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3/28/2021 Acoustic Treatment 101: The Ultimate Guide for Home Studios

THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS


Chapter 3: Acoustics

1. Soundproo ng

CHAPTER 3: The Ultimate 2. Bass Traps


3. Acoustic Panels

Guide to Acoustic 4. Re ection Filters


5. Monitor Isolation Pads
Treatment for Home <<  Switch Chapters  >>

Studios 1/2/3/4/5/6

One of the biggest sticking points newbies have when rst getting started with
home recording is…

They grossly underestimate the importance of room acoustics…

And assume that just because they have a nice condenser microphone and
expensive studio monitors…great sound comes automatically.

But the truth is…the acoustics of your room have more-to-do with sound quality…

Than perhaps anything else your studio….anything.

So rather than face months of frustration trying to gure out what you’re doing
wrong…you might as well get this stu handled right now.

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3/28/2021 Acoustic Treatment 101: The Ultimate Guide for Home Studios

Which is why in this post, I will walk you


step by step through the entire process
of designing an e ective acoustic
treatment setup for your home studio. THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
Ready?  Let’s begin.  First up… 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
Acoustics 101 3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
Before getting started with acoustic
treatment, it’s a good idea to have a 5. Monitor Isolation Pads
basic understanding of acoustics in
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
general.
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The good news is…you don’t need


a degree in acoustical engineering to run
a recording studio.

All you need is a few SIMPLE CONCEPTS.


 Starting with…

1. How Sound Travels in a Room


Whenever a sound is made in a room, here’s what happens to it:

1. Starting at the source, it projects outward in all directions.


2. A small portion of it (known as direct sound) travels in a straight line to the
microphone.
3. The remainder (known as re ected sound) bounces randomly between the
surfaces of the room.
4. Moments later, some of those re ections reach the microphone by chance.

Now…

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3/28/2021 Acoustic Treatment 101: The Ultimate Guide for Home Studios

Since direct sound does not interact with the room, its frequency balance remains
pure, and its tone unaltered.

With re ected sound, each new re ection has the


THEpotential to CHANGE THE
6 STUDIO CHAPTERS the INSTRUMENTS
original
Chapter 3: Acoustics
sound ever-so-slightly.
1. Soundproo ng
Depending on the size of the room, and the re ective
2. Basssurfaces within
Traps it…

3. Acoustic Panels
This change could be either LARGE or SMALL…GOOD or BAD.
4. Re ection Filters

In most rooms it’s bad.  And here’s why: 5. Monitor Isolation Pads

<<  Switch Chapters  >>


2. Why Most Rooms Have Poor Acoustics
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Have you ever gotten to visit a grand


cathedral like the one in this picture?

If so…did you notice how every sound in


there is absolutely incredible?

That’s because, rooms like these are not


only designed to LOOK beautiful…

They’re designed to SOUND beautiful as well.

The problem is…rooms with great acoustics require a LOT of space and a LOT of
money to build.

And since most of us have neither…here’s how we fake it:

3. How to Fake a Great Room Tone


Way back in the 1960’s…

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Someone invented the awesome machine


known as the Echo Chamber.

This machine allowed engineers to simulate THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
the reverb of a room OTHER than the one
where it was recorded. 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
Over the years, the technology grew more
3. Acoustic Panels
sophisticated, and today…
4. Re ection Filters

Software programs known as digital 5. Monitor Isolation Pads


reverb can simulate the sound of virtually any acoustic environment imaginable.
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
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The only catch is…before you can add FAKE reverb, you must rst remove the REAL
reverb.

Here’s how it’s done:

4. How to Remove the Natural Reverb of a


Room
Ever noticed those foam panels on the walls
of recording studios?

While they might look super cool…

Their REAL purpose is to absorb sound


re ections.

Normally, those re ections get recorded…

But with acoustic absorption, all that remains is the direct sound from the
instrument to the microphone…which is exactly what we want.

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That’s how it works “in theory”…

But in practice, many people nd that absorption actually works best in


combination with another type of acoustic treatment knownCHAPTERS
THE 6 STUDIO as di usion.THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics

Here’s how it works: 1. Soundproo ng


2. Bass Traps
5. How Diffusion Improves3.Your
Acoustic Sound
Panels
4. Re ection Filters
When you remove ALL sound re ections with
5. Monitor Isolation Pads
absorption…
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
Many people nd that the room sounds 1/2/3/4/5/6
uncomfortably “dead”.

