We’ve talked about the gear and the software that you’ll need to elevate your productions. We’ve discussed resources to educate yourself on those tools. This next subject has been mentioned in all of my posts. It is the one thing that I disregarded the most on my journey. It is the variable most neglected. That thing is room treatment.
Its not sexy. Its not shiny. It seems like a small detail, and I could not stress it’s importance enough. It is the single most important thing in your space.
If I were starting over and had 10 grand to invest in my space - 7 thousand of that is going into acoustic treatment. 70% of my budget. Thats how important acoustic treatment is.
I spent years underestimating the importance of acoustic treatment. I underestimated it because I didn’t have a point of reference. When I worked on my first big record with my mentor, in an acoustically designed studio - I finally understood my mistakes. I could hear things I’ve never heard before. Phasing became crystal clear. Compression times were immediately discernible. The slightest amount of compression could be heard. The moves required to get great sounds were minuscule, and I realized how heavy handed I was being on my own productions. In a poor mixing environment you are guaranteed to over do everything so that you can hear a difference. Some techniques seem too subtle to hear a consequential difference, and I now understood it was because I couldn’t truly hear the nuance in my space. My room was self defeating. In regards to recording in a terrible room, the problems are multiplied. Now you are forced to fix deficiencies of the recording in the computer, before you can even start mixing your track. It can feel like you are chasing your tail. Again - these problems aren’t noticeable at first. I would record vocals and acoustic guitars with the same mics and placements as all the pros, and not get the same result. It was infuriating.
Being able to hear is everything. Seems obvious in the music world, but I can assure you things sound different based on your environment. The difference in the production quality of the pros vs. home studios is not the microphone or the preamp - its the room. You can not take advantage of an amazing mic if your room is not taken care of.
The good news - you can make a significant difference in your space affordably.
Like everything else - there is really bad acoustic treatment out there that is expensive and a waste of money. You can build your own treatment that will change everything for less than $500. In this post we will go over some basic principals that should help address the mystery that is acoustic treatment. The biggest hurdle is not being discouraged by your space being less than perfect. We are going to make what you have work. There will inevitably be things that are not ideal, but with limited resources, we have to make do with what we have.
Step 1 - Make These
Step 2 - Placement in Your Room
You’ll find tons of information on where to place absorption in your space. Some basic rules are symmetry. You will have doors and windows to consider. Wherever you place panels, try to place another one opposite its position. Prioritize behind the speakers and to the right and left of your mixing position. The more you have the better your room will get. Hang them on the walls. Absorption is everything. A couch in your room will help absorb frequencies. Get a rug on the ground if your floors are solid. If there is a window in your room, get a thick curtain to cover the glass.
Bare in mind - acoustic treatment is not sound proofing. You are trying to address the sound inside your room. Soundproofing is absolutely not possible affordably. It is extremely complicated and very expensive. These panels will not help sound escaping your room.
Step 3 - Ceiling Cloud
I bought my ceiling cloud from Primacoustics, because I wanted their hanging apparatus to ensure the panels would not fall on my head. The ceiling cloud made a major difference in my space. You want to hang it above your mixing position about halfway up your mixing desk. You also want a minimum 7 inch gap between the panel and the ceiling.
Step 4 - Monitor Placement
Get your speakers a minimum of a foot and a half away from the wall if you have the space. Monitor stands help give you versatility of placement, but are not necessary at this stage. Here is a good video as a starting place for monitors.
Step 5 - Bass Trapping
Bass is the most difficult to address in treatment. Density is everything here. You will need a minimum of 6” of thickness to even address low frequencies. For trapping, I adjusted the measurements of the above panel builds to be 6” thick, and laid multiple sheets of insulation to fill them. Corners are the best place to address these frequencies. Place the bass traps in your corners from floor to ceiling if you can. Like I mentioned before, your space will dictate how possible these things are. Just remember - something is always better than nothing. Some podcasts have even suggested just getting a bundle of insulation, leaving it in the packaging and throwing it in the corners. Not the best look, but everything helps.
This list is the order I would address these issues in. If you are doing this in phases, start with the panels. I can guarantee you will be amazed how big of a difference treatment will make in your space. Every addition you make to the treatment in your room helps. Until you are designing your own room from scratch, no room will be perfect. Make what you have work for you. These panels are cheaper to build than to buy, and you get a lot more for your money. $500 dollars in acoustic treatment goes a LONG way when you build them yourself, and purchasing treatment thats already made can be very expensive. Treat your room. You’ll be amazed how many problems it solves.
