Soundproofing, Insulation and Acoustics [Part 1]

First off, you need to know the difference between acoustics and actual sound proofing a room. This is just like those nutrition myths and facts, it's a mistake often made. When you want good acoustics in your room, you'll need to reduce the sound reflection of the walls, ceiling and floor. You want to hear the music from your speakers the way it's meant to sound. Not with some amount of extra living room reverb. And that goes for the home studio too.

The fun thing is, as I explored this subject (my own google internet journey to acquire some sound proofing/ acoustic optimization knowledge) I found it's all so plain and straight forward, it's just that in your life especially when your younger you tend to except everything that's being shouted out by the majority of elder people around you. Wait.. I'm straying off ain't I?

Room Acoustics

To reduce the reflection of sound on the walls you have to find some material that absorbs the sound waves. Some people place curtains in front of the walls or hang towels. Some people place egg box carton on there walls! Doing this will mostly fool yourself. These light materials will mostly absorb high frequency sounds and not much mid and really no bass. That's great hah, imagine someone who just covered all his walls with egg box carton and towels sitting in a room that looks like a homeless peoples shelter and actually feeling happy thinkin' their music sounds all great, but in fact that's just placebo.

No kidding? People actually do this?

Well there are some companies that sell good acoustic foam or nice looking bass traps. I've heard it helps a lot when you put bass traps in the corners of your room. However what seems to reduce reflection throughout high and lower frequencies most are custom made rockwool panels. And I'm making a few of those for my new room! One is already finished without any pictures taken, so prepare for a post somewhere soon with pictures from the second panel.

This is the stuff you want, and I you do it good, you can make a panel like a nice canvas.

source: homerecording.be

My next post will be about sound insulation =)

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