How to Acoustically Treat a Home Studio
How to Acoustically Treat Your Home Studio: The Ultimate Beginners Guide
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Thinking of setting up a home studio but not sure where to start with acoustics? This blog is for you, learn everything there is to know about home studio acoustics.
"Acoustic treatment for home studios"
First Things First – What Actually is Sound?
Sound occurs when an object vibrates and causes a pressure wave which forces the surrounding particles to vibrate. These vibrations transfer the energy (sound) through a medium (water, air etc…). When these vibrations hit our ear drums, they turn into nerve signals. Our brain translates these nerve signals into sounds as we know them.
"How sound works"
What is Reverberation?
Reverberation is the sound that continues even after the source of the sound has ceased When sound hits a reflective surface, it bounces off and creates a collection of reflected sounds – this is reverberation. Reverberation is often referred to as ‘reverb’.
Whilst the concept sounds similar to that of an echo, the two phenomena are different. Echoes have a longer reflection time and produce a sound that can be heard twice, whereas reverb is a collection of shorter reflections that can be harder to detect.
What is Acoustics?
Acoustics is the science of sound; how it’s produced, the way sound behaves in a space, and the effects it has. Numerous factors within a room can affect its acoustics, from size and shape to furnishings and noise sources.
What Makes Room Acoustics Bad?
· High ceilings or large open spaces
High ceilings and open spaces make a room feel bigger, but they do have downsides. Rooms with high ceilings tend to have much higher reverberation times as it takes longer for sound to reach a surface and reflect.
"High ceilings create bad acoustics"
· Lack of Soft Furniture
Hard surfaces, such as wooden furniture and concrete walls, reflect more sound than soft surfaces like a fabric sofa. If a room is mainly made up of hard surfaces, it will create more reverberation. Adding softer, more sound absorbent elements to the room will reduce the amount of reverb a room has.
· Several Sources of Noise
Too many sounds in one room can make it difficult to differentiate between noises, increase noise levels, and decrease speech intelligibility.
What is Acoustic Treatment?
Acoustic treatments allow you to have more control over the quality of sound within a space. The right treatment in the right places will reduce reverberation and create a better, clearer sound environment. This is why acoustics are essential to recording studios.
Does Acoustic Treatment Reduce Noise?
As acoustic treatment is sound absorbing, it can work to reduce excess background noise and create an overall quieter environment. This is why acoustic treatments are often used in public places such as restaurants and cafes, where background noise can build up quickly and cause problems.
Types of Acoustic Treatment for Home Studios
Acoustic Panels (AKA Sound Absorbing Panels)
Acoustic panels are wall panels that absorb sound instead of reflecting it. By absorbing sound within a space, the panels reduce echo and reverb to create a clear, high-quality sound environment.
Diffuser Panels
Diffuser panels produce a similar outcome to acoustic panels but achieve it in a different way. Instead of absorbing sound, diffuser panels allow the sound to reflect but due to the uneven surface, the reflected sound is dissipated. This lowers its ability to cause echo and reverberation and successfully creates a high-quality, natural sound environment.
Bass Traps
Bass traps are essential for a studio; they are used for treating sounds of a lower frequency (bass). The more bass traps you have in your home studio, the more even your bass response will be.
Rafts and Baffles
Rafts andbaffles aren’t as commonly used in home studios but are great if you’re lacking wall space and still require extra acoustic treatment. Acoustic rafts and baffles are suspended from the ceiling – horizontally and vertically respectively. They help control sound from above and can be effective when placed above the source of the sound.
The Difference Between Acoustic Treatment and Soundproofing
Soundproofing a room is not the same as acoustically treating it. Whilst many people think acoustics and soundproofing can be used interchangeably, this is incorrect. Soundproofing is about stopping sound from entering or exiting a room by creating density that blocks sound. Acoustic treatment focuses on improving sound quality within the room by reducing echo, reverberation, and background noise.
Products that soundproof are denser as they’re main goal is to prevent sound form penetrating through it. They’re typically used within walls, under floorboards, and above ceilings so soundproofing isn’t often visible.
"Example of soundproofing a product"
Acoustic treatments are much less dense and are usually made from soft fabrics that absorb sound. As acoustic products are typically on show, they're manufactured to provide an aesthetic appeal as well as functional acoustics.
"Example of acoustic treatment (acoustic wall panels)"
The Difference Between Sound Absorption and Sound Diffusion
Sound absorption is about removing energy from the sound wave to prevent it from causing echo and reverberation. Sound diffusion reduces reverberation by dissipating sound as it reflects back into the room.
Essentially, sound absorption ‘deadens’ sound whereas diffusion creates a more natural and full-bodied sound experience. Which is why they are often used together to create the perfect sound environment.
Do You Need Both?
