ACOUSTIC TREATMENT - How to Build a KILLER Home Studio

Designed this to be a handy reference tool as you go through the process of setting up your own home studio. Enjoy!

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Resources:

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In this video, you'll learn how to add acoustic treatment to your room to instantly improve the sound of your studio. Watch now if you want to make mixing easier.

I don't cover the process of building your acoustic panels in this video, and instead, focus on where you should place your treatment.

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#HomeStudio #AcousticTreatment #homerecording

00:00 Introduction
00:38 Materials
01:41 Purpose of Treatment
03:20 Panel Placement
04:02 Bass Traps
07:44 First Reflections
11:50 Rear Wall
14:02 Real-World Example
21:10 Measurement
29:20 Recap

[masteringcom]

Designed this to be a handy reference tool as you go through the process of setting up your own home studio. Enjoy!

[JimGriffOne]

23:42 - I can see you had both speakers active for the second measurement. Comb filtering will give an inaccurate frequency response, especially in the higher frequencies (above 500Hz). If you're going to use both speakers at the same time during measurement, it's best to have an FFT active while whitenoise being played, then shift the mic position until you see the comb filtering disappear. Some of this may be due to early reflections from the desk, but it's most likely due to the mic being at a different distance from one monitor than the other.

[leec]

Just listened to the previous video and the difference in the reverb between the pre and post treatment is amazing.

[VOTECHGURU]

It’s refreshing to see a musician make sense regarding panels versus foam. And I’m not saying that just because of my own DIY panel video. This is something I’ve been teaching pro voice over for years for their booths and watching them sky rocket after getting the boom out of the room is no shocker. Great stuff, man.

[Acujeremy]

This video showed me I need to just hire a professional.

[jakajarc]

My favourite room treatment recap thus far; very helpful and systematic, thank you!

[shootenst]

One of the issues I've come across is acoustic guitars that are hanging on the wall. Resonance makes them hum a bit. Not a big deal because I don't record in this room much but I have to pay attention to SPL while mixing. I agree that the Sonarworks product is excellent. It took my bass response from the mud. The rest of the room is relatively flat with lots of dampening (futon).

[ozm]

Just built my studio. Fully done, room within room, decoupled, 12 inch thick walls, all materials etc. It's super quiet in and out but now I have to treat it. The reflection off the last layer of heavy drywall is insane, lots of reverb. There is some bass funkiness for sure. I'm gonna do floor to ceiling corner bass traps. And probably cover the entire studio with 1/2" high density foam cuz its cheap and it will eliminate reflections. The walls have tons of materials (mlv, sonopan, roxul, etc) so I don't think I have to do much to just take that awful echo down. I achieved an STC of 45+ which I'm happy with.

[luckyduckydrivingschool]

Thanks for this video. It really gives a better understanding for someone who is not quite a professional, but is tired of all these "DIY" videos that don't really explain anything.

[jackedkerouac]

When I first started building my home studio I would've never believed I have to go a step further than the professional studios I've been to. It's fun but such a challenge too

[wilhemheider]

Hi my friend. I watch this videos a few months ago, and was helpful... i build my DIY bass tramps and acoustic panels for the walls... recently, I put an old matress in l one corner... And it was the best thing a could ever do hahaha sound absortion is awesome!! Thanks a lot!

[TheGreatConstantini]

I've had many rooms over the years and have never had one that was perfect. Treating rooms is often not easy. That said you can become familiar with the deficiencies and begin to compensate in your head providing that you use many different references such as your car, living room, multiple studio speakers and, yes, go listen to your mix in a commercial studio for a half hour. I believe Rob mentioned this in another video somewhere. Great Video.

[jasonstallworth]

You mentioned the bed...I have a cushion chair in my studio, which is a small 10x11 room. That made a huge difference! I didn’t realize it u til I removed the chair from the room. I quickly moved it back in.

[u_already_know]

13:12, about the "Front Walls" u need treatment especially if you have speakers whose bass firing port is on the back... Like in your case...

[rockascreen]

Actually front wall needs absorption very often because many speakers have low frequency ports which are blasting to the front wall and having in mind that the wavelength of the low frequencies you will better treat this wall instead of only relying on corner bass traps.Otherwise in front ported or closed speakers it is valid point.Cheers

[danielrains]

I'm using this video to make a point. Heard a Nashville studio session musician say he loves it wen they put him in the open live room. He said he thought everything should be recorded in an open room. The only reason for sound treatment is for the mixing guy to be able to not get feed back wen listening thru speakers. That is it. After listening to hundreds of these videos I can tell u the best type of room to record in is a rectangular room with unvarnished raw wood on the floor, walls n ceilings. High ceilings if possible. N cut all 90 degree angles out to 45 degrees. Use 1 by 6 or 1 by 8 planks beveled in all of the corners. Completely open as possible. That would be ur live room n tracking individual takes. Vocals, acoustic guitar n everything else. N since all u need is a mic, some cable n a laptop u r mobile. U could find an empty swimming pool to track drums or create a metal resonator for bass like an old stove or metal 55 gal drum in front of the amp to give it a metallic sound. I played my acoustic guitar in front of an old stove with door open n recorded on my phone not purposely just because that is where I normal sat n wrote music n it sounded phenomenal. U do not need to deaden sound. Just sound proofing found outside noise is all. The wooden room I described is the ultimate recording space for all instruments including vocals. End of story. If the engineer needs a dead space to mix in than treat a small office space to do mix down. Real simple.

[Pw]

You have changed my music, and consequently changed my life. Thank you.

[JamesBond-puqf]

All these videos should be titled: "How to spend a lot of money after being financially crippled already from being a musician". I think its time for some double egg crate and 1x4s

[zososldier]

A lot of this stuff also works for a home theater. Only major difference is you are just sitting further away from the speakers. Doing the mirror trick will help you place your panels on the wall and dictate where you put a rug if you don't have carpet. Lame thing with home theater though is you have to find the best location for your speakers, then equalize the levels, then install your paneling, then re-equalize your speakers again.

[NenJiDaPassiv]

Nice to see someone with some solid and easy to understand knowledge. Thanks heaps.