Worked Example: Office Podcast Studio — Recording Booth Design
RT60 calculation for a small podcast recording booth within an office environment. Acoustic foam on ceiling and walls with mineral wool bass trapping creates a dry recording space with very low reverberation.
A 28.4 m³ recording studio designed to BS-8233 requires RT60 ≤ 0.3s. With Acoustic foam 50mm on the ceiling and Acoustic foam 50mm on walls, the calculated RT60 is 0.12s — PASS.
Room Setup
Total surface area: 57.9 m². Calculation method: Sabine equation (ISO 3382-2:2008 Annex A).
Surface Materials
| Surface | Material | Area (m²) | NRC |
|---|---|---|---|
| ceiling | Acoustic foam 50mm | 10.5 | 0.65 |
| walls-main | Acoustic foam 50mm | 25.1 | 0.65 |
| walls-treatment | Mineral wool 50mm | 10.0 | 0.75 |
| floor | Carpet (heavy) | 10.5 | 0.30 |
| windows | Double glazing 6mm | 0.0 | 0.04 |
| door | Solid timber door | 1.8 | 0.08 |
Absorption coefficients sourced from manufacturer datasheets and ISO 354 test reports. Browse the full acoustic materials database.
Step-by-Step Calculation
- 1
Room Volume
V = L × W × H = 3.5 × 3 × 2.7 = 28.4 m³
- 2
Total Surface Area
Stotal = 10.5 + 25.1 + 10.0 + 10.5 + 0.0 + 1.8 = 57.9 m²
- 3
Absorption per Surface at 500 Hz
ceiling: 10.5 m² × 0.55 = 5.78 Sabins
walls-main: 25.1 m² × 0.55 = 13.81 Sabins
walls-treatment: 10.0 m² × 0.70 = 7.00 Sabins
floor: 10.5 m² × 0.14 = 1.47 Sabins
windows: 0.0 m² × 0.04 = 0.00 Sabins
door: 1.8 m² × 0.08 = 0.14 Sabins
- 4
Total Absorption at 500 Hz
Atotal = 5.78 + 13.81 + 7.00 + 1.47 + 0.00 + 0.14 = 28.19 Sabins
- 5
Sabine RT60 at 500 Hz
RT60 = 0.161 × V / A = 0.161 × 28.4 / 28.19 = 0.16s
- 6
Compare to Target
Mid-frequency RT60 (avg of 500, 1k, 2k Hz) = 0.12s. Target: ≤ 0.3s per BS-8233. Verdict: PASS
Octave Band Results
| Frequency | 125Hz | 250Hz | 500Hz | 1kHz | 2kHz | 4kHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Absorption (Sabins) | 4.8 | 14.2 | 28.2 | 41.0 | 47.5 | 49.8 |
| RT60 (s) | 0.95 | 0.32 | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.09 |
| Target (s) | — | — | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.30 | — |
| Verdict | — | — | PASS | PASS | PASS | — |
Compliance Verdict
Reference: EBU Tech 3276 (reference)
Podcast and recording booths target RT60 of 0.2-0.3s for clean, dry recordings. Full surface coverage with absorptive materials is essential. Bass frequencies require denser mineral wool or membrane absorbers.
STI result: 0.88 (per IEC 60268-16:2020)
Cost Estimate
Costs are indicative and vary by region, supplier, and installation complexity. For a detailed cost breakdown, use the AcousPlan calculator.
Open the AcousPlan calculator pre-loaded with the exact room dimensions (3.5m × 3m × 2.7m) and RT60 target (0.3s).
Open CalculatorField Story
A marketing agency launches a branded podcast but initial recordings in the meeting room sound echoey and unprofessional. The production team converts a storage cupboard into a dedicated recording booth. They line the walls and ceiling with 50mm acoustic foam tiles and add denser mineral wool panels in the corners for bass absorption. The carpet is already in place. The resulting RT60 produces clean, broadcast-quality audio. The total cost of materials is under £1,600 — less than the price of one episode's professional studio hire. The booth also doubles as a quiet space for confidential phone calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What RT60 does a Office Podcast Studio — Recording Booth Design achieve?
With the specified materials and dimensions (3.5m x 3m x 2.7m, volume 28.4m3), the calculated mid-frequency RT60 is 0.12s using the Sabine equation. The target under BS-8233 is 0.3s or less. The result is a PASS.
What materials are used in this office acoustic example?
This example uses Acoustic foam 50mm on the ceiling (NRC 0.65), Acoustic foam 50mm on the walls-main (NRC 0.65), Mineral wool 50mm on the walls-treatment (NRC 0.75), Carpet (heavy) on the floor (NRC 0.3), Double glazing 6mm on the windows (NRC 0.04), Solid timber door on the door (NRC 0.08). The total absorption at 500 Hz is 28.2 Sabins.
How much does acoustic treatment cost for this room?
The estimated treatment cost is £1,964 for 56 m2 of absorptive material at approximately £35/m2. Actual costs vary by region, supplier, and installation complexity.
Related Examples
Open Plan Office — BS 8233 Acoustic Design
Small Meeting Room — BS 8233 Acoustic Design
Recording Studio Control Room — EBU Standard
Podcast Studio — Best Practice Voice Recording
Explore More
All calculations are advisory and based on the Sabine equation (ISO 3382-2:2008 Annex A). Results require professional verification for compliance submissions. Absorption coefficients are sourced from manufacturer datasheets and ISO 354 test reports.