Home > Manchester > Recording studio acoustics and soundproofing
For projects in Manchester
Recording studio acoustics and soundproofing in Manchester
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 strong music scene working out of terraces, basements and converted mills where the party wall decides what is achievable.
- 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 Manchester
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 strong music scene working out of terraces, basements and converted mills where the party wall decides what is achievable.
Work reaching us from Manchester is mostly warehouse conversions, student housing, studios, bars, offices, schools.
- Warehouse conversions Exposed brick, timber joists and steel look superb and hold nothing back. Neighbour noise between units is the first complaint, echo the second.
- Student and build to rent blocks Repeat rooms mean a repeatable detail. Get the wall and floor build-up right once and it works across every level.
- Metrolink and city centre traffic Ground level trams and buses put low frequency into the structure, which panels on the wall will not touch.
- 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 Manchester.
02 / The build-up
The stack, in the order it is installed
-
Layer 1
SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl
A limp, high density sheet that adds mass to a partition, floor or duct without adding depth. In Manchester, radiators and open windows in older stock, mechanical ventilation in new build, so the noise source depends on the age of the building.
Wall, decoupled. Independent stud, membrane between the boards, cavity absorption, two boards. The membrane is one part of a system, never the whole answer.
-
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 Manchester, church buildings, civic halls and converted industrial spaces are long-decay volumes with hard surfaces throughout.
Resilient bar. Where a full independent leaf will not fit. Effective, and very easy to short circuit with one wrong screw.
-
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 Manchester, school buildings run hard floors and long corridors, with sports halls and dining halls the loudest rooms.
Mixed finish. Plain felt where it is out of eye line, printed or grooved where it is seen.
For a Manchester practice, the useful thing is a detail you can put in a drawing set, not a brochure. See how we support architects.
03 / In this market
The Manchester conditions that change the answer
- Warehouse conversions
Exposed brick, timber joists and steel look superb and hold nothing back. Neighbour noise between units is the first complaint, echo the second.
- Student and build to rent blocks
Repeat rooms mean a repeatable detail. Get the wall and floor build-up right once and it works across every level.
- Metrolink and city centre traffic
Ground level trams and buses put low frequency into the structure, which panels on the wall will not touch.
- Wet climate
PET felt does not take up moisture or feed mould, which suits older brick stock and cold external walls.
- The housing stock
Terraced housing with single brick party walls and timber upper floors, much of it converted into flats. Neighbours on both sides is the default.
- The studio and content scene
A strong music scene working out of terraces, basements and converted mills where the party wall decides what is achievable.
04 / Room by room
Where the money goes on a Manchester project
-
Isolation
A measured background level, agreed before anything is bought. Exposed brick, timber joists and steel look superb and hold nothing back. Neighbour noise between units is the first complaint, echo the second.
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 1800 x 900 mm
- 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
-
Low frequency
Corner and boundary absorption with real depth, not surface foam. Repeat rooms mean a repeatable detail. Get the wall and floor build-up right once and it works across every level.
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 20 mm
- Soundproofing materials, Mass, then decoupling, then cavity absorption, then sealing
- Acoustic panels, ASTM C423
-
Early reflections
Controlled at the mix position, and only there. Ground level trams and buses put low frequency into the structure, which panels on the wall will not touch.
- Acoustic foam and BassBloc, 100 kg per cubic metre
- Soundproofing materials, ASTM E90 for the barrier, ASTM C423 for the absorber
- Acoustic panels, 9 to 24 mm, 1220 x 2440 mm standard, up to 2440 x 4270 mm, 1200 to 3600 GSM
Designers get colour, pattern and CNC options with the absorption figure attached to each. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Conditions
Why the climate in Manchester changes the material, not the target
Manchester is cool and damp, with long heating seasons and cold external walls, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
Cold wall build-ups and long heating seasons mean interstitial condensation is a real risk behind any lining. PET felt is unaffected by damp air and will not feed mould where a fabric-faced mineral product would.
The failure we design against here is condensation behind linings in older, poorly insulated stock.
On a Manchester job with a consultant involved, our part is material that matches the submitted data. See working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Worth knowing
What we watch go wrong on jobs like this
-
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
It sounds like a small detail until the room is finished and the complaint arrives.
-
Killing the room completely and calling it controlled
We would rather calculate the area and sell you less of it than line every surface and call it thorough.
-
Treating it as a generic Manchester job
Exposed brick, timber joists and steel look superb and hold nothing back. Neighbour noise between units is the first complaint, echo the second.
05 / Logistics
Getting it to Manchester, with real dates
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Liverpool, Felixstowe or Southampton |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Liverpool |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved and custom colours take longer, and we tell you before you order.
Sea freight into Liverpool, Felixstowe or Southampton. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities. Clearance through your agent or ours.
Questions from Manchester projects
What makes recording studio acoustics and soundproofing different in Manchester?
A strong music scene working out of terraces, basements and converted mills where the party wall decides what is achievable. Exposed brick, timber joists and steel look superb and hold nothing back. Neighbour noise between units is the first complaint, echo the second.
Where should the budget go first on a Manchester 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 Manchester?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into Manchester. 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 Manchester site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Liverpool, Felixstowe or Southampton, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved and custom colours take longer, and we tell you before you order.
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 the drawings, get a straight answer
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.