Soundproof Your Studio : Recent Episodes
Wilson Harwood
I teach you how to build a soundproof studio. Even if you know nothing about soundproofing or construction I go in depth to turn you from a total beginner into a soundproofing master.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
Some of you may know that I do Soundproof and Acoustics Consulting through my program The Soundproof Studio Blueprint. Recently, one of my clients Colin of Tone Lab Studios finished the program. We did a full podcast interview and video on his entire build. In this interview you will learn some of the key aspects of soundproofing an upstairs bedroom, the difficulties we faced and our solutions to those problems.
Here is a list of minute markers in case you would like to jump around in the video:
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Podcast Interview Start
2:50 - Soundproofing Goals
4:07 - Soundproofing Results
7:54 - Floating Floor Design
9:44 - Wall Design
12:42 - Doors
18:46 - Ceiling
24:10 - Ventilation
31:31 - Acoustic Treatment
42:40 - Work With Tone Lab
1) Soundproofing Goals and Results The goal with Colin's studio was to soundproof enough so that his roommate would not hear him mixing and recording. In the end he is very happy with the results and says that the only thing you can hear is the kick drum. This is very normal for a second story soundproof studio. Without having a concrete slab it is very hard to stop those 40 Hz frequencies from the kick. However, we knew going into the design that we were working within the constraints we had which included having to float a floor and a tight budget.
2) Floating Floor Because we were building on a second story of his home we had to float the floor. Below is a diagram of the type of floating floor method we used with some modifications.
This design uses a layer of 2" thick Corning 703 across the whole floor while leaving a 1" piece upturned around the edges. The key is to try and decouple your inside drywall and floor from the existing floor. To do this, I recommend using backer rod and acoustic caulk under your two layers of drywall and under the 1x6" baseboard. Remember this system is not perfect, but it was a solution given our budget and location of the studio.
3) Wall and Ceiling Design Colin did not want to lose too much space in his studio so we opted for using a hat channel system with acoustic clips. This made it so all of his walls were decoupled from the existing studs. We used two layers of 5/8" thick drywall on all the walls and ceiling. The hat channel and clips were also used to decouple our ceiling from the existing ceiling rafters.
We did not use Green Glue to save cost, but if you have the budget I would put Green Glue on all the walls, ceiling and in between the two layers of plywood on the floor.
4) Doors Colin had 2 doorways. The first door way already had a place to frame in another wall in the bedroom making it a perfect rectangle. This allowed us to create a communicating door system with a sizable airspace in between.
We used two solid core doors with Zero International seals all the way around each door. He also had a door directly in the middle of the back wall to a bathroom. We decided to use only one solid core door with the same seals on this door because the bathroom did not need as much soundproofing from his roommates.
5) Ventilation and Heating and Cooling Every soundproof room needs a ventilation system. For Colin's studio we used a Fantech AEV 80 to supply fresh air from the outside to his new room and remove stale air. We ran the supply ducts through two baffle boxes in the attic that vented down into the ceiling. Because Colin's studio is in Colorado we did not need to worry about humidity issues with the ventilation system.
To heat and cool the room we opted for a Mr. Cool Mini Split, which Colin could install himself. The Mr. Cool runs extremely quiet and is my number one recommendation for soundproof studios, especially budget conscious builds.
6) Acoustic Treatment We finished Colin's consulting program by designing and installing his acoustic treatment. I told him to build to giant bass traps in his front corners to help absorb frequencies down to 125 Hz. We added a ceiling cloud and panels on his side walls to create a reflection free zone for mixing and mastering. We added panels along the back side walls and back wall to help reduce reflections.
In the future Colin can extend a cloud into the back half of his room, add bass traps along his back wall and build or buy pressure traps to help attenuate a room mode he had at 40Hz.
We used Room EQ Wizard and a measurement mic to make sure his room was dialed in and we used Sonarworks to correct his speakers for any final issues he has in his room.
In the end Colin says his mixes translate to the car and beyond and he can mix songs with greater accuracy and speed than he ever could before!
If you want to see if the Soundproof Studio Blueprint is the right fit for you then please feel free to fill out an application here: Soundproof Studio Blueprint Application.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
This is the final installment of a soundproof studio built inside a prefabricated shed here in Nashville. There are two other videos that document the entire build. You can watch all of them at this link - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ5pr-thcSKymQJ80Vg4Y1hkJf_9_Zkcv
FREE Soundproofing Budget Calculator: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
If you are soundproofing a room one of the first questions you will ask yourself is how much will it cost. Unlike traditional construction, soundproofing requires some extra costs. I have a soundproof budget calculator that can help you figure out your soundproof room budget based on square footage or square meters.
You can download the free soundproof budget calculator at this link: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
1) What Size Room Do You Want The most important factor in building a soundproof room is the size. If you only have $10,000 than you will only be able to build a 100 sq/ft room. So, if you have a really tight budget your best bet is to compromise on space. I know...not what you wanted to hear.
2) What Makes Soundproofing So Dang Expensive! Regular construction say for a remodel in a home according to Forbes is $140 per sq/ft. (Bartolone) Soundproofing averages closer to $180 per square foot for new construction and $105 for an existing structure.
Some of the construction costs are the same. You will need lumber for framing, nails, screws, drywall, electrical, heating and cooling, paint, trim, you get the picture. However, some costs are soundproof specific. These are things like:
- Two layers of 5/8" drywall
- Use of Mass Loaded Vinyl or Green Glue
- Acoustic Clips
- Acoustic Sealant
- Extra Cost for Soundproof Doors and Windows
- Extra Cost to silence duct vents
- Extra Cost to add in fresh air ventilation
These costs can add up and lead to a higher dollar amount on average per square foot for your build.
3) Let's Look At An Example Soundproof Room Many people want to build a soundproof room in an existing structure like a basement or a garage. In this example we will have a 200 square foot room. If we type 200 into my soundproof calculator here is what you get:
For ease of teaching, I only included one door in this example and there is not a window. You can add the square footage of any windows in your room and get an added cost.
We can see in the right hand side, the the black box is for a studio built in an existing structure. I removed some of the costs for ground up build to give you a more accurate estimate. This includes:
- foundation
- roofing
- Siding
- Half the lumber, Half the paint, and Half the labor.
We see that our total studio cost could be around $15,692.34. With a 20% buffer (which I highly recommend) you are looking at $18,830.81.
Now is when you say you could do it for cheaper. That is totally fair. These were my costs and I surely may have paid too much in some areas. The labor includes paying my contractor $40/hour and occasionally some other labor at $15-25 per hour. So if you don't do any work yourself I guarantee it will cost more.
I worked alongside my contractor on the entire project and did not pay myself so keep that in mind.
Conclusion Soundproofing a room correctly is not the cheapest endeavor. I created this calculator to give you a gut check before you build. My contractor had never built a studio before and he estimated we could build it for $20-25K dollars. In the end it costed closer to $48,000 when it was all said and done. Yeah...that one hurt a bit.
I don't want that for you, so take my calculator seriously and then do your own research on costs before you dive in. Don't let a contractor with no soundproof construction experience say they can do it for less, because either they will do it wrong or have you on the line for way more money than anticipated.
Just my words of wisdom from someone who has built and designed 5 soundproof projects and is always working on more.
Works Cited:
Bartolone, Ginny. “How Much Do Home Additions Cost in 2023?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 30 May 2023, www.forbes.com/home-improvement/home/home-additions-cost/.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
Many people come to me saying they will use Rockwool to soundproof their walls. First, this is not really necessary. Second, if you build a normal wall with Rockwool it will only marginally improve the sound isolation. In this article I will argue why the cheapest insulation that provides adequate climate control for your location is the best choice for your wall.
