For projects in China
Recording studio acoustics and soundproofing in China
Two jobs that must not be confused: keeping the building out, and making the room honest inside. The first is mass and decoupling and has to be built first. The second is absorption and diffusion and can be tuned later. A very large production, gaming and content sector, with rooms built inside commercial and industrial shells.
- Isolation
- A measured background level, agreed before anything is bought.
- Low frequency
- Corner and boundary absorption with real depth, not surface foam.
- Early reflections
- Controlled at the mix position, and only there.
- Quote
- From a plan and a section, within 48 hours
01 / The product
What this material is and where it earns its place in China
Two jobs that must not be confused: keeping the building out, and making the room honest inside. The first is mass and decoupling and has to be built first. The second is absorption and diffusion and can be tuned later.
A very large production, gaming and content sector, with rooms built inside commercial and industrial shells.
Work reaching us from China is mostly specification-led projects, international hotel and office fit-out, studios, showrooms.
- We are not the default here Domestic supply is abundant and competitive. We are worth importing when the specification, the colour consistency or the supply chain is the reason, not the price.
- Concrete towers, hard interiors The structure blocks well, so the recurring problems are live rooms and impact passing down through slabs.
- Colour across a large order Where a single project runs across many floors, batch to batch consistency is usually the reason people come to a single manufacturer.
- Isolation A measured background level, agreed before anything is bought.
Full specification
Thickness, density, NRC by frequency, fire class, standard sizes and build-up detail for studio soundproofing are on the main product page. This page covers what that means for a project in China.
02 / The build-up
The stack, in the order it is installed
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Layer 1
SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl
A limp, high density sheet that adds mass to a partition, floor or duct without adding depth. In China, central plant, VRF and split units, with risers and duct runs carrying noise between floors.
Wall, decoupled. Independent stud, membrane between the boards, cavity absorption, two boards. The membrane is one part of a system, never the whole answer.
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Layer 2
Acoustic panels
The full absorber range rather than one product: plain PET felt, printed felt, grooved panels and fabric finishes, chosen by how the room is used and how it has to look. In China, auditoria, conference centres and function halls are large hard volumes with long decay.
Ceiling first. In most rooms the ceiling is the largest untreated surface and the cheapest square metre of result.
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Layer 3
Soundproof curtains
A layered curtain with a mass loaded vinyl core, used where an opening has to stay an opening. In China, school buildings are concrete and tile with very large class sizes and long hard corridors.
Double layer at a doorway. Two curtains with an air gap where a single layer will not reach the target.
Architects working in China usually need the build-up before the product. We will draw the section and mark what does the work. See how we support architects.
03 / In this market
The China conditions that change the answer
- We are not the default here
Domestic supply is abundant and competitive. We are worth importing when the specification, the colour consistency or the supply chain is the reason, not the price.
- Concrete towers, hard interiors
The structure blocks well, so the recurring problems are live rooms and impact passing down through slabs.
- Colour across a large order
Where a single project runs across many floors, batch to batch consistency is usually the reason people come to a single manufacturer.
- Well served ports
Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen all run frequently from India, so routing is straightforward.
- The housing stock
Reinforced concrete towers with block infill and hard floors. Mass is good, impact noise through the slab and between flats is the complaint.
- The studio and content scene
A very large production, gaming and content sector, with rooms built inside commercial and industrial shells.
04 / Room by room
Where the money goes on a China project
-
Isolation
A measured background level, agreed before anything is bought. Domestic supply is abundant and competitive. We are worth importing when the specification, the colour consistency or the supply chain is the reason, not the price.
- Soundproofing materials, 2100 kg per cubic metre. 2.5 mm STC 30 at 5.25 kg per sq m, 4 mm STC 34 at 8.4, 6 mm at 12.6
- Acoustic panels, 1800 x 900 mm, image printed into the felt rather than onto a facing
- Soundproof curtains, 5.5 kg per sq m
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Low frequency
Corner and boundary absorption with real depth, not surface foam. The structure blocks well, so the recurring problems are live rooms and impact passing down through slabs.
- Soundproofing materials, 1800 x 900 x 20 mm, 100 kg per cubic metre, NRC 0.85
- Acoustic panels, Cut pattern in PET felt, adds visual rhythm without changing the absorber
- Soundproof curtains, Up to 30 dB
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Early reflections
Controlled at the mix position, and only there. Where a single project runs across many floors, batch to batch consistency is usually the reason people come to a single manufacturer.
- Soundproofing materials, Mass, then decoupling, then cavity absorption, then sealing
- Acoustic panels, ASTM C423
- Soundproof curtains, 30
If the visual is fixed and the room still has to perform, that is a solvable problem and a conversation worth having early. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate and durability
Durability in China, before acoustics is discussed
China is hot summers, mild winters and a distinct wet season, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
PET felt handles the wet months without absorbing moisture or feeding mould. Timber and wood wool want a ventilated cavity and a stable indoor RH.
The failure we design against here is wet-season humidity behind linings.
Where a consultant is already engaged on a China project, we supply to their specification and send the test reports rather than describing them. More on working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Straight talk
Where this kind of project usually fails
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Buying foam to solve an isolation problem
It sounds like a small detail until the room is finished and the complaint arrives.
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Treating the room before the shell is isolated
This is the one that comes back as a second fit-out rather than a snag.
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Killing the room completely and calling it controlled
A room can be over-treated. Past the target it stops sounding controlled and starts sounding dead, and you paid for that.
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Treating it as a generic China job
Domestic supply is abundant and competitive. We are worth importing when the specification, the colour consistency or the supply chain is the reason, not the price.
05 / Logistics
What the route into China actually looks like
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Shanghai, Ningbo or Shenzhen, then road to site |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Shanghai or Ningbo |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved panels and custom colours take longer, and we say so before you order, not after.
Sea freight into Shanghai, Ningbo or Shenzhen, then road to site. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
Questions from China projects
What makes recording studio acoustics and soundproofing different in China?
A very large production, gaming and content sector, with rooms built inside commercial and industrial shells. Domestic supply is abundant and competitive. We are worth importing when the specification, the colour consistency or the supply chain is the reason, not the price.
Where should the budget go first on a China project?
Isolation. A measured background level, agreed before anything is bought. Low frequency. Corner and boundary absorption with real depth, not surface foam.
Do you have an office or installation team in China?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into China. We give you drawings, build-ups, a BOQ and material that arrives complete, and we will tell you plainly when a job needs a local contractor we cannot be.
How does material get to a China site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Shanghai, Ningbo or Shenzhen, then road to site, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved panels and custom colours take longer, and we say so before you order, not after.
What goes wrong most often on this kind of project?
Buying foam to solve an isolation problem. Treating the room before the shell is isolated.
What do you need from us to quote?
A plan, a section through the critical partition or ceiling, and what the room is for. From that we can give a build-up and a BOQ rather than a price per square foot.
Next step
Drawings in, BOQ and a delivered date out
One drawing gets you a proper answer. Build-up, quantities, a delivered date, and an honest note on anything we think is the wrong approach.