Acoustic tiles

[SFM-Ptgal]

One of the things that makes part of my radio imaginary is this:
http://www.studiosupplier.com/f/DRILLED_RANDOM_CEILING_BROCHURE.pdf
I consider those tiles icons of the radio golden era. I worked on a station wich had those and believe that I felt really happy to work on a station wich had the walls like the radios, police interrogation rooms I saw on tv... Nuts? Me? Perhaps...
Are those tiles still used these days?
Pedro

 

[elchupacabras]

Pretty much past history in the last 15-20 years. Cool in their days, but frankly pretty damn ugly now.

 

[frankberry]

... and many of the old ones contained asbestos.
Thanks for the memories. I'll pass.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

What I remember are the small stations with window air conditioners lodged in the wall and the ever-present ashtray right in front of the master gain knob at one end of the console.

Every one of those little round holes in those old tiles was a reservoir to store the odor of stale tobacco smoke. 'til my dying day I will remember that peculiar fragrance of walking into a dark radio station at four or five o'clock in the morning and having to carry a machete' to cut your way through the tobacco haze left over from the previous day to get to the master switch for the studio equipment. It is a wonder any of those old tile were able to stay attached to the wall or ceiling with the weight of all that nicotine hidden away in all those little holes!

Everybody will pick a different date, but we are coming up on the 100th anniversary of broadcasting and I look for a lot of antique studio replicas being installed as we wrap ourselves in nostalgia for the event. There should be a temporary renewal of the market for those tiles.

 

[elchupacabras]

Every one of those little round holes in those old tiles was a reservoir to store the odor of stale tobacco smoke. 'til my dying day I will remember that peculiar fragrance of walking into a dark radio station at four or five o'clock in the morning and having to carry a machete' to cut your way through the tobacco haze left over from the previous day to get to the master switch for the studio equipment. It is a wonder any of those old tile were able to stay attached to the wall or ceiling with the weight of all that nicotine hidden away in all those little holes!

You just took me back nearly 25 years to my first job in TV. Man it stunk there! Nothing worse than rancid tobacco smell in those tiles. What was worse is they allowed pipe smoking as well, and then the whole damn place turned your stomach!

 

[nmoore6676]

Here is a photo gallery where you can not only see the old tiles but the big glass windows showing the extra thick walls between studios as well.

http://k99online.com/slideshow/inpage/nancy-kerrigan-mornings/1


They don't build them like that anymore, those old buildings were really soundproofed. like recording studios. I worked in a station where someone had put up what looked like pegboard for the holes (they weren't tiles) but no real soundproofing and single walls so you could actually talk to someone in the next studio if you raised your voice. The acoustic foam that is used now would trap as much or more smoke than the old tiles but smoking is no longer permitted so that problem is solved.

The old EV 666s trapped a lot of tar and nicotine in the foam behind the metal grill too. Those babies smelled like an unwashed ashtray.

 

[Tom Wells]

I liked the home-made wall panel-boxes some studios had. They made a frame of wood to fit on the wall, about 3 inches deep, with canvas streched tight over the frame. The space behind the canvas was filled with Rock-wool insulation or some other absorbent material.
These were also sometimes put on the ceiling. They could store a LOT more smoke than the drilled-hole panels. :-X

 

[SFM-Ptgal]

I liked the home-made wall panel-boxes some studios had. They made a frame of wood to fit on the wall, about 3 inches deep, with canvas streched tight over the frame. The space behind the canvas was filled with Rock-wool insulation or some other absorbent material.
These were also sometimes put on the ceiling. They could store a LOT more smoke than the drilled-hole panels. :-X

Those are called Helmholtz panels Used at the station where I work as a complement to the other wall panels

Regarding the acoustic tiles... I've forgotten how they smelled in the "No Smoking" studios :... Lower half had dark cork panels and the rest were those tiles.

 

[EncSpy]

ahh..bringing back days of my first radio gig.....9 years ago...and last time I set foot in that station less than a year ago..they still had those tiles...

 

[Marco53]

I love studios with the retro look and the tiles were a big part of that look. Every station I worked in had them. One nice thing was that the entire studio was a big bulletin board.

A couple of thumb tacks and you could post it anywhere.

 

[amfmsw]

When I see those tiles, I only think of WHUM Reading, PA. In the basement of the Lincoln Hotel, with a Gates Solid-Statesman and an RCA 77DX hanging by a string from the ceiling, swaying to the HVAC...the boom wouldn't support the weight anymore.

 

[Old PD]

I remember the burnt cork panels, they almost made the cigarette smoke filled acoustic tile panels smell good

 

[Nostalgia]

ahh..bringing back days of my first radio gig.....9 years ago...and last time I set foot in that station less than a year ago..they still had those tiles...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A mere 9 years ago, definately brings on a wave of NOSTALGIA. Re-read the posts of some of the other "old-timers" and you will realize that we are talking some ancient radio history here. For example, the first station I worked at in 1965 is still operating out of the same building, and I am sure they still have those same smelly perforated ceiling tiles on the walls and ceiling. Not sure what my daily spraying of the RCA 74 Junior with Lysol did to its frequency response ;D

Sorry EncSpy, I dont mean to be snarky, its just that 9 years vs 44 years made me laugh and I just HAD to reply. :
signed NOSTALGIA

 

[nmoore6676]

When I see those tiles, I only think of WHUM Reading, PA. In the basement of the Lincoln Hotel, with a Gates Solid-Statesman and an RCA 77DX hanging by a string from the ceiling, swaying to the HVAC...the boom wouldn't support the weight anymore.

You are correct, the new spring arms would not hold the old mikes, but they were not made for close talking either. Now you can hear every breath of the announcers. I was taught to control it so the listeners wouldn't hear you sucking air, but the 12 to 18 inch placement of the mikes helped. Usually they used some kind of homemade pipe construction or an atlas boom stand to suspend the heavier RCA or ALTEC microphones.

Not sure what my daily spraying of the RCA 74 Junior with Lysol did to its frequency response

I doubt that spraying a ribbon mike with Lysol hurt the response but probably didn't help the ribbon's lifespan much.

 

[EncSpy]

ahh..bringing back days of my first radio gig.....9 years ago...and last time I set foot in that station less than a year ago..they still had those tiles...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A mere 9 years ago, definately brings on a wave of NOSTALGIA. Re-read the posts of some of the other "old-timers" and you will realize that we are talking some ancient radio history here. For example, the first station I worked at in 1965 is still operating out of the same building, and I am sure they still have those same smelly perforated ceiling tiles on the walls and ceiling. Not sure what my daily spraying of the RCA 74 Junior with Lysol did to its frequency response ;D

Sorry EncSpy, I dont mean to be snarky, its just that 9 years vs 44 years made me laugh and I just HAD to reply. :
signed NOSTALGIA

LOL..its all good..I was being a bit sarcastic...im young but old school at heart...the radio station I worked at is like walking into a time machine most of the equipment is 60's vintage with a few computers and CD players scattered here and there..its a AM/FM combo (with seperate owners)..the FM side has gone completly modern but the AM side is still using carts reel to reels and vinyl. I taught myself how to make carts and splice reel to reel tapes.