For projects in Cuba
Recording studio acoustics and soundproofing in Cuba
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 deep music culture working inside older buildings with good mass and very hard surfaces.
- 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 / What it is
The material, and what it actually does on a Cuba job
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 deep music culture working inside older buildings with good mass and very hard surfaces.
Work reaching us from Cuba is mostly hotels and restoration projects, theatres and halls, offices, clinics, schools.
- Heritage buildings under restoration Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
- Paperwork is part of the lead time Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
- Salt air and humidity PET felt does not absorb moisture, rot or feed mould, which matters on a Caribbean coast where mineral products fail quickly.
- 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 Cuba.
02 / The build-up
How the layers stack, from the structure inwards
-
Layer 1
SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl
A limp, high density sheet that adds mass to a partition, floor or duct without adding depth. In Cuba, split units and generator sets where available, with plant close to occupied rooms.
Floor, floating. Membrane under a resilient layer and a floating deck, so impact energy is broken before it reaches the slab.
-
Layer 2
Soundproofing materials
The blocking side of the range taken together: mass loaded vinyl, resilient layers, cavity absorption and the build-ups they belong in. In Cuba, theatres, church buildings and cultural centres are masonry volumes with very long decay.
Floating floor. Resilient layer and deck, to break impact energy before it reaches the structure.
-
Layer 3
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 Cuba, classrooms are hard and naturally ventilated with high ceilings and open circulation.
Wall array. Panels placed at first reflection points rather than spread evenly. Fewer panels, better result.
Architects working in Cuba 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
What we see driving Cuba briefs
- Heritage buildings under restoration
Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
- Paperwork is part of the lead time
Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
- Salt air and humidity
PET felt does not absorb moisture, rot or feed mould, which matters on a Caribbean coast where mineral products fail quickly.
- Theatres and assembly halls
Large historic rooms where speech intelligibility fails long before anyone calls the room echoey.
- The housing stock
Older masonry and concrete construction with hard floors, in buildings that share walls and courtyards.
- The studio and content scene
A deep music culture working inside older buildings with good mass and very hard surfaces.
04 / Room by room
What each space in a Cuba project needs
-
Isolation
A measured background level, agreed before anything is bought. Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 1800 x 900 mm
- Soundproofing materials, 1800 x 900 x 20 mm, 100 kg per cubic metre, NRC 0.85
- Soundproof curtains, 5.5 kg per sq m
-
Low frequency
Corner and boundary absorption with real depth, not surface foam. Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 20 mm
- Soundproofing materials, Mass, then decoupling, then cavity absorption, then sealing
- Soundproof curtains, Up to 30 dB
-
Early reflections
Controlled at the mix position, and only there. PET felt does not absorb moisture, rot or feed mould, which matters on a Caribbean coast where mineral products fail quickly.
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 100 kg per cubic metre
- Soundproofing materials, ASTM E90 for the barrier, ASTM C423 for the absorber
- Soundproof curtains, 30
Designers get colour, pattern and CNC options with the absorption figure attached to each. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate and durability
The Cuba climate decides the material list
Cuba 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.
Consultants get the raw data, not a sales sheet. That is the whole of our side of the job, and it is set out under working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Read this first
The six errors that cost the most
-
Buying foam to solve an isolation problem
Small on the drawing, expensive on site, and almost always found after handover.
-
Treating the room before the shell is isolated
This is the one that comes back as a second fit-out rather than a snag.
-
Killing the room completely and calling it controlled
More absorption is not better absorption. Past the target the room goes flat and people raise their voices to compensate.
-
Treating it as a generic Cuba job
Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
05 / Getting it there
Supply into Cuba, start to site
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Mariel, then road to site |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Mariel |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
Sea freight into Mariel, then road to site. Air freight for samples where it is practical.
Questions from Cuba projects
What makes recording studio acoustics and soundproofing different in Cuba?
A deep music culture working inside older buildings with good mass and very hard surfaces. Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
Where should the budget go first on a Cuba 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 Cuba?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into Cuba. 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 Cuba site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Mariel, then road to site, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
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
Send a plan and a section, get a real build-up
A plan and a section is enough. We will come back with a build-up, a BOQ and a delivered date, and we will say so if what you are asking for will not work.