Acoustical panels play a small part in sound isolation, and even if they played a larger part would not solve the sound leakage problems introduced by a pocket door. Sound leakage is sound leakage, regardless of how well the rest of the room is built/sealed. Depending on whether the room has been specifically designed/built from the ground up for acoustical isolation, it may not matter (acoustical isolation is primarily a function of how the room is built/insulated/sealed).

There may be some pocket doors specifically designed for these applications though I haven't seen any. There are some companies that specialize in acoustical doors but none of them sell pockets - some do sell industrial type sliding. We researched the issue for a music room we worked on but could not find anything to meet the acousticians requirements.

I've seen some motorized pocket doors on yachts that seem to do a decent job of isolating sound.

This message was edited by QQQ on 12/17/03 11:57.

Check with Acoustic Innovations...?

Yeah, I heard Accoustic Innovations is doing a Star Trek themed theater with sliding doors. I think they are gonna be powered by pressurized gas.

They are...it was a full custom, and I don't know if they'll do another, but they used gas actuators, so the technology and theory is in place

avdude

Try this approach --

Go to your local supermarket, hospital, and hardware store, and inspect the labels on the doors that open as you walk up to them. Do you want anything that operates differently from these?

Most of the ones here in Southern California (i.e. no freezing weather, which might be a factor) have an IR detector that notices a person approaching, then open; the mechanisms are made to be emergency opened or stopped.

Stanley, the screwdrived etc tool company, has a line of doors and controls. They might have pocket door stuff.

actually, the doors at the supermarkets ALL use X and/or K band radar...that'w why your radar detectors go off around them...IR, even CFL friendly, would have to bounce OFF something like mirror or reflector (like a driveway entrance detector...or a security beam at a bank) and back to the sensor. As we all know light doesn't bounce straight back off anything that's not perfectly perpindicular to the emitting source...

other than that, it's agood idea, as suggested earlier by shoe

avdude

did you look at a plasma lift?
turned sideways?
[Link: televisionlifts.com]
you need something thin....??
Try a scissor lift for a plasma

Good luck

try
http://www.inca-tvlifts.com

Thanks for all your input. I had not thought of the plasma lift idea, expect it to be a costly solution though. I will check out every suggestion provided and give feedback on our final resolution.

Thanks again.........Terry

These guys build some of the best custom, motor operated stuff you will find anywhere, very helpfull staff. http://www.electrokinetics.com/