The solution here…is to allow a few re ections to


remain, and to scatter them with di usors.

Normally, untreated re ections create problems


because they get trapped in one spot, amplifying
some frequencies, while canceling out others.

This is how the natural frequency balance gets destroyed.

Di usors work by scattering re ections so nothing gets trapped, and the natural
tone is preserved.

With the right combination of both absorption and di usion, you can transform the
acoustics of virtually any room…into something capable of a world-class recording.

Now that you understand the fundamentals of acoustics…the NEXT step is applying


these principles toward your room by adding some acoustic treatment.

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But before we do that, let’s clear up a common misconception that newbies often
have…

Soundproo ng vs. Acoustic


ChapterTreatment
3: Acoustics
THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS

Very often, musicians will use these two terms 1. Soundproo ng


interchangeably, mistaking ONE for the OTHER…2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
When really, each one is completely di erent. 4. Re ection Filters
5. Monitor Isolation Pads
Soundproo ng is intended to minimize the
level of sound that travels in and out of your <<  Switch Chapters  >>
room by: 1/2/3/4/5/6

by blocking them with heavy, dense


building material.
sealing up any air gaps in windows/doors.

The bene t here is…you can record whenever you wish, without worrying about
you and your neighbors disturbing each other.

Acoustic treatment on the other hand, aims ONLY to control sound re ections


WITHIN the room, to make better sounding recordings.

BOTH of these are valuable, but NEITHER does the job of the other.

And while soundproo ng can de nitely be incorporated as part of your acoustic


treatment plan, it’s not technically acoustic treatment in itself.

So if you want to learn more about soundproo ng, check out this post instead:

How to Soundproof a Room for Music Recording

Otherwise, let’s continue…

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Evaluating Your Bare Room
Too often, when novices rst hear of the supposed bene ts of acoustic treatment…
THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
They immediately go out and buy stu , without rst diagnosing and evaluating the
extent of their problem. 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
So…to nd out how bad the acoustics in your room really are, here’s what you do:
3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
Walk around the room, clap your hands as loud as you can from every spot, and
listen closely to the reverberations that follow. 5. Monitor Isolation Pads
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
1. In the WORST case scenario – you’ll hear a harsh metallic ringing sound, which
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typically occurs in small cubical rooms.
2. In the BEST case scenario – you’ll hear a pleasant reverb, which typically occurs
in larger rooms with high ceilings and lots of complex di usive surfaces.

But most likely, the sound you hear will be somewhere in-between.  Now…

The closer it is to #1, the more absorption you will need to make the room
sound as dry as possible.
The closer it is to #2, the less acoustic treatment you will need in general,
although virtually any room will still bene t from a little.

If you need some reference points to hear the di erence between good and bad
acoustics, perform the clap test in a wide variety of di erent rooms, and take notice
of which types tend to sound best.

Then later on, when you begin installing acoustic treatment in your room, use
the clap test constantly throughout the process to observe how the sound changes.

With each new addition, that nasty ringing should be becoming less prominent,
until it disappears completely.

Moving on…
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The 3 Elements of Acoustic Treatment


Getting your room to sound great with acoustic treatment requires of a
combination of 3 items: THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics

1. Bass Traps – to absorb the low frequencies 1. Soundproo ng


2. Acoustic Panels – to absorb the mid/high frequencies
2. Bass Traps
3. Di users – to scatter the remaining frequencies
3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
Now let’s learn more about each one…
5. Monitor Isolation Pads

1. Bass Traps <<  Switch Chapters  >>


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The rst and most important element of
acoustic treatment to add to your room is
bass traps.

If you can only a ord 1 thing now, get these.

And here’s why:

Though commonly thought of as specialized


tools for absorbing bass frequencies…

Porous bass traps are actually broadband absorbers, meaning they’re good at
absorbing mid/high frequencies as well.

Which is why sometimes…bass traps alone can be enough to get the job done.

In small home studio rooms especially, where bass frequencies can be particularly
problematic, bass traps are a MUST-HAVE.

To nd out which ones I recommend, and get detailed instructions on how to set
them up, check out this post:

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The Ultimate Guide to Bass Traps for Home Recording

2. Acoustic Panels
THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
While many people think of acoustic panels
as the primary “go-to” weapons to combat 1. Soundproo ng
problems with studio acoustics… 2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
The truth is, they’re almost completely
4. Re ection Filters
ine ective at absorbing the lowest bass
frequencies… 5. Monitor Isolation Pads

<<  Switch Chapters  >>


And should therefore be used as a
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supplemental tool…AFTER the bass traps are
taken care of.

