Here's the latest version of the Acoustic Treatment Cheat Sheet: mastering.com/acoustic-treatment-cheat-sheet-lp?el=youtubeorganic Designed this to be a handy reference tool as you go through the process of setting up your own home studio. Enjoy!
Hey I noticed there's a lot of flack thrown at this guy for dragging it out and all that... This is one of the most informative videos I've seen about sound treating a home studio. I personally think this is a great video and well explained. It held many answers I was personally unsure about. Thanks for a great video and the help you are providing! I hope you keep up the great work!
You mentioned the bed...I have a cushion chair in my studio, which is a small 10x11 room. That made a huge difference! I didn’t realize it u til I removed the chair from the room. I quickly moved it back in.
It’s refreshing to see a musician make sense regarding panels versus foam. And I’m not saying that just because of my own DIY panel video. This is something I’ve been teaching pro voice over for years for their booths and watching them sky rocket after getting the boom out of the room is no shocker. Great stuff, man.
Just built my studio. Fully done, room within room, decoupled, 12 inch thick walls, all materials etc. It's super quiet in and out but now I have to treat it. The reflection off the last layer of heavy drywall is insane, lots of reverb. There is some bass funkiness for sure. I'm gonna do floor to ceiling corner bass traps. And probably cover the entire studio with 1/2" high density foam cuz its cheap and it will eliminate reflections. The walls have tons of materials (mlv, sonopan, roxul, etc) so I don't think I have to do much to just take that awful echo down. I achieved an STC of 45+ which I'm happy with.
23:42 - I can see you had both speakers active for the second measurement. Comb filtering will give an inaccurate frequency response, especially in the higher frequencies (above 500Hz). If you're going to use both speakers at the same time during measurement, it's best to have an FFT active while whitenoise being played, then shift the mic position until you see the comb filtering disappear. Some of this may be due to early reflections from the desk, but it's most likely due to the mic being at a different distance from one monitor than the other.
When I first started building my home studio I would've never believed I have to go a step further than the professional studios I've been to. It's fun but such a challenge too
Thanks for this video. It really gives a better understanding for someone who is not quite a professional, but is tired of all these "DIY" videos that don't really explain anything.
Hi my friend. I watch this videos a few months ago, and was helpful... i build my DIY bass tramps and acoustic panels for the walls... recently, I put an old matress in l one corner... And it was the best thing a could ever do hahaha sound absortion is awesome!! Thanks a lot!
I've had many rooms over the years and have never had one that was perfect. Treating rooms is often not easy. That said you can become familiar with the deficiencies and begin to compensate in your head providing that you use many different references such as your car, living room, multiple studio speakers and, yes, go listen to your mix in a commercial studio for a half hour. I believe Rob mentioned this in another video somewhere. Great Video.
Echoes? Are you mixing in the Taj Mahal? Just kidding. I know what you mean. Most foams are to reduce early reflections from hard surfaces back to the mix position. They work by absorbing high frequencies. Even the furniture such as the work surface should be taken into consideration. A lot of problems in achieving an accurate stereo image is quite often sitting right in front of you. Reflections from work stations, consoles etc. The biggest thing I see in home studios is the monitors being too close to either the back wall or the sides. The closer to the walls the more low end buildup. Bass traps can correct low frequencies issues but often just getting the monitors a minimum of three feet out from the walls will do wonders. As for curtains? They really are not going to do very much to sound proof your room. Keeping outside noise out is going to take a much more costly solution such as an insulated double wall with an air gap between the two walls, floating floors etc. Obviously it all starts to get expensive and often not within a home studio budget. But a lot can be DIY. Building rock wool panels is easy, installing a floating ceiling panel is not too difficult, even building a pair of corner bass traps is not too difficult and there are many plans for them out there for free.
