Sound Transmission Control
Sound isolation techniques are employed into the design and materials of every VGT RaceRoom. This enhances the experience for others in the room by controlling the racing sound levels allowing for conversation in the same room. Sound levels outside your RaceRoom can be virtually eliminated using a variety of techniques. Here are a few of the principles of sound transmission control.
Transmission
Sound travels through the wall or openings into adjacent spaces. Generally, the lower the frequency of the sound, the more it penetrates the wall, and therefore, the harder it is to control. The measure of sound transmission is "STC" (Sound Transmission Class). STC measures sound loss from one side of the wall to the other. State of the art STC is 50-70 dB (see concrete wall graphs below).
Transmission may be controlled by:
- Sealing all cracks, voids, and spaces that penetrate the wall
- Adding mass to the wall or creating the wall from most massive material (concrete)
- Drywall layers to add mass
- Drywall suspended from wall with resilient channels (see data below). Notice that the concrete wall with both sides covered with suspended drywall approaches 70 dB in the midrange (where most offense occurs due to human hearing sensitivity centered in this area
Reflection
Sound reflects off surfaces in the space, causing a build-up (amplification) of the sound within the space and deterioration of the sound quality in the space.
The amplification of the sound within the space also implies that adjacent areas are also impacted, especially those areas that are isolated only by labyrinth created by hallways, other rooms, etc.
Reflections can be controlled by:
- Absorbers - Panels (Foam, Dacron, fiberglass, fibrous material)
- Diffusers - Panels or surfaces that are non-parallel or related at angles such that dreaded multiple reflection from one surface to another are avoided.
- Angularity - When room walls can be designed to be non-parallel, reflections are minimized. Likewise, vaulted or angled ceilings are better than flat.
- Asymmetry - Lack of symmetry helps avoid duplicate reflections that can add together to create hot spots. Openings in the walls, built-ins, projections, soffits, niches, and other similar details help to create asymmetry.
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