Summary: This paper gives some of the details of the construction of 2 shells at the Walt Disney Studio one temporary and one permanent and modifications which were made in the permanent installation to obtain the best acoustic balance for orchestra recording.
In the fall of 1939, the construction of the present Disney scoring stage was rushed to make it available for recording the music for our then current feature, Pinocchio. The original plans for the interior acoustic treatment of the dead end of this stage called for a 2-in. rock wool blanket that was to be stripped with 1 X 1-in. wood strips over the tops of which muslin was to be stretched. The muslin was to be sprayed with enough thin coats of paint to close the pores of the material to give the desired diaphragm effect in dissipating the low frequencies, and give sufficient high-frequency reflection which would result in a pleasing over-all acoustic balance for the stage. Each coating of paint was to be thin so that the proper degree of high-frequency reflection could be obtained without exceeding the desired amount. However, tune became short and it was necessary to improvise a treatment which would serve the purpose to a degree and be more readily and easily applied.
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