Home Studio Setup, Pt. 4

In this series, we’re covering the basics of getting your home music studio set up correctly. Last time, we talked how to audition great speakers for your space.

But, the best gear in the world won’t sound very awesome in a space that’s not acoustically controlled. Today, we’re getting into the acoustics part. We’ve talked about this a lot before, so here’s a detailed article on the most cost effective acoustic design for most home music rooms. Here’s some quick summary items.

Quick tips for great music room acoustics

1. Place bass traps in every corner of the room! Fill up that corner with acoustic foam, with a maximum 4 inch air gap behind the panel.

   Simply throwing a thin acoustic panel diagonally over the corner won’t do it. Here’s why.

2. Use thick panels (a minimum of 4’’ thick) to handle the first reflection points on the walls and ceiling around your speakers. No cheap thin black Auralex foam please, something that thin will not manage frequencies that are low enough for most professional recording situations.

3. Acoustic diffusion is a different thing than acoustic absorption, and is used in a different context.

   We use diffusion to scatter sound, and make it bounce around differently. This can provide a lovely sense of space and 3D depth in a room, but if placed close to a speaker it can cause weird audible filtering effects.

   Place that diffusion behind you on the back wall, well away from your speakers.

Keep in mind, the best speakers in the world will still sound pretty meh when used in a room with uncontrolled acoustics. Handling acoustic control properly isn’t always the sexiest investment, but it’s one of the biggest bangs for your buck when building out your music space.