But here’s what they can do that bass traps can’t:

Because they’re thinner, and o er more surface area with less material, acoustic
panels can provide greater wall coverage, for less money.

What that does is kill any standing waves that may exist between opposite parallel
walls.  Which is the one thing that bass traps can’t really do, since they’re primarily
located in the corners of the room.

To nd out which ones I recommend, and how to set them up, check out this post:

The Ultimate Guide to Acoustic Foam Panels for Home Recording

3. Diffusers
Most folks today believe that for smaller rooms…

Like those of most home studios…

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The e ectiveness of di usion is greatly


reduced, if not neutralized.

For project studios, that’s good news, because THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
it eliminates the need for expensive di users.
1. Soundproo ng
Many people don’t use them at all.  Yet others 2. Bass Traps
disagree completely, and use tons of them.
3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
So it’s totally up to you.  Just remember to get the absorption part handled rst…
then if you want to add some di users later, here 5. are
Monitor Isolation
3 great optionsPads
I recommend:

<<  Switch Chapters  >>


Auralex Studiofoam T’Fusor – (Amazon)
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Auralex Sustain Bamboo Waveprism – (Amazon/B&H)
Auralex Sustain Bamboo Peak Pyramid – (Amazon/B&H)

Up next…

3 Great All-in-One Packages


If you haven’t gured it out by now…buying all this stu individually can be a
HUGE hassle.

Which is why companies like Auralex and Primacoustic o er complete “room


packages” to simplify the process and eliminate ALL the guesswork.

For home studios, here are 3 great packages I recommend:

1. Primacoustic London 12
Known as one of the top brands in acoustic treatment…

Primacoustic o ers a ton of great solutions for home studios…

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Including their current line of room


packages known as the London Series.

I recommend the mid-sized London 12, THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS


Chapter 3: Acoustics
which as you can see in the picture, is a
perfect solution for standard sized rooms. 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
Here’s what’s included:
3. Acoustic Panels

Two 24″ x 48″ x 2″ Broadband Panels 4. Re ection Filters


Eight 12″ x 48″ x 2″ Columns 5. Monitor Isolation Pads
Twelve 12″ x 12″ x 1″ Scatter Blocks
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
various mounting hardware
1/2/3/4/5/6

Check it out:

Click to compare prices – (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF)

Also check out the smaller London 10 –


(Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF) designed for 100 square foot rooms.

Up next…

2. Auralex Roominators Pro Plus Kit


The only brand more popular and trusted than Primacoustic…

Is of course…Auralex.

And the standard full package option they recommend for project studios is…

The Auralex Roominators Pro Plus Kit.

Included in this kit is:


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36 Studiofoam 2″ Wedge Panels


12 LENRD Bass Trap
8 T’Fusor 3D Sound Di usors
EZ Stick Pro Adhesive Tabs for THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
mounting Chapter 3: Acoustics

1. Soundproo ng
Check it out:
2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
Click to compare prices –
4. Re ection Filters
5. Monitor Isolation Pads

<<  Switch Chapters  >>


(Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)
1/2/3/4/5/6
Also check out the smaller, more a ordable Auralex Alpha-DST –
(Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) containing:

32 1’x1′ two n panels


32 1’x1′ four n panels
4 LENRD Bass Traps
EZ Stick Pro Adhesive Tabs for mounting

Up last, the best package of them all…

3. Auralex SFS-184 SonoFlat System


For those of you who don’t care much for the “traditional” look of acoustic foam…

Auralex also o ers some sleek and sexy alternatives in the Auralex Sono at Series.

At the top of this series, is the Auralex SFS-184 System, which o ers the MOST
goodies of any package we’ve seen so far.

Included in this package are:

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Thirty-Two 2′ x 2′ x 2″ SonoFlat Panels


Eight SonoCollars
Eight 12″ x 6″ x 28″ SonoColumns
Six Q’Fusors THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Tubetak Pro for mounting Chapter 3: Acoustics

1. Soundproo ng
Check it out:
2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
Click to compare prices – (Amazon)
4. Re ection Filters
Also check out the cheaper Auralex SFS-112 5. Monitor Isolation Pads
SonoFlat System which includes:
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
1/2/3/4/5/6
Twenty-Four 2′ x 2′ x 2″ Sono at Panels
Four SonoCollars
Four 12″ x 6″ x 28″ SonoColumns
Tubetak Pro for Mounting

Check it out:

Click to compare prices – (Amazon/B&H)

Up next…

The 3 KEY Points in Any Room


Once your acoustic treatment has arrived in the mail, you’re almost ready to start
putting it up.