1) Soundproofing Is All About Systems When we build a soundproof wall it is soundproof because of the sum of its parts, not a single material. Many people believe that adding Rockwool, which boasts enhanced acoustic properties will help improve the STC rating on their wall. The truth is that is will mostly hurt your wallet without adding any noticeable change in sound isolation.
Below is a diagram of several different wall designs.
Notice that the wall to the far right has the best sound isolation. This is due to the wall construction not the individual parts. To prove this interesting point, the wall the third from the left has an STC of 40. This involves the same 4 layers of drywall, wood studs, and insulation, however by moving the drywall to the two outside walls and leaving an airspace in the middle the STC rating improves by 23 points!
My point is that the insulation is important, but not a huge game changer when it comes to soundproofing. What matters most is having some form of fiberglass insulation in the wall and building it the correct way so that you have a mass spring mass system.
2) Safe N Sound Does Not Have an R Value So the first thing that we need to do when properly insulating our walls regardless of soundproofing is to get the right R Value for our climate. Below is a chart for the USA for different recommended R Values depending on the region you are building in. Now this would be important for a stand alone structure build in your backyard, roof insulation, or any wall that touches the outside of your home or garage.
For example, my studio needs insulation on all walls and in the ceiling for walls that touch that outside. According to this chart, I could use R38 in my attic and R13 to R15 in my walls. We actually used R30 insulation for my entire studio build, so be sure to confirm with your contractor what is best for your specific build.
The key point is that Safe N Sound is meant for interior wall construction only and does not have a tested R Value. This means is is created for sound control, but not holding in heat and air conditioning.
This is a huge flaw for many builds and is one reason I don't recommend Rockwool Safe N Sound to my soundproofing clients.
3) Using Other Insulation Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars The truth is that Rockwool is more expensive than most other insulations on the market. Now if you are not building a double wall or a wall using a hat channel system then by all means use Rockwool. It will help some with sound reduction. However, if you are building a true soundproof wall system then the Rockwool is a waste of money. Let's look at the costs comparison.
Rockwool Safe N Sound - $0.95 per sq/ft (Home Depot in 2023)
Owens Corning R13 Kraft Insulation - $0.55 per sq/ft (Home Depot in 2023)
You save $0.40 per square foot which can add up. If you are building a 300 square foot studio with 10 foot ceilings then you would spend:
Rockwool Safe N Sound = $1,045
Owens Corning R13 = $605
That is a savings of $440!
Most people want to save money where they can during a big construction project. This is a place where that money could go towards another purpose. I always recommend spending more money on mass when you can. So putting that savings towards another layer of drywall would be far better spent than on Safe N Sound.
4) Conclusion Don't get me wrong, Rockwool is great for acoustic panels it just really doesn't help in a soundproof wall system. If you are building a wall in your home and you are not soundproofing that wall then use Safe N Sound. However, if you are building a recording studio or any serious soundproof room I do not recommend wasting money on Safe N Sound insulation.
Free Acoustic Treatment Guide - www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic
If you are reading this, you may be facing some room ratio madness yourself. If you are trying to find the perfect room ratio, reading obsessively about room modes and genuinely feel like you have gone down a rabbit hole then you are in the right place. In this article I will ease your stress around room modes, and room ratios and hopefully send you back out in the world with a plan for your home recording studio.
1) Why Room Ratios Don't Work...most of the time Room ratios were created to give acoustic designers (aka you) the ability to design rooms with relatively small volumes that will still sound "good." I write good in quotes because we can never achieve a perfect room. Even the best room ratios will have flaws that need to be addressed.
This said you may have jumped on a few room ratio calculators on the internet and found that with your ceiling height the room ratio given leads to a very small room. This is a common problem with using room ratios in basement, bedroom or garage home studio designs. We are always held back by our ceiling height because the ratio is based off of ceiling height to width to length and a low ceiling height means smaller length and widths to meet the ratio numbers. Meaning, if we can't raise up our ceiling height we can't get a big enough room to do our work in.
Totally maddening...I know! So what is the solution. Well let me tell you, but first let's learn what makes a room "good" to begin with.
2) What Makes A Room Sound "Good" There has been a lot of research on what makes a room sound pleasing or good to the human ear. This is a subjective term and has been argued over the years by some of the world's top acousticians.
One thing that makes a room sound good is having what is known as an even distribution of modes. (Now I am not going to get into what a room mode is in this article, but if you don't know, take a break and google it real quick.)
Okay great, so an even distribution of modes means that modes are spaced evenly through each 1/3 octave frequency band. The human ear perceives sound based on a logarithmic scale and acousticians have plotted frequencies based on this scale. The key here is to know how to read it, not try to fully comprehend the science.
Next, another thing that makes a room sound "good" is to never have modes fall on top of each other. This means two different types of modes (axial, tangential, oblique) line up at exactly the same frequency thus causing that frequency to ring out more in your room making your room sound "bad."
To do this I am going to show you a really good room ratio and a very very bad room ratio. This will help you see what an even distribution of modes looks like and what the lining up or coincidence of modes looks like.
3) Arguably, The Best Room Ratio Arguably, one of the best room ratios is Sepmeyer's first ratio of 1: 1.14 : 1.39. Now, we will see in a moment how best can be misleading, but stick with me here. The image below is from the AMROC room mode calculator. It shows Sepmeyer's first ratio with a ceiling height of 15 feet.
Now we don't really need to look at anything above 125 Hz. The reason is that we can easily treat those frequencies with velocity based acoustic panels. What is harder to treat are room modes below 125 Hz. Now what we notice first is that in the lower frequencies we have a relatively even spacing of room modes. That is good! In a second you will see what big gaps will look like. We also want to look at the Bonello chart. It shows a smooth increase in modes per 1/3 octave. That is also considered "good." If that number goes up then drops down, then your room will not sound as good.
3) Size Matters! I know I hate seeing that statement too, but in room acoustics the volume of our room also matters. You could use that awesome Sepmeyer ratio, but if you have an 8 foot ceiling it will not sound as good. Let me show you why.
Below is another screen shot from the same Sepmeyer ratio we used on the 15 foot tall room. However, this chart shows the room modes for an 8 foot tall room.
At first glance they look the same, right? But wait! The relative distribution, meaning the spacing between the modes is the same, but where the modes fall on the musical scale has changed. In a smaller room those same modes have been shifted up in the low end. This means we have more problem modes in our audible bass frequencies than we did with the larger room.
Notice how the first mode in our 15 foot room started well below 30Hz - barely in the audible spectrum of hearing, while that same mode falls at 50Hz in our 8 foot room, right in the middle of your kick drums thump!
This is why bigger rooms meaning taller ceilings are better for music spaces. Because the problem modes get shifted lower and lower. This means treating our room becomes easier and less expensive because we have less low modal issues we need to smooth out.
4) A Truly Crappy Room Ratio The worst room you could possibly build is a cube. If the dimensions are 1:1:1 then your room will sound bad. Your room will also sound bad if you use even multiples like 1:2:3. So for the sake of learning how to read the AMROC calculator let's now look at that dreadful cube room.
Gross! I mean that is just repulsive looking. Okay I kid, but yes this room will definitely sound bad and will be difficult to acoustically treat. Why? Well, first we have large gaps between those modes in the low end. Notice how our 8 foot tall room above has more lines in the low frequencies. Well, that is a good thing and we want them spaced evenly.
Next, the Bonello criterion shows that we have a drop in modes from 3 to 1 and then a huge jump to 12. Considering ideally we want those numbers slowly increasing or at least staying the same, this is also a problem.
Lastly, we didn't talk about this yet, but notice how there are a lot of bunched up lines that are red, blue and purple in the Sepmeyer rooms? Notice also how they start bunching together at lower frequencies than the cube?