I'm using this video to make a point. Heard a Nashville studio session musician say he loves it wen they put him in the open live room. He said he thought everything should be recorded in an open room. The only reason for sound treatment is for the mixing guy to be able to not get feed back wen listening thru speakers. That is it. After listening to hundreds of these videos I can tell u the best type of room to record in is a rectangular room with unvarnished raw wood on the floor, walls n ceilings. High ceilings if possible. N cut all 90 degree angles out to 45 degrees. Use 1 by 6 or 1 by 8 planks beveled in all of the corners. Completely open as possible. That would be ur live room n tracking individual takes. Vocals, acoustic guitar n everything else. N since all u need is a mic, some cable n a laptop u r mobile. U could find an empty swimming pool to track drums or create a metal resonator for bass like an old stove or metal 55 gal drum in front of the amp to give it a metallic sound. I played my acoustic guitar in front of an old stove with door open n recorded on my phone not purposely just because that is where I normal sat n wrote music n it sounded phenomenal. U do not need to deaden sound. Just sound proofing found outside noise is all. The wooden room I described is the ultimate recording space for all instruments including vocals. End of story. If the engineer needs a dead space to mix in than treat a small office space to do mix down. Real simple.
One of the issues I've come across is acoustic guitars that are hanging on the wall. Resonance makes them hum a bit. Not a big deal because I don't record in this room much but I have to pay attention to SPL while mixing. I agree that the Sonarworks product is excellent. It took my bass response from the mud. The rest of the room is relatively flat with lots of dampening (futon).
Check this out: I also bought myself a $100 Gazebo / Pergola (200cm x 200cm) and placed it in my basement on a noise absorbing rug. I left the outside "walls" off and placed moving blankets on all five sides. Got myself a 10M led strip for the inside and some bass traps in the corners and foam on the inside off the blankets. Super easy set-up for recording with my D18 and singing at the same time straight into my iPhone using the Roland Go Pro mix. Call me cheap but I just love my little "tent" inside my basement. Nice and cozy. Love your channel man!!
Actually front wall needs absorption very often because many speakers have low frequency ports which are blasting to the front wall and having in mind that the wavelength of the low frequencies you will better treat this wall instead of only relying on corner bass traps.Otherwise in front ported or closed speakers it is valid point.Cheers
A lot of this stuff also works for a home theater. Only major difference is you are just sitting further away from the speakers. Doing the mirror trick will help you place your panels on the wall and dictate where you put a rug if you don't have carpet. Lame thing with home theater though is you have to find the best location for your speakers, then equalize the levels, then install your paneling, then re-equalize your speakers again.
Put a mirror on your first reflection point and look it from your monitors and place D shape diffusers to there, also you could make your own diffusers pretty cheap too.
One of the Best Ideas of SoundProofing is "SoundProof Curtains" it actually Block outside Noise coming from Windows. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
I want to set up a small office for playing and recording guitar . Room is 2m by 5-ish m, 2,9 m tall. I was going to put the desk at on of the shortest sides, the opposite side is a high ceiling window. I read that Yamaha HS8 will be little overkill, hs-7 deal better with smaller rooms? what do you think ? what about krk, any similar model to hs-7 ? It will be difficult for me to put ceiling panels. For the floor I though about puting a carpet and thats it. Thanks for the video !!
another little hack - if you do want your home studio to have some element for live recording (and especially if you have brick - you can always leave the back wall "untreated" and use either panels on wheels to move them into positioned when mixing - or put up a rail (used a couple of shower curtain poles) and a 13 tog 220cm by 220cm down duvet hung up with some velcro hook loops so you can draw the duvet back when you want a large reflective surface when recording vocals or a non-electric instrument (i.e. acoustic).
All these videos should be titled: "How to spend a lot of money after being financially crippled already from being a musician". I think its time for some double egg crate and 1x4s
Thanks for uploading this great video. Do you have a video where you actually explain and also show how to find the reflection points with your phone? I didn't get that at all. Thank you.
This was a very good discussion and I find your mention of the desk surface a great point. However I think you mentioned that using absorption on a back wall from the speakers was all you could do without expensive diffusers and that isn’t really true. Linda Perry is a famous producer in LA and her live room has one full wall that is nothing but bookcases. She also is regarded as having one of the best sounding rooms in LA for live recording. Put a bookcase in the back of the room at head level filled with assorted sized books and a few stored items if the rest of the room is treated. This would probably be a better solution in a mix room than more absorption and just deadening the room to an unnatural level. Just an observation but this was a great discussion.
