The acoustical design of broadcasting studios

This paper describes the results of experience in the design of studios for the British Broadcasting Corporation. A brief historical account is given of some of the difficulties encountered prior to the commencement of a new series of acoustical measurements in 1929. The fundamental bases for experiment are then discussed, and a description is given of the reverberation room and equipment for the determination of the sound-absorbing characteristics of materials available for acoustical treatment. As a result of these measurements, building-board was adopted as a material for general use in studio treatment. Experience with Broadcasting House studios showed the importance of structural resonance as a factor in studio design. A general discussion of the effect of resonance upon studio acoustics is given. The acoustics of various studios actually constructed are discussed in the light of the general principles laid down, the effect of details of construction being considered in particular. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of the effect of irregular shapes and surfaces in studio acoustics, and gives preliminary results of experiments made to investigate this question directly.