The bunching of lines is what we want. That actually makes the room sound more smooth and even. The big gaps make the room sound wonky because certain notes are louder than others or they may disappear completely depending where you stand in the room. Ideally, our low end would have a ton of lines too, but we just can't get that due to physics. Bummer I know!
So, a good room will have those bunched lines start clumping together as low as possible. This is known as the Schroeder Frequency. That is just a fancy term that states when your sound waves stops behaving like waves and act more like rays. We want the sound in your room to behave like a ray at as low a frequency as possible because it is easier to treat with velocity acoustic panels. So, all you need to know is that the lower the Schroeder Frequency the better. Simple!
Okay, sorry if I lost you there, but all you need to know is: bunching together good. Bunching together at lower frequencies good. The more bunching the better and bunching evenly is the best! Yay!
Lastly, in our cube room several of the modes in the low end happen at the same frequency. Remember these are bad and will mean certain notes in your room will ring out more leading to an uneven listening and recording environment.
Ahhhh but, Wilson, I am still reading and you have not offered me a solution yet. I know, but I need to teach you how to read the calculator so you can move beyond the room ratios. More on that in a second.
5) What About That Pesky Bolt Area? You may have noticed a little box labeled Bolt Area in the bottom right of the diagrams I have shown you. You may also have noticed that none of the rooms I have shown you fall in the bolt area.
First, The Bolt Area was a diagram created by Bolt (acoustician dude) who wanted to make it easy to find good room ratios. Before computers you could look at his graph and pick some room ratios that fit your design and would just hope that the room modes were evenly spaced.
The problem is that people have found many room ratios in the bolt area that really are not so great. This lead to other graphs being created. Here is a super handy tool you can use to dive deeper on room ratio graphs.
This link - https://www.acoustic.ua/forms/rr.en.html
The link above will show you where your room ratio falls according to the Bolt Area, The European Broadcasting Recommendations and the IEC Recommendations for room ratios. On top of that the acoustician Trevor Cox did an analysis of rooms and found out some more cool stuff.
He says that if your room falls in the gray or black area of the graph then you will have a nice room. If it falls in the white area then things will go south for you. Dang! Notice that the calculator has a drop down menu for "room cubing." Make sure to set that number to your rooms volume. So for our situation it should be at 100 cubic meters not 50.
Let's take a look at our 15 foot Sepmeyer room on this calculator.
Now it's hard to see, but I think we fall on a grey area. However, we really don't fall within any of the other recommended areas. You can see how this is all maddening. Remember, these calculators are meant as tools and a guide. The best room for you will be one that has as smooth a mode spacing as possible, has a slowly rising mode count per 1/3 octave band, and most importantly is big enough for you to do the work you need to do in there.
Conclusion - So What Now? I have just taught you how to read these calculators and diagrams. What I propose you do is put in your ideal dimensions and adjust those dimensions slightly to try and get your room to meet the criteria I mentioned. Stay away from 1:1:1 and 1:2:3 ratios.
Another little trick if you have bad dimensions, say 8x8x8, is to increase and decrease two dimensions by 5%. So you could decrease the width by 5% and increase the length by 5% and your room would be much better. (Myth: Modes and Room Ratios: “I Have Too Many Modes! I Need a Better Ratio to Get Rid of Them” - Soundman2020 - Studio Design Forum)
If you can raise your ceiling height do it. If you are building from scratch choose the first Sepmeyer ratio and move on. Or you could look at Louden, but don't get too hung up on it. If you use a room ratio you are light years ahead of most home studios. You could also choose to plot a room on the dark area of the Cox calculator. Then you could check it on AMROC and see how the mode separation looks in the low end. Then you could make sure it meets Bonello's Criterion. The goal is to do the best you can with what you have and not lose sleep over it.
There is no perfect room. I repeat, there is no perfect room. Your design must use these tools and still meet your needs. My advice is to pick a room size as best as you can and move on. Don't waste weeks and weeks calculating room sizes. In the end you will still need acoustic treatment no matter what.
One last thing...don't build a cube.
Works Cited
Room Sizes Compliance With International Standards and Recommendations. www.acoustic.ua/forms/rr.en.html.
“Amroc - THE Room Mode Calculator.” Mag. Andreas Melcher, amcoustics.com/tools/amroc.
Myth: Modes and Room Ratios: “I Have Too Many Modes! I Need a Better Ratio to Get Rid of Them” - Soundman2020 - Studio Design Forum. digistar.cl/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=557.
Everest, Frederick A., and Ken C. Pohlmann. “Modal Resonances.” Master Handbook of Acoustics, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2015.
Free Acoustic Treatment Guide - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic
When acoustically treating a room we have two major forms of acoustic treatment. The first method is using velocity absorbers and the second method is using pressure absorbers. To fully treat and balance a room we need to use both tools for two different purposes. In this article I will go over what each absorber is and how to use them.
1) Velocity Absorbers Velocity absorbers are what you most likely think of when you think of acoustic panels. They use insulation and an air gap to absorb sound waves and reduce reflections back in your room. Velocity absorbers also include foam panels which absorb sound through transfer to heat much like fiberglass insulation.
2) How Are Velocity Absorbers Used Velocity absorbers are great and affordable for treating your room, however they do have limitations. They are great at absorbing higher frequencies above 125Hz, but do very little at absorbing frequencies below 125Hz.
The key attribute all velocity absorbers have is a porous composition. The air space within the material is what turns sound energy into heat because the fibers vibrate and create frictional resistance, which is then transferred to heat energy (Everest, Pohlmann 191).
3) Effect Of Thickness With Porous Velocity Absorbers According to The Master Handbook of Acoustics, "there is little difference above 500Hz as thickness is increased (Everest, Pohlmann 195). However, there is "considerable improvement below 500 Hz as thickness is increased" (Everest, Pohlmann 195). A four inch thick fiberglass panel of 3-lb/ft3 density has nearly perfect absorption over the 125-4k Hz region (Everest, Pohlmann 195).
4) Effect Of Airspace Behind Porous Acoustic Panels Adding a three inch airspace behind panels will increase its absorption. It is a best practice to leave an air gap between the fiberglass and your wall. In general the farther the panel is placed from the wall the lower frequencies it should absorb. As a general rule with velocity based traps a panel placed a 1/4 wavelength from the wall is where absorption is greatest (Everest, Pohlmann 195).
For example, if we estimate the speed of sound to be 1,125 ft/second in our room then a 100 hz wavelength = 11.25ft (1,125 ft/sec / 100 Hz).
A quarter wavelength of 100 Hz is then 11.25/4= 2.8125 feet. This would mean your velocity panel would need to have a nearly three foot air gap behind it to maximally absorb 100 Hz.
Now most people cannot give up 3 feet on all their walls and ceilings to absorb down to 100 Hz. This is where pressure traps come in.
However, before I dive into pressure traps. It is important to realize that velocity traps, although not efficient at absorbing sound below 100 Hz still absorb some in that area. This is very important because our goal as acoustic designers is to get the room as good as possible with velocity based absorbers as we can and then move to pressure based traps to sniper out some of the low frequency problems in our room.
5) What Are Pressure Based Absorbers? Pressure based absorbers also known as resonant or reactive absorbers use a different method than velocity absorbers to absorb sound. There are two main types of pressure absorbers: Panel or Diaphragmatic absorbers and Helmholtz Resonators. These two types of tools can pinpoint problem frequencies in your room below 125 Hz where our 4" thick velocity traps are not as efficient.
Notice that I said pin point. The down side to pressure traps is that they have a narrow frequency band that they absorb. They can be tuned to attenuate specific problem frequencies in your room.
For this reason, I always recommend that designers begin by treating their room with plenty of porous absorbers before going down the path of using pressure traps.
Pressure traps are great at reducing room mode issues. Every room will have low frequency resonances that can muddy how we hear the bass in our room from what is actually coming out of our monitor speakers. In order to fix these low bass mud issues we can target a specific room mode issue with a tuned trap.