First though, there are 3 key areas of the room which we must de ne.

They are:

1. Trihedral corners – shown in the diagram as the red dots

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2. Dihedral corners – shown in the


diagram as the blue lines
3. The Walls – shown as the at white
surface area THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
Common wisdom states that in any room: 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
1. the trihedral corners get rst priority
3. Acoustic Panels
for coverage
2. the dihedral corners get next priority 4. Re ection Filters
3. the walls get last priority 5. Monitor Isolation Pads

<<  Switch Chapters  >>


And here’s why:
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For best results, it makes sense to place acoustic treatment in the areas which have
the greatest impact, right?

Well at the trihedral corners…all 3 sets of parallel walls converge, and any
absorption located here catches room modes from all 3 dimensions, essentially
working 3x as e ectively.

The dihedral corners get next priority, since they work on 2 dimensions.  And
nally there’s the walls, which only work on one.

Now…

How to Set Everything Up
The typical setup process consists of 4 basic steps which I’ll show you now.

Step 1:
Since bass traps o er the widest range of broadband absorption…

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It makes sense to put them in the areas


where they can have the greatest impact.

Which is why the rst step in setting up your THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
acoustic treatment is to mount a bass trap
at each of the tridhedral corners. 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
For more information on what else you can
3. Acoustic Panels
do here, check out to the following post:
4. Re ection Filters

The Ultimate Guide to Bass Traps for 5. Monitor Isolation Pads


Home Recording
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
1/2/3/4/5/6
Step 2:
Now that the most important corners are
covered…

The next step is to ll in the remaining


corners with acoustic panels.

To cover the dihedral corners, simply bend


them around the edge as shown in the
picture…

And be sure to leave an air gap for


maximum low-end absorption.

While I recommend using some of your acoustic panels for this purpose, don’t use
them all…

Because you still need most of them for the next task…

Step 3:
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Whenever two opposing walls are parallel


to each other…

Sound waves have a tendency to re ect THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
back and forth in the same spot…
1. Soundproo ng
Causing some frequencies to be ampli ed, 2. Bass Traps
and others to be cancelled-out.
3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
To avoid this problem, mount your acoustic
panels at on the walls, and be sure to 5. Monitor Isolation Pads
spread them evenly throughout the entire
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
room.
1/2/3/4/5/6

To get maximum e ectiveness from a limited number of panels, avoid placing


panels on BOTH points of opposing walls…and instead, stagger their positions as
shown in the above picture.

And nally…

Step 4:
The commonly accepted theory when it
comes to di usion is…it’s far more e ective
in larger rooms compared to smaller
rooms.

Add to that, the fact that commercially-


made di users are expensive, and it’s no
surprise that most home studios skip it
entirely.  And that’s totally ne.

However, if you do use them… even better.


 In which case, the standard locations to
put them are:
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the ceiling/the upper portion of the walls in rooms with high ceilings.

Everything head-level or below should be absorption to kill those initial re ections.


THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
Up next…
1. Soundproo ng

Control Room vs Live Room Strategies


2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
In pro studios, where control rooms are used for mixing and live rooms are used
4. Re ection Filters
for recording…di erent acoustic treatment strategies exist for each purpose.
5. Monitor Isolation Pads

The strategies we just covered are what you would typically


<<  Switch use for >>
Chapters a live room, to
get a nice sound from virtually anywhere in the room.
1/2/3/4/5/6

However, in the control room, where the main goal is to maximize the accuracy of


your studio monitors from the seated mixing position…

Speci c acoustic treatment strategies exist, which I reveal in this post:

Studio Monitor Placement: Positioning Tips for Optimal Sound

If your studio (like most home studios), is one that uses one room as both the
control room AND live room…

Your acoustic treatment setup will need to blend elements from both strategies


into a single “hybrid” plan.

Up next…

What to Do if the Money’s Already Spent


When setting a budget for your studio, you should ideally set-aside a BIG chunk of
the money (possibly as high as 50%), for acoustic treatment alone.

