Acoustic Solutions

http://science.howstuffworks.com/sound-info.htm

Start here!

Fine-tune your question later!

Also try Googling "sound absorbing panels", and maybe some other similar phrases.

Conducts sound.

It will take a bit more than a IGU(glass panel) to stop it. It can though be attenuated. So that it's not audible to the human ear. One way is the atmosphere inside the glass. Inert gases can be used. The distance between the glass. Also the materials that space the glass apart can help to attenuate the sound.

If the sound is external, glass panels or any solid wall will reflect sound because of the difference in acoustic impedance between solids and gases, so the amount reflected will not pass through. Sound within a room can be attenuated by acoustic tiles on the ceiling or walls which absorb the sound. Draperies on the walls will also help to a certain extent.

Actually, not. Glass will act like the skin of a drum head and vibrate sympathetically with the sound source.

Glass will tend to reflect high frequency sounds like birds chirping, but midrange sounds like people talking and bass will not be stopped by glass.

Room treatments may help for sound that is generated inside that room, but it will do little or nothing for glass unless you apply the damping material directly on the glass, which defeats the purpose of a window.

Even with heavy damping material like the specialty composites made by EAR, glass turns out to be a very poor material for stopping sound.

OK, you might be right about mid and low frequencies. I guess it depends on how much attenuation you expect.

I do know one thing. Workplace cubicle walls are totally useless for stopping sound!

"I do know one thing. Workplace cubicle walls are totally useless for stopping sound!"

So true. This is where choking comes in.

I have tinnitus, which helps cover the sound from other cubicles. I don't recommend this as a solution, though.

Thank you Anonymous Hero,

Very useful and pertinent reply.Will work on this and your reply is convincing to resolve the issue.As such I have taken care of the walls(we have brick and cement walls) and i have used Lorient seals on the jamb and head of the door frame(Batwing seal) and automatic drop down seal for the door bottom.The problem was the glass partition and as you said they are problematic,and the only solution i can think of is the change to double layered glass with air gap inbetween and at angles and mounted on the glazing seals.This is for a recording studio.The airborne sound is controlled but the vibrations carried by the glass is the problem,especially in case of drums playing.

I would start picking the brains of technicians or even owners of local studios to see how they are mitigating the problems.

The studios I help build were long ago and technology keeps moving forward.

Thanks.Any info on accoustics will help improving my knowledge on sound control and priciples of acoustics.

Studios usually dont have a window to deal with. Makes sound proofing so much harder.

Oh, yes they do.

There will be a window between the control room and the main studio. There may also be a drum isolation booth and a window is pretty much a must for drummers and band members to coordinate.

Are you saying those in the control room do not want to put up with the noise at all?

Its more a glas wall than a window, but ok if the designer wants a window he gets a window.

I would probably put a window into the drummers isolation boot - i mean one to the outside - and then sound proof it so the drummer could be seen but not heard!

I am saying that visual communications are important and the window minimizes noises and sounds inside the control room from leaking back into the studio.

The control room will have the mix monitors running during the session and you don't want that to filter back into the studio (and vis versa).

Gotcha!

Thanks!

Found this...

http://www.soundproofwindows.com/

Yup. PVB constrained layer dampening glass.

...and this....

"Laminated glass made with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer can reduce perceived noise by as much as 50 percent over monolithic glazing systems, and laminated glass with a PVB interlayer can be used in any project where structural performance and a high level of sound reduction are required."

http://archrecord.construction.com/resources/conteduc/archives/0411solutia-6.asp

50% is only a -3 dBm drop. The human ear can detect about a 1 dBm change is sound pressure level.

Also, the attenuation will be very different depending on frequency, so that claim is a little misleading.