6) Panel (Diaphragmatic) Absorbers Panel traps are great at absorbing lower frequencies. They are essentially a wooden sealed box with a layer of fiberglass inside. The mass of the panel and the air spring created will absorb sound as the material is flexed and vibrates. There is additional absorption through damping by the insulation (Everest, Pohlmann 195).
Another form of panel absorption are Polycylindrical absorbers, which work the same as a flat panel absorber, but have the added benefit of creating a diffuse sound field because of their semi cylindrical bulkheads.
7) Helmholtz Resonators Helmholtz resonators are cylindrical tubes much like a bottle. They absorb sound by using the air in the cavity as a spring that creates a resonant system. Just like blowing across the top of a bottle produces a resonant tone, helmholtz resonators also have a resonant tone and absorption is maximal at that resonant frequency.
Helmholtz resonators can be tuned to target specific problem frequencies in your room. I will say, in my research many people have warned that Helmholtz resonators are not easy to make and small errors in construction can render them useless.
8) Conclusion Acoustically treating a room is like an onion. You start on the outside and get good results and gradually work your way towards the center getting more precise and more complicated as you go. For most DIY studios using velocity based traps will go a tremendously long way towards fixing your room issues. I also love room eq software like Sonarworks Sound ID to correct your speakers to fix issues in the low end. This can help mitigate problems when you are mixing or mastering.
However, once you get your room dialed in as best as you can with velocity porous absorbers, next you will need pressure traps to reach those lower problematic room modes. To find your room modes you will need to test your room using a measurement mic and software like Room EQ Wizard. This will tell you what is wrong at your listening position and what room modes are ringing out at your listening position.
From there you can build pressure traps to target those specific problem frequencies.
Works Cited
Everest, Frederick A., and Ken C. Pohlmann. “Absorption.” Master Handbook of Acoustics, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2015.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
A member of our soundproofing community recently asked me about a product called HushFrame Rafts. I had never heard of them before so I did some research. In this article I am going over the benefit of using HushFrame Rafts, the cost comparison to other similar products and what they are.
1) What Are HushFrame Rafts I am usually very skeptical about soundproofing products. These Hushframe rafts are interesting though. They are a wood isolator used to decouple drywall from walls and ceilings using hat channels or wood channels.
One of the biggest benefits to Hushfram rafts is that you can use wood as a furring channel not just metal, and you can save some space when using the Hushframe Rafts.
According to their website, HushFrame rafts use Vi-Bridge Technology to reduce noise transfer through the clip into your drywall. Now that sounds like some fancy naming for a patented technology. That is okay as long as it works.
According to their website they can achieve 80% noise reduction, and an STC of 66. However, we don't know what 80% noise reduction really means, especially for bass frequencies and we don't know how the wall was built to achieve an STC of 66.
All this said, I would trust that these clips do in fact decouple drywall when installed correctly. So next let's look at another comparable product.
2) How Do HushFrame Rafts Compare To Other Iso-Clips Now the biggest difference in HushFrame Clips versus the IB-1 Iso Clips I used in my studio are price and the total depth of the clip. First, let's take a look at price.
HushFrame Rafts are available at the ISOSTORE online for $4.95/clip.
The iso-clips I recommend I found for $1.79 at Buildcorpdirect.com.
The first important factor is to look at price. The A237 Resilimount Clip is $3.16 cheaper than the HushFrame Rafts. This could add up depending on how many clips you need. Most studios will need dozens of clips, so cost could be a factor.
Second we want to look at the amount of space each clip adds to the wall assembly. The Hushframe Raft as you can see below uses up to 1" of space if using 3/4" wood furring or 1 1/8" if using 7/8" furring channel.
Source Image: HushFrame Website
Now if you are using the IB-1 or A237 Clip (they are the same with different names) then you will have a 7/8" furring channel sitting in the clip with a few 16ths of an inch below the furring channel. I am not 100% certain on that exact height but it should be around 1" to maybe 1" 1/8". Either way, I believe the space saved using the HushFrame Raft is pretty minimal.
Below is a diagram of the A237 Clip:
Now let's look at a diagram from the Soundproofing Company Website that shows different STC ratings using the IB-1 iso clips and 7/8" furring channel.
You can see that if you use Green Glue between the layers and two layers of drywall with Green Glue on the backside you get an STC of 71. With one layer of drywall on one side and the hat channel system on the other side with Green Glue you get an STC of 67. If you use two layers of drywall without Green Glue you get an STC of 58. Those are all better than the HushFrame Rafts accept the STC of 58. However, remember we really don't know what wall system they were referring to. If you added another layer of drywall to the outside of the wall it would increase the STC regardless of your iso clip.
3) Conclusion Would I use the HushFrame Rafts in a soundproof studio build? Probably not because I can get the same STC rating using a cheaper clip and the space saved is pretty negligible.
The only time I might recommend the use of Hushframe Rafts is to create a decoupled vent through your wall. I could see how using the rafts to build a custom ventilation system could be useful, but other than that I would stick with the cheaper clips and put your money on more drywall and Green Glue.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
When designing a soundproof room, acoustic designers will use Noise Criterion Curves or NC curves for short to ensure the room meets proper sound isolation guidelines. In this article I will go over what NC curves are and how to use them as a guide for your own studio build.
1) What are NC Levels Noise Criteria levels are benchmarks we can use to get our soundproof rooms to an industry standard. Here are some guidelines for NC Levels for various applications:
NC 15-20: Broadcasting Studios, Concert Halls, Recording Studios and Music Rooms
NC 30: Residences, Theaters, Libraries, Executive Offices
NC 35: Private Offices, Schools, Hotel Rooms, Churches, Hospitals
NC 40: Labs, Dining Rooms, General Office Use
NC 45: Retail Stores, Lobby Areas, Reception Areas
NC 50+: Computer Rooms, Print Machine Rooms
Studio designer and soundproofing expert, Rod Gervais states that his goal when designing professional recording studios is to shoot for NC 20 or below and preferably NC 15 if possible. (Gervais 158)
Each of these NC levels represents acceptable sound pressure levels at eight octave band center frequencies. Below is a diagram from Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais.
Notice for a studio to fall in the NC15 range you must get 47 dB at 63Hz, 36dB or below at 125Hz and so on. Now that you understand the concepts behind NC levels you might be wondering how to calculate these levels in your own home studio.
2) How To Calculate NC Levels NC levels are not easy to calculate without the right tools and experience. For this reason I recommend using the chart above as a guide and using your smart phone to record levels. Although, this is not a great method for professionals for the average DIY studio build getting some general ideas of how much isolation you need is helpful.
I recommend using the DecibelX app. You can download it for free and can pay for an upgrade if you want. This app allows you to measure the average dB level in your room and you can see the dB range over the frequency spectrum. This will help you see where you may have potential problems in your soundproofing design.
If you want a professional level test done then you will either need to hire someone with the right experience running NC level tests or rent the right gear and read the guidelines.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) provides guidelines for getting accurate measurements. You can look those up at ANSI S1.13-1971 (R 1986) American National Standard Methods for the Measurement of Sound Pressure Levels (Everest Pohlmann 313).
If you do your own measurements you will need to calibrate your SPL meter. You will also need a meter that can measure octave band frequencies and it should be mounted on a tripod for accurate results.
As you can see, there is a reason professionals do this work. It must meet stringent standards to qualify as credible data.
The choice is up to you if you want to try measuring NC level at all. I find the knowledge useful in understanding benchmarks for professional studio design, but probably overkill for the average DIY home studio build.
Works Cited
Everest, Frederick A., and Ken C. Pohlmann. “Modal Resonances.” Master Handbook of Acoustics, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2015.
