Whether you are creating a recording studio at home or in another location, the goals of reducing sound transmission and enhancing acoustical quality remain the same. A recording studio refers to a room where you intend to practice a musical instrument or record music, and the recommended soundproofing treatments differ from those recommended for a room where a band practices. Building a recording studio involves the steps of containing noise within the room, blocking outside noise from entering the room and finally enhancing the acoustics within the room for optimal sound quality.

Like many types of soundproofing projects, the first phase in developing a recording studio involves isolating the room by preventing sound transmission through the walls and ceilings of the room, to prevent both outside noise from bleeding into the room and sound from inside the studio from being transmitted out. Wall sound reduction treatments can be incorporated into the construction phase of a room, or may be easily applied in rooms with existing walls. The key to effective wall soundproofing is establishing a disconnection from the wall surface and increasing the density of the structure. Common studs in adjoining rooms allow sound waves to travel freely between rooms, which is what will be negated through the establishment a separated, denser structure.

Adding density to a wall simply involves covering the surface with a mass loaded vinyl soundproofing membrane, such as dB-Bloc. The added density will restrain the wall’s ability to vibrate, thus inhibiting its tendency to transmit sound into and out of the studio. Secondly, a disconnection from the walls must be established to prevent sound waves from being transmitted easily through the walls to adjoining rooms and beyond. Creating such a disconnection involves first attaching horizontal furring strips to the wall in regular intervals from ceiling to floor, about sixteen inches apart as a general recommendation. Next a new layer of drywall will be affixed to the strips, essentially creating a second wall layer. The technique of increasing density and establishing a disconnection serves to reduce or eliminate sound transmission through the walls of the studio. Ceilings also provide a common surface for sound transmission throughout different rooms of a home or building. Ceiling soundproofing treatments are available in a variety of styles, and a soundproofing professional can recommend the appropriate ceiling treatment that is sufficient for the unique characteristics of your studio.

Obtaining optimal acoustical quality within a recording studio is the ultimate goal. Thus, a studio should also be treated to reduce sound reflections within the room in order to improve acoustical quality in the studio. Sound absorption panels are easily installed solutions that are designed to be positioned throughout the room to capture sound and reduce reverberations. Again, it is advised to consult a soundproofing professional for recommendations tailored to your room dimensions and application.

By treating the causes of sound transmission between rooms and controlling reverberations within the room, you can create a music recording studio capable of delivering the high quality acoustics you desire.

Many network administrators are considering an all-in-one data protection solution because it can greatly simplify data protection process. These solutions also tend to be less expensive than buying each component separately, and they provide a single point of contact for all their support needs.

In a recent survey it was found that over half of the respondents indicated that they would prefer to rely on a single vendor for their data protection solutions whenever possible.

An all-in-one Data Protection solution for the purposes of this article includes the hardware components and necessary backup software to backup an organization’s critical data, maintain the backup data both on-site and at secure off-site locations, monitor the system 24X7, provide server virtualization, and data restoration so the data network can be up and running as soon as possible.

There are a few things to consider before making a decision about going with a particular solution.

What type of hardware is being used?

A network attached storage (NAS) server with internal storage capacity is attached to the network and the server hard drive is mirrored in the NAS storage.

What software is included?

There is client software loaded on the server for the backup process. The resident NAS software is used for compression, encryption, bare-metal recovery, and continuous data protection.

Is the solution secure?

Most solutions offer encryption. Encryption is a critical component in backup data protection. The solution should support AES-level encryption. The backup data should be encrypted on site and while in transit to the off-site location and at the hosted site.

Can the solution scale to data storage demands?

The data protection solution should be capable of running efficiently and scale without a lot of specialized hardware

Is offsite backup included in the solution?

Most companies today need not only onsite backup, but they also need the capability to have a redundant copy of their backup data stored off-site so the data can be recovered in the event their site was unusable. Both on-site storage and remote storage should be part of the solution.

How often is the data backed up?

The frequency of the data backup determines how much data will be lost. If the data is only backed up once a day then 24 hours of data will be lost. Most businesses could not accept that kind of loss. They require a shorter recovery point. Most solutions provide backups take place every 15 minutes. The best practice is to determine an acceptable recovery point and pick a solution that meets that objective.

There are a lot of all-in-one data protection solutions. Some companies prefer to purchase deploy, and maintain the solution themselves. The in-house option also requires the labor and expertise to administer the system. Some solution providers bundle the data protection equipment and software into a bundle that also includes the labor to monitor the system 24X7 as well as the labor to maintain and respond to notifications and outages. The system should be flexible enough to scale as needs change and provide a one-point-of contact when there is a need for service.