Ideally, you want to use both, along with bass traps, as together they will work to create a complete sound for your home studio. It’s not 100% necessary, but if you do want a high-quality, professional sound quality then we recommend using both.
How Much Home Studio Acoustic Treatment Do I Need?
The amount of acoustic treatment you need is completely unique to each home studio. Factors including room size, shape, and sound absorption class of the panels all affect how much treatment is required.
Number of Acoustic Panels
Calculating the amount of acoustic panels you need for your home studio is fairly simple. We recommend covering a minimum of 30% of a wall (for Class A acoustic panels). So, all you have to do is measure your wall and multiply the area of your wall by 0.3 or for 50% multiply by 0.5 and so on. After you’ve found the right panel for your space, check the sizing, and see how many panels are needed to cover the desired wall space. Once you know how many panels you need, you can consider their placement.
Number of Bass Traps
Most rooms are square/rectangle in shape so will use 8 bass traps (one in each corner). Some rooms may not have space in the bottom corners to place bass traps in which case you’ll need less. Rooms of a different shape may require more/less bass traps depending on the number of corners.
Can You Have Too Much Acoustic Treatment?
Yes. Overusing acoustic products can reduce reverberation too much and cause there to be little to no reverb. Without at least some reverberation, the sound could become dull and boring. So, you need to find the perfect balance for the quality of sound you require.
Is Acoustic Treatment Expensive?
The cost of acoustically treating a home studio will differ vastly from project to project. It can cost anywhere between a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, but this is dependent on the size of your studio and how much acoustic treatment is needed to create your ideal sound environment.
Acoustically Treating a Home Studio: Where to Begin
1. Find the Right Products
The first thing you need to do is find the right products to begin acoustically treating your home studio. Consider your budget, quality of product, and the outcome you want to achieve.
Recommended Acoustic Panels:
- Best value for money – Fluffo Hexa Soft Acoustic Wall Panel
"Fluffo Hexa Soft Acoustic Wall Panel"
- Easiest to Install – MuffleStick Self-Adhesive Acoustic Panel
"MuffleStick Self-Adhesive Acoustic Panel"
- Best Overall – MuffleWall Acoustic Fabric Panel
"MuffleWall Acoustic Fabric Panel"
2. Consider Placement
Placement can make a significant difference to the effectiveness of products such as acoustic panels and bass traps. Learning the best placement can maximise the benefits of your acoustic treatment.
First reflection points
Finding your first reflection point is a great place to start when trying to work out where to place your acoustic panels. To find your room’s first reflection point, you will need two people and a mirror.
- · Sit or stand (depending on what you will most likely be doing in the room) in the position where you would typically mix/record sound
- · On the wall, at speaker height, have the other person hold a mirror to the wall and move across it until you can see the reflection of the mirror
- · Mark that spot – this is where you should place an acoustic panel to absorb first reflections
- · Repeat on each wall
Parallel Walls
To ensure you get the full acoustic benefits, place the panels on parallel walls in an alternating pattern. This ensures there is no gap where there isn’t any acoustic treatment.
"Place acoustic panels on parallel walls"
Corners of the Room
Bass traps are most effective when placed in the corners of the room. It’s best to place in all corners if possible but if the corners at the bottom of the wall aren’t accessible or suitable for bass traps, just the top corners will work.
"Place bass traps in corners"
3. Get Installing!
This step is usually the most exciting – start putting up your chosen acoustic solutions and see your home studio come together.
How to Install Acoustic Products in Your Home Studio
Acoustic Panel Installation
Acoustic panels are typically installed in one of two ways - a good quality adhesive glue (we recommend using PinkGrip) or screws. Some acoustic panels, such as MuffleStick, have a self-adhesive backing that creates a simple peel and stick installation method.
Here's an example of how to install an acoustic panel with screws and with adhesive glue.
Bass Trap Installation
Bass traps are usually installed using a good quality adhesive. Spray, contact, and glue adhesives are all suitable for most bass trap installations. When used according to instructions, the right adhesive will provide an easy and durable application.
Is Acoustically Treating Your Home Studio Worth it?
Yes, it is 100% worth acoustically treating a home studio. Not only will acoustic treatment create an environment that will allow for high-quality sound to be formed, but it will also reduce the editing process later on. If you want to create high-quality, professional sounds then getting the acoustics in your home studio right is crucial.
Where to Buy Home Studio Acoustics
The perfect home studio acoustic products can all be easily bought online directly from our websites. We offer a wide range of acoustic products that are ideal for home studios all from leading acoustic brands including Fluffo, Ecophon, and BuzziSpace.
Need Help Treating Your Home Studio?
Even with all the right information, it can be difficult to know where or how to start acoustically treating a home studio. Luckily, we have a whole team of experts on hand! If you have any questions, need help choosing products, or just want some guidance, feel free to contact a member of the sales team – we’ll be more than happy to help!