Gervais, Rod. Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros. 2nd Edition, Course Technology Cengage Learning, 2011.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
This week things are a little different. This video is actually the visual part of a blog article I wrote for the Sonicscoop blog. If you have not heard of Sonicscoop they are a great resources for all things home recording related.
You can read the full blog article at - https://sonicscoop.com/soundproofing-your-home-studio-101/
0:00 - Intro
1:44 - Soundproofing vs Acoustic Treatment
3:12 - The Three Pillars Of Soundproofing
5:36 - The Best Soundproof Floor
6:37 - The Best Soundproof Wall
8:14 - The Best Soundproof Ceiling
9:00 - The Importance of Fresh Air
10:07 - Soundproof Doors and Windows
12:46 - Conclusion
FREE Acoustic Treatment Guide: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic
You may have visited some professional recording studios and noticed that the rooms had high ceilings, especially the tracking room. Now in your home studio do you need a high ceiling? In this article I will talk about why higher ceilings are beneficial and some of the room acoustic theory behind recording studio room design.
1) High Ceilings Are Great For Drum Recording A very basic, but important reason large pro studios have high ceilings in the tracking room is to give the wave forms enough space to develop before hitting a surface and reflecting back to the microphones and your ears. This is especially true when recording drums or large ensembles like an orchestra.
In most home studios an 8 foot ceiling barely gives you enough height to place the overhead mics. You will mostly pick up the cymbals in a lower studio and the reflections from the ceiling will create a "harsh" tone. This is a very practical reason for having larger ceilings, but what about the physics of room acoustics? How do room acoustics improve with higher ceilings?
2) Room Modes To really grasp why higher ceilings are beneficial in a room, we must first understand some basic room acoustic physics. All rooms create reflections where sound waves bounce off of. When sound emanates from a source, say a speaker, the air in the room is excited by the sound waves. The sound travels in all directions from the speaker and bounces of the walls, ceiling and floor. When the sound bounces off the surfaces it then returns back into the room. The reflected waves then encounter new sound waves coming from the speaker and they interact with each other. The sound waves either create a boost because of constructive interference or they create a null known as destructive interference.
These peaks and nulls in the sound waves create acoustic distortions. Now, there is a slight difference in how higher frequency sounds behave versus lower frequency sounds. Sound waves above 250Hz perform more like a "ray." Meaning they travel in a direct line and don't have as much energy as sound waves below 250Hz.
Sound waves below 250Hz and especially below 100Hz have much more energy and have much longer wavelengths. These sound waves create what we call room modes. These room modes or are areas of high or low pressure due to those sound waves running into themselves after bouncing off your rooms surfaces.
Okay, that was a bit complicated, but it is very important to understanding why high ceilings are important. The reason is that we ultimately want larger rooms to allow for enough space for those low frequency waves to fully form or at least form as much as they can before hitting a surface. Depending on the distance the waves travel from a source (speaker) and a surface (ceiling) the room modes will change.
3) Room Ratios This brings us to the next point about ceiling height. The ceiling is only one part of the room. We must also consider the length and width of our room when designing a recording studio. Over the years some acousticians have come up with room ratios that create a pleasing acoustic environment for sound reproduction.
These room ratios should be considered a starting point and are by no means the end all be all of acoustic design. You may be wondering as I did why we don't know the way to design the perfect room for a recording studio. After all, if we can measure room modes and use room ratios to reduce them why not build the perfect mathematically correct studio?
The answer is that, acoustics is as much an art as it is a science. Just because one room sounds good to one person does not mean it will sound good to another. In fact, the way we perceive sound is uniquely human. We do not hear everything the way the math works out in physics. We hear how our ears and brain perceive sound in a room. This makes the job of designing your studio that much less precise, but also gives you the freedom to design a room that is pleasing and does the job you need it to.
All this said, we can use room ratios to get us in the ballpark with a room that will have less acoustic problems and thus cost less to acoustically treat in the long run.
Some common room ratios are from the acousticians, Sepmeyer, Louden, Volkman and Boner. Below is a diagram of some of their room ratios.
4) The Problem With Small Rooms Now you can use these ratios, but you are not guaranteed great results if your room is still small. The reason is that if your rooms dimensions are comparable to the wavelengths of audible sound then may have problems with "excessive separation between modes." (Everest,Pohlmann 261) The large separation between modes leads to unpleasant acoustic distortion in your room.
To get uniform spacing between room modes and avoid coincidences (where modes pile up on top of eachother) you need more room volume. This means larger rooms are generally thought of as sounding better and are preferred for tracking rooms and control rooms. However, in control rooms the reverb time must be lower and all reflections must be treated to create a flat listening response.
5) Conclusion It is very important to remember that "there is no ideal ratio of dimensions" for a room. (Everest,Pohlmann 256). As studio designers we can only create a good starting point and then measure and analyze the room once it is built.
For most of you reading this, I would assume you are working with rooms you already have or may be able to build a studio in your backyard. Either way it is important to remember that the larger the volume the better your room will sound and if you use room ratios you will have a better starting point.
In a basement studio this could mean building a wall in the existing basement to create an ideal room ratio. In a studio build in a backyard it could mean building a larger studio to help with even distribution of room modes and avoiding coincidences.
To answer our original question. The ideal ceiling height is probably the tallest ceiling you can afford while making sure it fits within a good room ratio for the least acoustic distortions caused by room modes. In the end don't lose sleep over this, but know that understanding room modes is an important aspect of getting your room to sound as good as it can from the start.
Works Cites:
Everest, Frederick A., and Ken C. Pohlmann. “Modal Resonances.” Master Handbook of Acoustics, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2015.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
In this podcast I am using my Decibel X app on my phone to record the decibel levels at various spots in my studio while the mini split is on, off and in silent mode.
The goal of this video is to give you some solid numbers and video audio to base off your decision to purchase a Mr. Cool Mini Split.
In my experience the mini split is plenty quiete for recording vocals, acoustic guitar and other softer instruments.
I also give you a bonus set of videos showing how loud my ventilation system is.
In the end I still recommend the Mr. Cool Mini Split in most studio builds because it works and is affordable. Yes, a ducted mini split would be quieter, but would also cost several thousand dollars more.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop
Many Europeans in our community have commented that it is hard to source the right materials in Europe. In this article I will share some resources that I recommend for our European friends.
1) What materials do you really need? If you go to most soundproofing store websites they will have dozens of soundproofing supplies. The truth is you don't need much if you are building a soundproof room. Most of the stuff they sell is not really necessary, but does make them money.
Here are the supplies you definitely will need:
- Acoustic Sealant (Caulk)
- Putty Pads
- Door Seals
Here are the supplies that you might need:
- Green Glue
- Isolation Clips
- Hat Channels (Furring Channels)
- MLV
- Wall Sway Bracing Clips (For Double Wall Designs)
Everything else you see on their websites, in my opinion, is not needed for soundproofing a room. Pretty easy right? So in my reviews of these different online stores these were the materials I was looking for.
2) Noise STOP Systems Noise Stop Systems is based out of the UK. They supply:
- Acoustic Iso Clips
- Hat Channels
- Acoustic Sealant
- Acoustic Putty
They do not have any door seals. I would recommend them as a possible choice for your soundproof supplier.
3) The Soundproofing Store They are another UK store. They supply:
- Reducto Clip
- Hat Channels
- Acoustic Sealant
- Door Bottom Seals
- Acoustic Putty Pads
If you need to get door bottom seals I would recommend this store. They are a good option since you can get pretty much everything you need from them.
4) Acoustic Block This is, you guessed it, another UK based soundproofing company. They supply:
- Acoustic Sealant
- Putty Pads
I would only go with this store if the price is right. They don't have what most people will need.
