Hi! I'm just curious if anyone has experience soundproofing their home studio, whether it be a recording studio or simply practice space.
I recently moved to a new apartment with hard parallel walls (so a lot of echo), hard tile floors, and also a very thin front door that connects my living room (my main practice space) to a noisy stairwell. I don't need the space/door to be 100% soundproof, but would like for my practicing, in-home classes, and late night online lessons (to students in other time zones) to be less audible from outside. Also, it would be nice to hear less noise from the stairwell.
Would it be effective to buy some acoustic panels and place them on the door and in the living room? How do I need to arrange them to be most effective? There are a lot of size and thickness options - what size is most appropriate for a 3x4 meter rectangular space?
Thanks for any feedback!
Leah
Hi Leah:)
Auralex makes great stuff for soundproofing. Acoustimac has a panel that is 4x2x2, and works really well for hanging on a door.
I've made wooden frames, filled them with Auralex panels and covered with grill cloth, for a home decor look.
A standard soundproofing for a studio space might look like: thick rug or carpet on the floor, 4x2x2 panels on the doors, with a draft stopper at the bottom (you can buy them, sand filled, from Nantucket Bound, or get crafty and make your own..I like wide rail corduroy fabric:) Also panels on walls and around/over windows in places where clapped hands tend to echo most.
If you're at all able to change/add insulation to the walls, there is a denim insulation that is really great for soundproofing.
This is the type of thing that, if you're half as geeky as I am, you can go "down the rabbit hole" of soundproofing and put bass traps in the corners and diffusers on the ceiling, even start building out your walls at odd angles with stone and unfinished rough wood planks. Oh Boy, stop me now!!
Hope some of this might be helpful. Always feel free to PM me
mm
Hi Mike, this is really useful information, thank you!
I rent my apartment, so I can't dive too deeply down the soundproofing rabbit hole yet. I definitely don't have permission to add insulation or build the walls differently.
The Auralex panels, carpet, draft stoppers are great suggestions. Even better, those things are very portable, so I can take them with me next time I move.
I've been living in this place for nearly two years now, and I put down a rug and some heavy curtains during the first year. I'm not sure how much they help to isolate the sound, but they did succeed in getting rid of the echo. And my neighbors don't complain about noise, so something's working!
I look forward to trying the more heavy duty suggestions when I own a place some day.
Thanks again : )
Leah
Hey Leah!
This is the link that has been inspiring me (as a vocalist...I am sure you can adjust it to fit whatever needs you have as well) to build a little place for recording/doing online lessons etc. As an opera singer, it's been brutal for me to work from home! Soundproofing blankets have been super helpful for me (and are cheaper while being more effective than most options out there right now).
https://www.musicianonamission.com/diy-vocal-booth/
Check this out and let me know if it helps you too!
Thanks Aubrey! I did check it out, and it looks like an awesome source. Soundproofing blankets do seem like an easy and economical option.
I got a bit lazy about soundproofing in my current apt, as my nearest neighbors are a mix of tolerant, noisy themselves with no room to complain, and partly deaf. But I bookmarked it for future reference next time I move.
Thanks Mike, Leah, and Aubrey for the information regarding soundproofing. This helps me with a place to start when considering my music room!
Sure thing!
I'm always down for discussing studio set-ups, and acoustic treatments. if anyone needs help, PM me here:)
mm