Really good comprehensive & thorough tutorials thanks.. I learned heaps! Just thinking about alternative panel materials.. I wonder how industrial hemp fiber tests? I know it's fireproof & humidity-proof & an enviro-friendly insulator. Has anyone tried this for acoustic treatment? TIAx
Front Wall. Also depends if you have rear ported speakers and how far those speakers are positioned from the Front Wall. Also should mentioned about the materials of the walls... in home studios (often bedrooms) are the walls solid brick and painted or dry walls........
@dustinmullings2672 you took 5 years to reply. And during al thease years I m using blankets. Anyone having no budget for acoustic treatment can use this method and it really works well
Anything that is thick, layered, and has absorbing qualities, (moving blankets, car sound dampening panels and mats, acoustic panels bought or made, dense rubber acoustic panel packs, couches, loveseats, futons, mattresses, clothing on a portable hanger rack lol and so on...) in addition to the gap between wall and the material is going to improve the sound profile of the room. Good luck!
@@BhairaviStudio lol I didn't realize that was a 5yr old post. My bad. Well, it's there for future comment doom scrollers enjoyment now. Yeah blankets do work well too! 😀
am i not understanding the numbers? Given that youve set the spl at 83dbs, It looks like you've essentially knocked off like 15-20 db 500hz and above, and not much below... without losing many dbs below 500hz. It appears to me you need to seriously knock down 500hz and below w/ serious base traps, and brighten up the 500hz and above using more diffusion and less absorbtion. it was a superb video and great concepts made easy to understand.
To make an easy DIY diffuser just buy a bookshelf or a few from IKEA and fill them up. Now books are expensive, but there are websites where you can buy books by the foot in bulk and use that to fill up your bookshelves. Because the various books are gonna be all different widths and sizes it’ll act as a diffuser because of all the different shapes and sizes. If you don’t want to use just books you can also put little knickknacks and extra things that you just like for decoration and bam. Unique, affordable and easily customizable diffuser. You can also use a CD or vinyl rack for this too
Great video. I've bookmarked this and referred to sections of it several times by now :) One comment: in 23:15 you wonder about losing your low mids in a "weird dip" and mentioned you need to look into it. I believe this is the drawback of treating the reflection points with absorbing foam. If you scatter the sound instead of absorbing it - as with a QRD diffuser - you won't lose this reverb. This will affect your EQ as well, so it's worth working on. You'd have to replace at least some panels with diffusers to get there.
If I just want to listen to music, should I treat for mixing or recording? Do I want more reverb or just an equivalent of a room treated for mixing? To be clear I mean for listening to recorded music on a hifi system.
The 500Hz-1000kHz region from my experience is typically mainly affected by the direct sound from the speakers coupling with the immediate reflections from hard surfaces located between the speakers and the audio engineer. The REW measurement result can be sensitive to the height the measurement is taken at, more-so if the desk is built with various angles being present at the reflection point. That being said, I find it unlikely that such audio wavefront coupling would result in a dip of 10+dBSPL.... This is a really interesting problem. It seems that the frequency region above 1kHz is starting to exhibit 'comb filtering'-like effect, probably a result of mis-matched phase between the stereo pair. When was the SW calibration profile made that was used in this video?
Interesting, I made the profile with this exact setup. I'm putting some thicker blinds in so I'll do another measurement after that and start experimenting with the desk! Thanks buddy.
Really helpful, I’m literally in the same boat, new house and the opportunity to make a room a mixing room. I’ve got new Focal front ported speakers and a sub with footswitch bypass (I do electronic music with an ear to club play out so need to be aware of the very low end), Sonarworks 4 and will treat the room with rock/glass mineral wool panels I’m making myself. Plus an old sofa! So thank you, this is all very helpful and especially as I can see someone else in the UK doing it and not someone using stuff only available in foreign lands!
Where you show moving an acoustic panel to create a vocal recording area in the back half of the room, do you recommend more side wall and ceiling treatments for that half of the room? I noticed your drawings mainly focus on the front area where you mix.
Do you think that having 2" air gaps for every panel could play a role in those mid dips you were experiencing? Since good panels do so well at managing mids-highs, could the air gaps be the culprit of where those particular mid frequencies were maybe getting too trapped? Idk... Just a thought. Did you ever get that sorted out? Thanks for the great video!
What if I got a corner cabinet and stored things inside of it but also covered the outside of it in foam? Would I get the double benefit of storage space and bass trap? Could even store clothes inside....