5) Soundproof Cow Now this is an American company, but they do ship internationally. However, you must call them for international orders. They supply:
- Green Glue
- Acoustic Clips
- Angled Acoustic Clips (for double wall assemblies)
- Door Seals and Sweeps
6) Mason Industries When it comes to soundproofing products Mason Industries is the highest quality. I recommend their WIC isolation clip or DNSB clip for heavier wall and door assemblies. These clips are excellent choices as a sway brace for your double wall assembly. They have dealers in Europe where you can buy their products.
The main takeaway is to remember that most soundproofing stores what to sell you stuff. They can't make money off of telling you the best way to soundproof just the way that uses their materials. Be wary of any supplier saying you need a ton of materials when you know you don't.
Free Soundproofing Budget Calculator: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
I recently had someone in our community reach out about the Whisper Room Vocal Booth. I was curious to do a review and see if I could help them and you with some advice on is the Whisper Room Vocal Booth a good choice for your studio.
1) What Is The Whisper Room Vocal Booth? Let's start with an overview of what this booth is and how it is made. They come in two models for isolation needed. They have a single wall model and a double wall model. The double wall model will provide more isolation and should be used for loud bands or drummers and perhaps a producer with speakers and a subwoofer.
The coolest part of these booths is that they can be installed quickly and moved to different rooms over time. A soundproof construction job is permanent and cannot be moved.
Each Whisper Room booth comes with a door with a window and the option for ventilation. It also comes with some 2" thick Auralex foam panels to control reflections in your booth.
2) How Well Does It Soundproof? This is the number one question and the answer is okay depending on your needs. They say on their website that their booths are not completely soundproof, but do provide "outstanding sound isolation." This is true of all soundproof rooms. The question is how well do the isolate across the frequency spectrum.
On their website they have a cool calculator to estimate the transmission loss (drop in decibels) at certain frequencies. The frequencies they measure for are 125hz-4000hz. This frequency range is the common range for the human voice, but it does not account for bass frequencies from speakers, bass guitar, and kickdrums that will easily reach below 100hz. For those low frequencies we don't really know how well the Whisper Room will perform.
I recommend you play around with calculator. The important thing is to measure your room with a decibel meter app on your phone and learn what the general noise floor is in your room. For most homes this will probably be in the range of 40-70dB. You want to isolate for the loudest sounds. A good recording studio will have a noise floor of 30dB or less across the frequency spectrum.
For purposes of this article let's say our loudest noises in our room are around 70dB. This is the sound of a vacuum cleaner. The Whisper Room calculator says you would get the following.
We can see that with the standard wall you get 27dB of reduction at 4k Hz which would mean your noise floor in the booth would be 43dB instead of 70dB at 4k. At 125Hz your noise floor in the booth would be 49dB. For reference a 10dB change is perceived as either a doubling or halving of loudness to the human ear. Now to put 43dB-49dB in perspective that is somewhere in the range of a library on the low end and a conversation in a home at the high end according to their website. Now if someone is vacuuming right next to your booth you most likely will not want to record. However, these booths probably are great for reducing isolation in an already fairly quiet environment like the inside of a control room, a TV studio or a house basement on a fairly quiet street.
I don't think these booths would work well for drums, bass amps, or a studio with speakers that can easily reach below 125Hz. Lastly, they don't offer any STC ratings, which make it hard to compare to other soundproof assemblies.
3) How Much Does It Cost? This is the next logical question. They are not cheap, but neither is soundproofing a room. The Voice Over Deluxe Package is a 4ftx4ft booth with double walls and ventilation included and it costs $11,118.80. That does not include shipping or tax. To compare the cost of building your own vocal booth I am going to use my Soundproof Budget Calculator. To get the better isolation that their booths and build your own 4ft by 4ft booth I estimate is would cost $3,454.80. That is a difference of $7,664.
Now, you are paying for convenience, you don't need to know how to build a soundproof booth, and you can have it delivered right to your doorstep. There is something to be said for how easy that is, but is it worth the extra seven thousand dollars? That is up to you to decide.
4) Do I Recommend You Buy A Whisper Booth For most people, no, I would not recommend you buy a Whisper Booth. The ideal person who should get a whisper booth will have a large budget, not want to do any construction or deal with any design planning, only need the booth for voice over work and ideally live in a fairly quite house already. If you are in a busy office, on a super loud street or needing to isolate against lower frequencies then I don't think the Whisper Booth will do the trick.
I think the Whisper Booth is a solid product with decades of experience, but it is a premium price on something many of you could do DIY and get potentially better results.
Lastly, I think another downside to the booth is how it looks. If you don't like the look of their product then you don't really have a choice. If you build your own booth then you get the freedom to design it exactly how you want it.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
You can build a door from scratch and fill it with sand to create a soundproof door. In this article we will go over how to build your door.
Materials
3-5 bags of dry sand
Lots of Wood Glue
2 Sheets of 1/4" or 3/8" Plywood
2 Sheets of plywood hardwood veneer
3-5 seven foot 2x4 studs
How To Build The Door
1) Start by cutting all of your 2x4's lengthwise so the boards are now 2x2's or really 1.5" x 1.75" nominally.
2) Cut 1 piece of plywood so that it fits the size of your doorway minus 1/8" or 3mm on all four sides. 3) Attach the 2x2's to your plywood building a frame for the door. Use cross braces at the top and bottom and in the middle to keep the door square.
3) Measure 36" from the bottom and create 3 pieces of 2x2's for your lockset. These are the three middle studs you see in the picture above.
4) Next pour the sand into your door where the spaces are.
5) Glue and staple the top piece of plywood over the sand filled door.
6) Finally glue the hardwood veneer to both the front and back of your door. This door will be very heavy so make sure to use multiple people to lift it and use at least 4-6 hinges when hanging it. https://jhbrandt.net/
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:15 - What Materials You Need
2:24 - How To Build The Door
5:48 - Conclusion
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
A soundproof door needs to be really heavy to stop sound, but how heavy is heavy enough? Today we will answer that question.
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - www.soundproofyourstudio.com
Learn the ins and outs of how to build a soundproof window.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
FREE Soundproofing Budget Calculator: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
Is it worth it to spend all that time and money soundproofing your studio? In this video we go over three pros and three cons to soundproofing.
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:07 - Easier and Faster Work
1:34 - Clients Take You More Seriously
2:17 - Play Loud Music Whenever You Want
3:04 - You Don't Have The Budget
4:22 - Don't Cut Corners
5:00 - Live In A Noisy Area
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
FREE Soundproofing Budget Calculator: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
These are some key things you should decide before soundproofing. Learn what to think about to decide it it is better to soundproof or move.
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:10 - The Cost Of Soundproofing
5:04 - The Time It Takes To Soundproof
7:19 - Will You Get Your Desired Results
Join the free soundproofing workshop - www.soundproofyourstudio.com
Learn the difference between soundproofing and acoustic treatment.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Learn how we made a soundproof beam in my home recording studio.
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:04 - Overall Design
1:34 - IB-3 Clips and attaching the beam
2:10 - Adding wood spacers for side wall attachment
2:55 - Scribing side of beam
3:30 - Adding Green Glue
3:51 - Conclusion
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
When soundproofing there are a few companies selling specialty drywall to help with acoustic sound isolation. One of those products is Soundbreak XP sold by National Gypsum. In this podcast we are going to look at what Soundbreak is, how is compares to regular drywall in terms of its acoustical properties and the cost compared to regular drywall.
Green Glue:https://www.greengluecompany.com/
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:26 - What Is Soundbreak?
3:44 - Comparing STC Levels
6:35 - Cost Comparison
9:39 - Conclusion
Download The Studio Budget Calculator - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
Do you need to soundproof, but don't want to spend thousands of dollars? Then this video is for you. Learn some key techniques to reduce sound coming in and out of your room while spending way less than it would take to normally soundproof a room.
