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Acceptable dB levels for recording studio
I apologize if this is a repeat thread – I have dug through this forum and others for over an hour trying to find my answer and come up dry, so hopefully I’ve done my due diligence 🙂
At my workplace, we are currently converting a room into a video “studio.” We record mainly training materials that are streamed on the web, but also often produce content for a variety of other delivery formats – DVD, playback at large conventions and meetings, etc..
After the initial stage of construction, we are looking at placing a decibel meter in the studio to measure the sound throughout the day to see if it has been reduced to an acceptable level (to determine whether we need to throw more money at it). I know this is subjective, but what would be considered a “decent” dB level for a basic recording studio? It doesn’t have to be perfect by any means, but acceptable for frequent general use. I’m stabbing in the dark here, but I’d say if we could get everything reduced to whisper level that would be great – but what would the equate to on a dB meter? 10dB?
Thanks for reading! 🙂
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2 Replies
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If you Google you can find many technical specs for isolation, but basically, use your ears. IMHO, if you can hear any outside noise in the studio it’s not isolated enough. In 1978 we built a studio with double-wall construction and floating ceiling & floor. We were a hundred feet away from a railroad line and never heard a whisper. But you pay for that. Our construction cost was six-figures. Also, don’t forget ventilation noise can be an issue.
John
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Hi John,
Thanks for your feedback – much appreciated! I’ve spent quite a bit of time on google looking for info, but am mainly finding industrial specs which, of course, are a whole different ball game and deals with reducing the noise of heavy machinery rather than damping out every last rumble of passing trucks 🙂
Cheers
Brynn
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