Thanks for the video, really helpful!! Can I ask you what would you do if the studio is in a bedroom and the desk doesn’t have the same distance to one side wall to the other? I’m my case I have the right wall next to me, but the left wall is further apart and has a wooden door closet
Is it enough to have acoustic panels/foams just on the corners (with bass traps), on the part where the first reflections come (with sound absorbers), and on the rear wall (with some sound absorbers and diffusers to make the sound sounds natural)?
Honestly they can hurt more than help. They'll deaden nasty top end frequencies, but that will end up leaving your recordings sounding dull and "covered." So they'll sound better before you add any processing, but once you start adding EQ and compression... it becomes much more apparent. Here's another video we made that covers the subject: ua-cam.com/video/a1wUZVsgV_k/v-deo.html
Be careful when considering EQ to correct dips in your frequency response. If your listening position happens to be in the null point caused by multiple reflections, adding gain will not help, since you are not only adding gain to the direct sound, but also to its inverted phase, so they basically continue to cancel each other out. The best you can do is add additional treatment, if you can isolate from where the reflections are coming. This point is mentioned in the REW documentation, and I'd be interested to know if Sonarworks admits to it as a limitation. EQ DOES work well however, for peaks in the response!
I've experienced this myself and never correct dips anymore, but never really understood fully why it doesn't work. But your comment makes perfect sense. Thanks Anthony!
Thank you for making this so clear! I've had such a hard time getting any answers, and I appreciate your simple yet effective explanations! Consider me subscribed!
Is the mirror phone thing really a thing? That is so cool! I'm currently researching this stuff for my husband. Trying to surprise hime with it. I'm very handy and willing to purchase all the panels and hang myself. I just need to know where to put things. How do you find the proper speaker placement of the room? Thank you so much for your time!
Another fantastic video! REW is a pretty effective program...when combined with a decent DSP its really effective.....a little bit of EQ, time alignment, phase adjustment, and crossovers can go a very long way i learned how to do this for car audio which can be a nightmare depending on the car....ive found it easier with active crossovers because thats what i learned on.....most monitors are passively crossed
I assume you are using thick curtains on that window? I get your point about the area behind the speakers being less of an issue, but that much glass, while allowing light in, has got to be an issue, even if your speakers aren't really close to the window.
This was so incredibly helpful. Acoustic treatment is the boringest topic to me, but with your video presentation style and way of explaining, I just managed to cover 30 minutes of material on the subject and I now feel more confident than ever before to try pursuing this. I’m still quite confused on the “mirror trick” for finding first reflections. You’re saying you put a mirror on the side walls (or on the desk) and look for any point where you can see your monitors... but doesn’t that just depend on how you position yourself relative to the mirror? Or is this all done from your position in your chair, where you would mix, and from THERE you look at the mirror to see if you can see the monitors? Hope that makes sense. Thanks!
~this is all done from your position in your chair, where you would mix, and from THERE you look at the mirror to see if you can see the monitors~ Exactly :D
Floating floor is one method. Get rubber interlocking mats, put down plywood sheets/sheets over the mats, and a rug/rugs over the plywood. That's a non construction floor method. Another cheaper and easier method is to just put a large area rug directly on the vinyl floor.
That’s a very detailed video. I got a room that is not perfectly shaped, I have a little part of it (the entrance) that’s making the room shape weird. If I manage to treat the first reflection points, will it help or do I need a new room ?
I’m sorry about my bad english but I have some questions, I really appriciate if you guys help me figure it out, here are my questions: - My room’s treatment is foam and I want to replace all those foams by acoustic panel. But I can’t choose between 2 inches and 4 inches thick. My room is really small (L x W x H = 136x112x111 inches). So which one should I choose? - At my 4 corners of my room, can I use the 4 inches thick panels instead of the triangle corner bass traps? (I use a pair of KRK VXT6, I think it’s too loud to my room, so I have to use the low frequency cut off) - How can I choose the size of the acoustic panel (LxW)? - What can I use for my desk’s surface treatment? Thank you so much!
