Stage for home theater

[hendmd]

I am constructing a stage for my home theater. The plan I am following suggests placing sand in the cavities of the base that supports the stage floor (2x4 lumber on edge; 40" x 15 ft; divided into 16"x40" sections) for sound damping. Is this overkill? Would insulation work. This would require approx 1800 pounds of sand! Any suggestions??

[Chris D]

Yes, sand is best, if you can make it happen. However, realistically for several reasons somebody may not be able to use sand. For example, my theater is on the 2nd floor above the garage, and with all the weight I've already added to it, the weight of sand in my stage and/or riser just wasn't realistic. So the next best option is insulation stuffing, which is what I did.