Successful Acoustic Treatments Lead To Audio Post Suite Design
DOHA, QATAR: When WSDG Partner/Director of International Relations Sergio Molho tasked project engineer Marc Viadiu with attending the Broadcast & Film Africa 2012 Conference in Kenya last year, they didn’t anticipate initiating a major new project. However, Viadiu’s meeting with, Qatar Television (QTV), Support & Development Committee, Audio Chief, Xavier Massard, produced exactly that. In preparing to open a world-class TV production complex, QTV, required precise acoustical measurements and specific recommendations for reducing reverberation time on their three primary studio sets. The multi-national, Walters-Storyk Design Group specializes in those services.
“In Kenya, Marc Viadiu provided Mr. Massard with examples of WSDG’s testing procedures and expertise in broadcast production facility design in Europe, South America and the U.S.,” Molho says. “I made an initial site visit in mid-October and returned with Marc in November to perform acoustic measurement and simulation tests. We made a third site visit to present our evaluation report and recommendations.”
QTV has three permanent program sets. The 14,788 sq. ft./39.4 ft. high News Show and 10,764 sq ft./39.4 ft. high Evening Show sets live within the TV Production Complex, The 3230 sq. ft./ 26.2 ft. high Morning Show set is situated within “The Pearl,” a large commercial mall. WSDG’s mandate was to fine tune the interior room acoustics, and resolve disparate isolation issues for all three studios. A primary condition was that the work be completed within a two-month, time frame to enable the station to begin scheduled broadcasting on December 16, 2012.
“WSDG worked with leading acoustical material manufacturers in Europe to provide the requisite isolation treatments,” Molho reports. “We had the necessary custom acoustic absorption panels fabricated to international broadcast industry standards. And, we met the 60-day deadline. Additionally,” Molho emphasizes, “WSDG supervised the design, construction and certification of two 9’ high, 3.5’ wide custom acoustic doors for the Evening Show Studio. Those doors, each weighing a full ton, were installed during the second phase of the project in February, 2013.”
Working closely with Xavier Massard and with Kinan Massard, QTV, Chief of Video, WSDG focused on providing highly effective acoustic solutions, including 1250 sqm of Melamine foam, (61 cubic meters) and 700 sqm of polyurethane foam (21 cubic meters). As per client directives, the installation is completely undetectable to viewers.
“The success of this initial project has led QTV to engage WSDG for a 2nd project, a new audio post suite,” Molho concludes. “We are very pleased to have established a productive working relationship with QTV, and we look forward to being of additional service to them in the future.”
Photo 1. (l-t-r) QTV, Support & Development Committee, Audio Chief, Xavier Massard, WSDG Partner/Director of Int’l Relations, Sergio Molho and QTV, Chief of Video, Kinan Massard,
2 & 3. QTV News Show set
4. QTV Evening Show set
5. QTV Building (during construction)
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Walters-Storyk Design Group has designed over 3000 media production facilities in the U.S., Europe, the Far East and Latin America. WSDG credits range from the original Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studio in Greenwich Village to NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center performance complex, broadcast facilities for The Food Network, CBS and WNET, over twenty teaching studios for The Art Institutes around the US, and corporate clients such as Hoffman La Roche. Recent credits include Jungle City, NY’s major new destination studio; private studios for Green Day, Jay-Z, Timbaland’s Tim Mosley, film composer Carter Burwell, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys. WSDG principals John Storyk, Beth Walters, and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications. WSDG is a seven-time winner of the prestigious TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design, including 2012 for Jungle City. WSDG maintains offices in NY, SF, Miami, Buenos Aires, Belo Horizonte, Basel, Beijing, Barcelona, Mexico City and Mumbai.