If carpet is already absorbing the higher frequencies, is putting acoustic panels on the reflection points a bad idea as it will only absorb these frequencies further? Or should I use additional bass traps for the first reflection points? I also have a window near the side wall
So what about mixing headphones though? Don't you eliminate these wall reflection issues when you use those? (I'm new to this, don't judge lol). What downsides of headphones are we eliminating by making an open mixing studio?
put your rockwoool before the pannel in a big garbage bag they fit perfectly, and bcause of the plastic reverbing, put that cloth over itso it absorbs the high frequencies of the plastic bag
after buying the sonarworks reference 4 system I can see a big swell at 1200 HZ. I guess that means foam is better for me that rockwool panels. also, I thought the bass problems acoustical engineers go on and on about being a problem are much lower frequencies than either foam panels or rockwool panels address. you need actual bass traps - bass absorbing corner mounted bass, absorbing material. what am I missing?
do it cause problems if i layer the acoustic panels with painter foil under the blanket or do the frequenzes pass trough the foil? and should i spend more money to overlay them with acoustic blankets or are just normal blankets needed? please answer...
I have a question .. why do many people on the internet sit facing the wall..can I sit back off the wall and treat the first reflection point like this video, does it work? thanks in advance.
I was considering doing natural acoustic recordings using only the room's own resonance as the effect. In that case could u eq n compress as it us being recorded n still have a good mix?
Nice one Rob. Question: if one has a big dip at, say, 100hz, can you add a temporary EQ on the master buss that does a narrow boost at the 100hz to counteract the dip? Then prior to bouncing down, disable this correction eq ?
Although the low end had a few nulls and peaks smoothed out, and the overall decay time was significantly improved, that mid-range dip (and the oscillations above the dip) are super concerning. Especially since our ears are so much more particular about the mid-range/speaking range
did you figured out what causes the mid dips ? and how you fixed it ? im starting now to make my "living room" beat making/mix station a better listening expirience
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Here's the latest version of the Acoustic Treatment Cheat Sheet: mastering.com/acoustic-treatment-cheat-sheet-lp?el=youtubeorganic
Designed this to be a handy reference tool as you go through the process of setting up your own home studio. Enjoy!
Best treatment for this studio - throw the Yamaha speakers out of the window
Hey I noticed there's a lot of flack thrown at this guy for dragging it out and all that... This is one of the most informative videos I've seen about sound treating a home studio. I personally think this is a great video and well explained. It held many answers I was personally unsure about. Thanks for a great video and the help you are providing! I hope you keep up the great work!
You mentioned the bed...I have a cushion chair in my studio, which is a small 10x11 room. That made a huge difference! I didn’t realize it u til I removed the chair from the room. I quickly moved it back in.
It’s refreshing to see a musician make sense regarding panels versus foam. And I’m not saying that just because of my own DIY panel video. This is something I’ve been teaching pro voice over for years for their booths and watching them sky rocket after getting the boom out of the room is no shocker. Great stuff, man.
Just listened to the previous video and the difference in the reverb between the pre and post treatment is amazing.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Just built my studio. Fully done, room within room, decoupled, 12 inch thick walls, all materials etc. It's super quiet in and out but now I have to treat it. The reflection off the last layer of heavy drywall is insane, lots of reverb. There is some bass funkiness for sure. I'm gonna do floor to ceiling corner bass traps. And probably cover the entire studio with 1/2" high density foam cuz its cheap and it will eliminate reflections. The walls have tons of materials (mlv, sonopan, roxul, etc) so I don't think I have to do much to just take that awful echo down. I achieved an STC of 45+ which I'm happy with.
23:42 - I can see you had both speakers active for the second measurement. Comb filtering will give an inaccurate frequency response, especially in the higher frequencies (above 500Hz). If you're going to use both speakers at the same time during measurement, it's best to have an FFT active while whitenoise being played, then shift the mic position until you see the comb filtering disappear. Some of this may be due to early reflections from the desk, but it's most likely due to the mic being at a different distance from one monitor than the other.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
When I first started building my home studio I would've never believed I have to go a step further than the professional studios I've been to. It's fun but such a challenge too
Thanks for this video. It really gives a better understanding for someone who is not quite a professional, but is tired of all these "DIY" videos that don't really explain anything.