Indow Window Inserts: https://indowwindows.com/
Acoustical Solutions Door Kit: https://www.asistorefront.com/p-221-soundproof-door-kit-standard.aspx
Solid Core Door: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Steves-Sons-36-in-x-80-in-Composite-Unfinished-Flush-Interior-Door-Slab-Q68FHFCNAC99/100086151
Frost King: https://www.homedepot.com/s/frost+king%20weather%20stripping?NCNI-5
Door Bottom: https://www.trudoor.com/zero/361aa-heavy-duty-surface-mounted-automatic-door-bottom/
Magnetic Weather Stripping:
Metal Flashing:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-2-in-x-96-in-Aluminum-Angle-with-1-16-in-Thick-802597/204273989
Wood Trim:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Alexandria-Moulding-WM-268-1-4-in-x-1-1-8-in-x-96-in-Wood-Primed-Finger-Jointed-Lattice-Moulding-0W268-93096C/205958688
Plexiglass:https://www.professionalplastics.com/PLEXIGLASS-ACRYLICSHEET-EXTRUDED
Baby Bumpers:https://www.amazon.com/Roving-Cove-Proofing-Heavy-Duty-Adhesive/dp/B086Z58J5R/ref=asc_df_B086Z58J5R/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459531303283&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17298253208844806266&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013188&hvtargid=pla-997082642047&psc=1
0:00 - Intro
1:54 - How To Soundproof Your Door
5:47 - Total Cost of Soundproof Door
6:16 - Soundproofing Your Windows
9:21 - Total Cost of Windows
9:40 - Two Other Options
11:11 - Disclaimer
FREE Home Studio Acoustic Guide - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic
Understand the basics of room acoustics explained in easy to understand language. It doesn't need to be complicated and you can get great results in your home studio. Learn how to make your room sound better.
How To Build Your Own Acoustic Panels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWqoRYnYlqE&t=1s&ab_channel=SoundproofYourStudio
Affiliate Links Sonarworks - https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid-reference/overview?oid=2&affid=254&sub1=affiliate&utm_medium=affiliate
Home Recording Studio Build It Like The Pros - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:16 - The Basics Of Room Acoustics
4:08 - Room Acoustic Solutions
7:38 - Conclusion
FREE Soundproofing Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Learn how to soundproof a ceiling using my easy to follow formula. Get results and learn from the pros.
IB-1 Clips: https://shop.soundproofingcompany.com/products/ib-1-soundproofing-clip?variant=33155367960711
Green Glue:https://www.greengluecompany.com/
Acoustic Caulk: https://acousticalsolutions.com/product/green-glue-noiseproofing-acoustical-sealant/?attribute_pa_sold-by=the-case&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping_-_Main_-_Google&utm_content=&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7GYBhB7EiwA0d8oe0dT0cQdAAjUnV-DUQk-ZSG2ZxuJV0IhH-Y_3UCw2_tKcM59gdqGlRoCZBkQAvD_BwE
Affiliate Link* Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:05 - Overview
5:09 - Adding Mass To Your Ceiling
6:58 - Installing The Hat Channel System
Download Our Free Acoustic Treatment Guide
We all have done this. You go out to your car after finishing a great mix and turn on the mix in your car only to find in horror that it doesn't sound anything like what you mixed in your studio. The reason? Bad room acoustics.
Now there are two solutions to this. One acoustically treat your studio to reduce audio problems in your room. Two, use a room correction software on your speakers to flatten the response curve you hear from your speakers. Let's take a closer look at the second option.
Buy Sonarworks
FREE Soundproofing Course/Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Soundproof Your Studio Blog - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/blog
Many soundproofing construction products are not used in regular home construction. In this video I go over the main unique products we used when building my home recording studio.
Acoustic Putty Pads: https://www.tmsoundproofing.com/Acoustical-Putty-Pads.html
IB-3 Clips: https://shop.soundproofingcompany.com/products/ib-3-decoupling-bracket?variant=33155431891079
IB-1 Clips: https://shop.soundproofingcompany.com/products/ib-1-soundproofing-clip?variant=33155367960711
Green Glue:https://www.greengluecompany.com/
Acoustic Caulk: https://acousticalsolutions.com/product/green-glue-noiseproofing-acoustical-sealant/?attribute_pa_sold-by=the-case&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping_-_Main_-_Google&utm_content=&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7GYBhB7EiwA0d8oe0dT0cQdAAjUnV-DUQk-ZSG2ZxuJV0IhH-Y_3UCw2_tKcM59gdqGlRoCZBkQAvD_BwE
Weather Stripping: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-3-4-in-x-1-2-in-10-ft-Grey-Vinyl-Foam-Weather-Seal-Self-Stick-Tape-V734H/301319342?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25H-025_004_BUILDER_HARD-NA-Multi-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-PRO-NA-BuildersHardware_Smart_Q3_Control&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25H-025_004_BUILDER_HARD-NA-Multi-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-PRO-NA-BuildersHardware_Smart_Q3_Control-71700000081230576-58700006913855557-92700064312898263&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7GYBhB7EiwA0d8oe3LTvGP5-2UVNTeVNhl8Kal_4iXChSMsN_7KW_wajZ04WDe6gQHGIhoC69AQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Magnetic Weather Stripping: https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Weather-Stripping-Doors-White/dp/B07MGHTZTH
Zero Industries Door Seals: https://www.trudoor.com/zero/870aa-adjustable-perimeter-gasketing-acoustic-door-seal-set/
Door Bottom Seal: https://www.americanbuildersoutlet.com/zero-367-automatic-door-bottom-heavy-duty-acoustic-sound-reduction.html
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Acoustic Putty Pads
1:36 - IB-3 Clips
2:10 - IB-1 Clips and Hat Channels
3:01 - 5/8" Drywall
3:31 - Green Glue
4:17 - Acoustic Caulk
5:26 - Tempered Glass
5:53 - Solid Core Doors
6:29 - Weather Stripping
FREE Home Studio Acoustic Guide - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic
Learn how to treat low frequencies in your home recording studio. I go over the basics of setting up bass traps and more advanced techniques of using tuned bass traps to improve specific frequency absorption.
How To Build Your Own Acoustic Panels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWqoRYnYlqE&t=1s&ab_channel=SoundproofYourStudio
GIK Acoustics - https://gikacoustics.com/product-category/bass-traps/
Room EQ Wizard - https://www.roomeqwizard.com/
Affiliate Links Sonarworks - https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid-reference/overview?oid=2&affid=254&sub1=affiliate&utm_medium=affiliate
Home Recording Studio Build It Like The Pros - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
0:00 - Intro
1:11 - The Two Types of Bass Traps
2:24 - Broadband Bass Traps
4:00 - Room Testing Software
6:04 - Pressure Based Absorption
7:23 - Hemholtz Resonator
8:31 - Slat Absorber
9:31 - Should I Build Or Buy My Own?
11:05 - Conclusion
FREE Soundproofing Course/Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Soundproof Your Studio Blog - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/blog
Learn which door design offers the most soundproofing for your home recording studio. We go over three door designs and then go more in depth on which one I believe will give you the best results.
How To Build A Soundproof Door: https://youtu.be/bbzO_bRLmc8
Three Door Design Options: https://youtu.be/-yzsP03JJe8
Affiliate Links*
Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais - https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
Improve your mixing and listening experience in your studio with Sonarworks: https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid-reference/overview?oid=2&affid=254&sub1=affiliate&utm_medium=affiliate
0:00 - Intro
1:05 - Three Door Options
3:25 - When To Use The Airlock System
4:24 - How The Airlock Works
6:29 - Conclusion
Download The Studio Budget Calculator - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
Read The Blog - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/blog
Are you wondering why in the world soundproofing costs so much? In this video I break down exactly why soundproofing is such a big investment. Hopefully this lesson will help you decide if you are ready to make the leap to soundproof your studio or a room in your house.