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The problem is…most of us don’t gure this out until after the money has already
been spent.

future
And while you can always save up more for the THE , there’s
6 STUDIO still the problem
CHAPTERS of
THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
what to do right now.
1. Soundproo ng
Typically, people try various DIY methods of acoustic treatment
2. Bass Traps including:
3. Acoustic Panels
1. Carpeting
4. Re ection Filters
2. Cup holders
3. Egg Crate Foam 5. Monitor Isolation Pads

<<  Switch Chapters  >>


The problem is…they DON’T work, and can actually worsen the situation by
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absorbing the high-frequencies, while ignoring the low-frequencies (where the real
problems exist).

So here are 5 e ective DIY solutions that I suggest trying instead:

1. Close-miking
In rooms with poor acoustics…

The close-miking is one technique you can


use to get decent sound from a less-than-ideal
situation.

Here’s how it works:

By positioning the mic as close to the


instrument as you can (without ruining the tone)

You increase the portion of direct sound from the instrument, while decreasing the


portion of re ected sound from the room…thus minimizing the impact of the

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acoustics on the recording.

To take this concept one step further, you can also try…
THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
2. Using dynamic mics
1. Soundproo ng

Since dynamic mics are typically “less-sensitive” 2. Bass Traps


than condenser mics… 3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
They also tend to pick up less ambience, which is
5. Monitor Isolation Pads
good in rooms with poor acoustics.
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
Which is why, in untreated rooms, you should 1/2/3/4/5/6
use dynamic mics whenever possible…especially
on vocals, where the di erence is often
enormous.

You won’t get the sparkling highs of a condenser mic, but it will still sound much
better overall.

Up next…

3. Household Absorbers
While acoustic foam manufacturers would
prefer you believe that theirs is the only
material that works…

It simply isn’t true.

Because really, any type of soft porous material


such as pillows, blankets, couches, or even
clothes, can o er similar absorption.

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And since you already have plenty of that stu lying around your house, it won’t
cost a dime to simply store some of it in your studio.

While it might not look as professional as “real”THE


acoustic treatment,
6 STUDIO CHAPTERSit does
THE help a
INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
lot…as long as you remember to stack everything as thick as possible, so all
frequencies absorb evenly. 1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
Up next…
3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
4. The “Mattress Vocal Booth”
5. Monitor Isolation Pads
Even better than pillows and blankets…
<<  Switch Chapters  >>
1/2/3/4/5/6
Often times, the best natural sound absorber in
your house is a mattress.

Which is why the most popular DIY method of


recording vocals is to prop an old mattress
against your wall so its directly behind the
singers back as he performs.

Remember though, that making this technique


work requires e ective broadband absorption.  And to do that:

1. You MUST use a heavy solid-core mattress, and NOT a light inner-spring
mattress. 
2. The most sensitive side of the mic should face TOWARD the mattress, to shield
it from incoming re ections.

5. Re ection Filters


If commercial acoustic foam is currently beyond your budget…

But you think mattress and blankets are a little bit too ghetto…

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A great “in-between” solution many project


studios use is a re ection lter.

Rather than the absorbing re ections scatteredTHE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS
Chapter 3: Acoustics
about the room, re ection lters work by
absorbing them before they even enter the 1. Soundproo ng
room…
2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
Using a semi-circle absorption panel
which mounts to your mic stand and wraps 4. Re ection Filters
neatly around the mic. 5. Monitor Isolation Pads

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And while they may not work quite as well as proper acoustic treatment…
1/2/3/4/5/6

they still work decently.
there’s virtually no set up.
they’re about 1/10th the cost of a stand room package.

Even though they may not work as well as “proper acoustic treatment”…

By using your re ection lter in combination with the previous 4 techniques we


covered, your recordings will sound 1000x better than they otherwise would in a
completely bare room.

And they’re a great temporary solution until you can a ord something better.  To
see which ones I recommend, check out this post:

The 6 Best Re ection Filters for Recording Vocals

https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/acoustic-treatment-101/ 21/22
3/28/2021 Acoustic Treatment 101: The Ultimate Guide for Home Studios

THE 6 STUDIO CHAPTERS THE INSTRUMENTS


Chapter 3: Acoustics

1. Soundproo ng
2. Bass Traps
3. Acoustic Panels
4. Re ection Filters
5. Monitor Isolation Pads
Careers Contact Disclaimers

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1/2/3/4/5/6

https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/acoustic-treatment-101/ 22/22

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