Hi my friend. I watch this videos a few months ago, and was helpful... i build my DIY bass tramps and acoustic panels for the walls... recently, I put an old matress in l one corner... And it was the best thing a could ever do hahaha sound absortion is awesome!! Thanks a lot!
I've had many rooms over the years and have never had one that was perfect. Treating rooms is often not easy. That said you can become familiar with the deficiencies and begin to compensate in your head providing that you use many different references such as your car, living room, multiple studio speakers and, yes, go listen to your mix in a commercial studio for a half hour. I believe Rob mentioned this in another video somewhere. Great Video.
Thanks for watching!
No room will be perfect unless you custom frame it from scratch.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Echoes? Are you mixing in the Taj Mahal? Just kidding. I know what you mean. Most foams are to reduce early reflections from hard surfaces back to the mix position. They work by absorbing high frequencies. Even the furniture such as the work surface should be taken into consideration. A lot of problems in achieving an accurate stereo image is quite often sitting right in front of you. Reflections from work stations, consoles etc. The biggest thing I see in home studios is the monitors being too close to either the back wall or the sides. The closer to the walls the more low end buildup. Bass traps can correct low frequencies issues but often just getting the monitors a minimum of three feet out from the walls will do wonders. As for curtains? They really are not going to do very much to sound proof your room. Keeping outside noise out is going to take a much more costly solution such as an insulated double wall with an air gap between the two walls, floating floors etc. Obviously it all starts to get expensive and often not within a home studio budget. But a lot can be DIY. Building rock wool panels is easy, installing a floating ceiling panel is not too difficult, even building a pair of corner bass traps is not too difficult and there are many plans for them out there for free.
@@TheGreatConstantini Man, you are replying to a bot scammer
I'm using this video to make a point. Heard a Nashville studio session musician say he loves it wen they put him in the open live room. He said he thought everything should be recorded in an open room. The only reason for sound treatment is for the mixing guy to be able to not get feed back wen listening thru speakers. That is it. After listening to hundreds of these videos I can tell u the best type of room to record in is a rectangular room with unvarnished raw wood on the floor, walls n ceilings. High ceilings if possible. N cut all 90 degree angles out to 45 degrees. Use 1 by 6 or 1 by 8 planks beveled in all of the corners. Completely open as possible. That would be ur live room n tracking individual takes. Vocals, acoustic guitar n everything else. N since all u need is a mic, some cable n a laptop u r mobile. U could find an empty swimming pool to track drums or create a metal resonator for bass like an old stove or metal 55 gal drum in front of the amp to give it a metallic sound. I played my acoustic guitar in front of an old stove with door open n recorded on my phone not purposely just because that is where I normal sat n wrote music n it sounded phenomenal. U do not need to deaden sound. Just sound proofing found outside noise is all. The wooden room I described is the ultimate recording space for all instruments including vocals. End of story. If the engineer needs a dead space to mix in than treat a small office space to do mix down. Real simple.
I got something out of this the first time I saw it. I saved it to watch it again and I’ll probably watch it again in the future too. Cheers Joe.
One of the issues I've come across is acoustic guitars that are hanging on the wall. Resonance makes them hum a bit. Not a big deal because I don't record in this room much but I have to pay attention to SPL while mixing. I agree that the Sonarworks product is excellent. It took my bass response from the mud. The rest of the room is relatively flat with lots of dampening (futon).
My favourite room treatment recap thus far; very helpful and systematic, thank you!
Check this out: I also bought myself a $100 Gazebo / Pergola (200cm x 200cm) and placed it in my basement on a noise absorbing rug. I left the outside "walls" off and placed moving blankets on all five sides. Got myself a 10M led strip for the inside and some bass traps in the corners and foam on the inside off the blankets. Super easy set-up for recording with my D18 and singing at the same time straight into my iPhone using the Roland Go Pro mix. Call me cheap but I just love my little "tent" inside my basement. Nice and cozy. Love your channel man!!
Actually front wall needs absorption very often because many speakers have low frequency ports which are blasting to the front wall and having in mind that the wavelength of the low frequencies you will better treat this wall instead of only relying on corner bass traps.Otherwise in front ported or closed speakers it is valid point.Cheers
A lot of this stuff also works for a home theater. Only major difference is you are just sitting further away from the speakers. Doing the mirror trick will help you place your panels on the wall and dictate where you put a rug if you don't have carpet. Lame thing with home theater though is you have to find the best location for your speakers, then equalize the levels, then install your paneling, then re-equalize your speakers again.
