Acoustics of Estudio 13 in Catalunya Radio

Acoustic treatment in radio is synonymous with low reverberation time and good intelligibility. Also for acoustic comfort for those who are inside the studio and clear and pleasant sound for those of us who receive their signal. We may think that it would be enough to place a few acoustic panels on the walls, perhaps add some bass traps in the corners or acoustic diffusers in the ceilings; or even some camouflaged acoustic membrane to control low frequencies; or a nice acoustic ceiling consisting of absorbent panels to achieve the desired sound. But it’s not always like this.

In many radio studios we have found (many) acoustic windows due to the need for visual contact with adjacent rooms. In the case of Catalunya Radio Studio 13, there were large acoustic visors on three of the four walls and two acoustic doors in a relatively small space, so the space in which to place the acoustic treatment was very limited. There were also technical and decorative barriers to integrate and requirements such as using innocuous acoustic panels and adapting our acoustic proposal to the corporate colours of the radio station. And, as if that were not enough, we had to think of solutions that were easy to maintain and easy to change or update at the customer’s request. As we have said before, it is not that simple.

This room was one of the most suitable for acoustic treatment based on stretched acoustic fabric, since with this system we could cover all the available space while integrating the visors, air conditioning, screens, furniture and other elements of the studio. using the colour combinations chosen by the technical managers of Catalunya Radio.

The sound absorbing panels used were polyester fiber and melamine resin acoustic foam (Basotec), properly shaped to size together with Rockfon acoustic panels for the acoustic ceiling.

The result was a dry radio studio, free from interference, with a reverberation time as low as appropriate for this type of activity. We attest to the aesthetic part through the photos that you can see on this page.

Our acoustic conditioning system finished in stretched acoustic fabric is ideal for Radio or Podcast studios, since they allow high doses of design and integration to achieve the desired acoustic comfort and a visually pleasing technical environment.