soundproofing and acoustics of the room to meet the demands of his professional drumming.

Challenge

The studio's location on the 16th floor created significant soundproofing and vibration issues, which led to complaints from neighbours. Additionally, the small size of the room compromised the quality of the drum sounds, causing difficulty for the musician to hear the instrument as he played. We needed to address both the sound isolation and the room's acoustic treatment to ensure the drummer could hear the instrument clearly while minimizing noise and vibrations affecting the rest of the building.

Solution

DECIBEL's team began by conducting measurements to assess the sound levels during dynamic drumming. The solution involved engineering improvements, including the installation of a two-layer vibration-insulating podium, supported by spherical rubber-pneumatic shock absorbers. This podium effectively isolated vibrations and reduced the sound transfer by 99% across a wide frequency range. The studio was also acoustically treated with sound-absorbing materials to improve the room's acoustic quality without compromising the dynamics of the drumming. To address the issue with the door, we added a second door with double seals and a sound-reducing brush, increasing the overall sound insulation from 28 dB to 42 dB.

Result

Upon completion, the drum studio experienced a dramatic improvement in both sound isolation and acoustic clarity. The podium effectively isolated the structural vibrations, and the acoustic treatment allowed Venko to hear the true sound of his drums without the distortions caused by an untreated room. The client was extremely pleased with the results, as the space became a perfectly acoustically balanced environment for individual practice. Venko’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive: “Playing percussion instruments brings me pleasure, and joy, and makes me feel full and alive. I'm doing something real from my heart!”

The project took two months to complete, and the client was able to fully enjoy his practice sessions in an acoustically optimized and vibration-free space.