How To Build Your Own Soundproof Windows - https://youtu.be/JQiozaQcTkk
0:00 - Intro
1:11 - Construction Costs
2:13 - Soundproof Specific Products
3:46 - Pre Built Soundproof Doors and Windows
4:31 - Overview
FREE Soundproofing Course/Workshop -
Soundproof Your Studio Blog -
Learn the basics of soundproofing so you have a rock solid foundation before you learn more. If you are building a recording studio or if you just want to keep out noisy neighbors then this video is for you!
Link To Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros
FREE Soundproofing Workshop https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Learn four key principles to creating a soundproof HVAC system. We talk about the importance of sizing ducts correctly, what right angles do to sound in ducts, and when to use a baffle box and how to build one.
How To Ventilate Your Studio: https://youtu.be/slv9J_v1Gc8
Best HVAC Systems For Soundproofing: https://youtu.be/bPltObdECtE
Insulation In Baffle Box: https://www.jm.com/en/hvac/duct-liner/linacoustic-r-300/
Nailor Industries Registers (71 DH Supple and 7145H Return): https://nailor.com/products/air-distribution/grilles-registers/airfoil-blade-grilles-registers/supply/model-series-71d-and-71s
Check out the Mr Cool Mini Split here: https://mrcool.com/
Download The Studio Budget Calculator - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/calculator
Read The Blog - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/blog
Are you trying to decide if you should buy soundproof windows or try to build your own? Then this video is for you. We will go over the pros of building your own windows and how much they cost. We will look at the pros to buying your own windows and how much they cost. I will also give you my conclusion about which I would recommend.
How To Build Your Own Soundproof Windows - https://youtu.be/JQiozaQcTkk
What Are STC Ratings - https://youtu.be/WfIAVnCyv1U
Acoustical Solutions: https://acousticalsolutions.com/
Soundproof Windows Inc: https://www.soundproofwindows.com/
Watch The Video Version Of This Podcast: https://youtu.be/yabsjdJlFfY
FREE Home Studio Acoustic Guide - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic
In this podcast I go over why I would or would not use acoustic foam, I compare acoustic foam to fiberglass acoustic panels, and I give you some guidelines so you purchase the right type of acoustic foam.
FREE Soundproofing Course/Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Soundproof Your Studio Blog - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/blog
Learn what an STC Rating is and some of the misconceptions around it. In this video you will gain insight into the pros and cons of STC ratings and how you can use them as a tool and not get fooled by their trickery!
FREE Soundproofing Course/Workshop - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Soundproof Your Studio Blog - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/blog
Learn what the difference is between an ERV and an HRV and which one you should use for your soundproof home recording studio.
Link to the Fantech ERV: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Fantech-SE704N-SE-Series-Energy-Recovery-Ventilator-4-Side-Ports-up-to-1200-Sq-Ft?utm_source=google_ad&utm_medium=shopping_neutral&utm_campaign=Shopping_Neutral_MPLTV&gclid=CjwKCAjw7IeUBhBbEiwADhiEMSYSEZ1YH2PglmDo_WOYtisR0SfoQs2cEnHTq2puwPnGAqTZaXJLeRoCDKEQAvD_BwE
Link to the Exhaust and Intake Hoods: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Fantech-COM4P-COM4P-Plastic-Supply-Exhaust-Hood-Combination-Pair-4-Duct?utm_source=google_ad&utm_medium=shopping_neutral&utm_campaign=Shopping_Neutral_MPLTV&gclid=CjwKCAjw7IeUBhBbEiwADhiEMe_9Yrp6DLG2aE5txPOsiwVqQg9z4TqMcQJXX3y7I8jJrAfLTsbiYhoCX-0QAvD_BwE
Link to how to build a ventilation system: https://youtu.be/slv9J_v1Gc8
FREE Soundproofing Workshop
In this podcast I go over how to soundproof walls that are fully finished in your home, garage or basement.
You will learn which walls I recommend, how to build two types of walls and my conclusion on how you should go about soundproofing existing walls.
- How To Soundproof A Wall -
- FREE Soundproofing Workshop -
I have always been skeptical about using "soundproofing" curtains. In this video I show you the research and science behind the marketing so you can make an informed decision on if these curtains are right for your studio or home.
Link to Quiet Curtains
Link to Amazon Curtains
How To Build Your Own Acoustic Panels
FREE Soundproofing Workshop
In this podcast I go over three reasons building a soundproof home recording studio changed my life! This video will get you excited and motivated to begin building your own home studio.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop
In this video I go over three soundproof door designs that you can choose to use in your home recording studio design. I talk about some of the pros and cons so you can decide which door is best for you.
FREE Soundproofing Workshop
In this episode I visit a new soundproof studio build in Nashville built with concrete blocks. I interview Eric about the build and we see his finished studio. This is a follow up video to the original video I did documenting the build of his studio.
Concrete Block Studio Build Video 1
Sonarworks (affiliate link):
FREE Soundproofing Workshop
Learn how to build an affordable soundproof floor in your apartment or bedroom.
3 PCF Fiberglass Insulation -
Home Recording Studio Build It Like The Pros -
Green Glue -
How To Build A Soundproof Wall -
Video About Green Glue -
FREE Soundproofing Course/Workshop -
Learn what an ERV is and why I recommend one in your soundproof studio build. Don't make this big mistake I made and learn how an ERV helps with bringing in fresh air and pulling out stale air.
Link to the Fantech ERV:
Link to the Exhaust and Intake Hoods:
FREE Soundproofing Course - https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Learn how to design, build and install a soundproof baffle box.
Link to stick pins - http://metrosupplycollc.com/gemco-insulation-hanger-self-stick-perforated-pins.html#PERFORATED%20BASE%20HANGERS
FREE Room Acoustic Treatment Guide
In this episode I go through an entire set up of sonarworks and show you how the software works. I give you some of my own feedback on using it over the last couple years and why I recommend every studio use this product.
Buy Sonarworks (Affiliate Link)
FREE Soundproofing Course - www.soundproofyourstudio.com
In this episode we go over the pros and cons of using Quietrock versus two layers of drywall with Green Glue in the middle.
Learn what it takes to soundproof a room.
Enroll in our free soundproofing course: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros by Rod Gervais: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-Studio-Build-Like/dp/143545717X
or great advice and info on soundproofing materials check out: https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/
Download Your FREE Soundproof Studio Budget Calculator: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/...
Have you been trying to decide whether you should hire out building your soundproof studio or do it yourself? In this video we clear up the dilemma by going over the pros and cons of each.
0:00 - Intro 1:47 - Pros To Hiring Out The Work 3:05 - Less Responsibility 4:01 - Great Finished Product 4:23 - Don't Have To Deal With Permits 4:56 - Cons To Hiring A Contractor 6:15 - Still Must Do Research 6:45 - Still Must Order Special Soundproofing Materials 7:31 - It Will Cost Way More 8:17 - Quality of the work could be lower 8:54 - The Pros To Doing It Yourself 10:06 - Intimate Knowledge Of Your Studio 10:26 - Full Over site of the Soundproofing Process 11:06 - It Will Be Cheaper 11:39 - You Will Have A Higher Quality Product 12:31 - The Cons Of Doing It Yourself 13:18 - Could Lead To More Stress 14:57 - Will Have To Deal With Codes and Permits
FREE Soundproofing Course: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/
Learn the four types of glass you could use for soundproofing a window and which ones I recommend. In this video we will also talk about the pros and cons of each type of glass as well as how to decide what thickness of glass to use.
Link to Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros: https://amzn.to/3vFI8OD
Link to Allstar Glass: https://www.allstarglasstn.com/
Link to Better Soundproofing Article: https://bettersoundproofing.com/plexiglass-vs-glass-for-soundproofing/