Maureen Marud
5 May 2005
A R20 000 sound studio at Media Village in Kalk Bay is said to be mostly silent because anyone trying to record in it complains of a smell inside that "attacks the eyes" and "sits on the lungs".
Graham Vermooten, chief executive officer of Media Village, blames the acoustic panelling installed about six months ago by Pascal Kilchenmann of Acoustic Solutions.
But Kilchenmann told Argus Action his panelling was not to blame. He had personally installed the panelling, and had not noticed any unusually strong smell.
"It is possible that the ventilation of the sound room is not properly installed and/or that there is no proper ventilation," said Kilchenmann, adding that this had nothing to do with his paneling.
Vermooten said Media Village, a not-for-gain company, had built the sound studio specifically to provide cost effective and affordable training in radio production and recording to mainly African students.
Acoustic Solutions had charged the school R9 338 for the panelling, a new product on the market, and a further R10 972 for the acoustic doors, which were still unfinished, said Vermooten.
"After the panelling had been installed there was a strong smell in the room, but I thought it would go away with time, as they were new panels."
But the smell did not fade, and was still as strong six months later, said Vermooten. "I think it has to do with the lacquer on the soundboards not drying properly. When you walk into the room the smell attacks your eyes and you cannot stay there very long."
Vermooten said the carpeting and air conditioning were not to blame, as both had been in the room for some time before the panelling was installed.
He had tried repeatedly, but failed to induce Kilchenmann to rectify the problem.
"He never answers his messages and when we do get hold of him, he promises that he will come but never does."
"We are obviously at our wits end as we have spent this money and have a sound room now that we cannot use adequately," said Vermooten."
Nkanyiso Ncube, a radio announcer and disc jockey, described the smell as intolerable.
"We try to use the studio as often as possible, but it is difficult. From day one the smell has prevented us from being in there as much as we had intended to."
Gee Swart, a sound engineer, said the smell hindered artists from reaching their full potential once they were in the studio, and he could not work in there "without wanting to run out after a few minutes".
"If I have someone coming in, I have to air out the place the entire night before by switching on fans and the air conditioning unit to hopefully clear the smell. But it works only for a while. As soon as you close the doors, the smell is back."
He described it as being like "strong fibreglass resin".
"It feels like it is sitting on your lungs. It makes breathing difficult."
Adrian Coates, head of production, said his eyes invariably began to burn after only five minutes in the studio.
"It is like chemicals going into your eyes, and they start watering and burning."
Kilchenmann said the paneling he had supplied was to the specifications of Vermooten's sound consultant, and was chosen because of its sound-absorbing qualities. "We assure you that we do not use fibreglass resin on the panelling. The surface, a veneer, is sprayed with lacquer, which does not smell long after drying and in good ventilation will cease to do so. The back of the panel is covered with an acoustic fleece."
The fibreglass matting he had installed behind the panels was not his product. Any offending smell from that could not be blamed on the acoustic paneling.
He had personally installed the panelling, "and while on site finishing the doors did not notice any unusually strong smell".
He said Vermooten had not complained previously, nor had his sound consultant. Vermooten's claim that he had repeatedly tried to get hold of Kilchenmann was "unsubstantiated".
He hoped Vermooten would find the true source of the smell, or "fix the ventilation so their future jockeys can adequately use the sound room".
Swart responded that not only had Vermooten phoned Kilchenmann "dozens of times", but he personally had phoned Kilchenmann "at least 10 times" to complain about the smell.
"He never picks up the phone and never returns his calls. He has never bothered to even come and take a look. Instead, he has avoided us like the plague."
"If there is not a problem, and his workmanship is not to blame, why is he avoiding us," asked Swart.
"He installed the studio, whether or not it is all his product. The bottom line is that we can't use it."
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