drop ceilings, pros, cons, tips

[chas]

To maintain access to a variety of pipes and ducts, I'm planning a drop ceiling of some sort in my basement theater. How are the acoustics of such ceilings? I plan on packing between the rafters with fluffy fiberglass, and also stuffing more on top of the ceiling panels. I'm looking at black tiles (or painting some flat black).

Are these ceiling subject to rattles or vibration? How do these compare to drywall ceilings for theaters?

Any tips or suggestions for best sound using drop ceilings?

[John Simpson]

An excellent question Chas -- one I was wondering myself.

I'm guessing the tiles you're thinking of are the ones used in commercial offices? As they simply sit inside brackets, I suppose there's a chance a very active IB system could rattle them up and down. I'd be more inclined to do a stud & plaster drop ceiling (soffit) as a permanent fixture, and utilise parts of the construction as bass traps and lighting enclosures.

I've seen some very elaborate soffits, so it might be worth searching them out.