Build a music studio in an apartment building

Step 6 Sound proofing case study: ceiling

This is where I have the most regrets... When I told the contractor I was thinking of using MLV (Mass Loaded Vinyl) he threatened to quit (and he was only half joking). Properly installed so that it can vibrate it will add to the STC rating of any wall, ceiling or floor -- but it is both very heavy and limp, which makes it really hard to work with, especially on the ceiling. So I gave up that idea -- I figured the Quietrock, combined with Ultratouch insulation, a dropped ceiling, resilient channels with Isoclips would be sufficient. They would be too, if it weren't for my weakest link: the AC vent.... Now we can still make out the muffled Magic Flute when the deaf old lady upstairs is in a particularly festive mood. If only I'd lined the beams with MLV we would never hear the Queen of the Night...

One small product makes a big difference, both for the ceiling and walls: quietputty is like play dough which you wrap around an electrical box. I tested both with and without, and the difference was astounding... Definitely worth the expense.