Put a mirror on your first reflection point and look it from your monitors and place D shape diffusers to there, also you could make your own diffusers pretty cheap too.
Nice discussion of reflection points
One of the Best Ideas of SoundProofing is "SoundProof Curtains" it actually Block outside Noise coming from Windows. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
I want to set up a small office for playing and recording guitar . Room is 2m by 5-ish m, 2,9 m tall. I was going to put the desk at on of the shortest sides, the opposite side is a high ceiling window. I read that Yamaha HS8 will be little overkill, hs-7 deal better with smaller rooms? what do you think ? what about krk, any similar model to hs-7 ? It will be difficult for me to put ceiling panels. For the floor I though about puting a carpet and thats it. Thanks for the video !!
i use curtains, it works like a charm! and i deal with a little bump on 140hz with sonarworks SoundID
another little hack - if you do want your home studio to have some element for live recording (and especially if you have brick - you can always leave the back wall "untreated" and use either panels on wheels to move them into positioned when mixing - or put up a rail (used a couple of shower curtain poles) and a 13 tog 220cm by 220cm down duvet hung up with some velcro hook loops so you can draw the duvet back when you want a large reflective surface when recording vocals or a non-electric instrument (i.e. acoustic).
Finally a video on acoustic treatment that doesn't leave me more confused!
Get the free acoustic treatment cheatsheet (along with ALL of our other mixing cheat sheets) for free here: www.musicianonamission.com/start-ytorg
Great thanks to make such a video with full set up guide for a home studio..
its really amazing and very helpful.
This video showed me I need to just hire a professional.
hmm it revealed to me the opposite..
@@ldrama9465 HAHA You must be better at handiwork than me.
ua-cam.com/video/Rlvv9v38Org/v-deo.html
@@mcjamesofficiel277 don't post this here?
@@laurabrown4285 Acoustic treatment (the focus of this video) and sound isolation (the focus of your link) a are two completely different subjects
13:12, about the "Front Walls" u need treatment especially if you have speakers whose bass firing port is on the back... Like in your case...
ua-cam.com/video/oXiaXvvFdPQ/v-deo.html
I really enjoyed this video as much as learnt from it. I want to thank you. Keep it up and Viva la musica!
All these videos should be titled: "How to spend a lot of money after being financially crippled already from being a musician". I think its time for some double egg crate and 1x4s
egg crates do nothing mate
Well I’d rather now the RIGHT way then the cheaper. But if you want a professional sound. You gotta get your money up
$1 towels
Hilarious bruh
You have changed my music, and consequently changed my life. Thank you.
same
Thanks for uploading this great video. Do you have a video where you actually explain and also show how to find the reflection points with your phone? I didn't get that at all. Thank you.
Any advice on the placement of a subwoofer?
This was a very good discussion and I find your mention of the desk surface a great point. However I think you mentioned that using absorption on a back wall from the speakers was all you could do without expensive diffusers and that isn’t really true. Linda Perry is a famous producer in LA and her live room has one full wall that is nothing but bookcases. She also is regarded as having one of the best sounding rooms in LA for live recording. Put a bookcase in the back of the room at head level filled with assorted sized books and a few stored items if the rest of the room is treated. This would probably be a better solution in a mix room than more absorption and just deadening the room to an unnatural level. Just an observation but this was a great discussion.
billie Eilish recorded in her seemingly untreated bedroom , they mixed and produced it there, they seem to be doing fine
Hey There ua-cam.com/video/3VzuqSCBJHk/v-deo.html
Nice to see someone with some solid and easy to understand knowledge. Thanks heaps.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Hi, nice video I am more interested in that day bed ? Can you let me know when did you get it from?
Really good comprehensive & thorough tutorials thanks.. I learned heaps! Just thinking about alternative panel materials.. I wonder how industrial hemp fiber tests? I know it's fireproof & humidity-proof & an enviro-friendly insulator. Has anyone tried this for acoustic treatment? TIAx
Front Wall. Also depends if you have rear ported speakers and how far those speakers are positioned from the Front Wall. Also should mentioned about the materials of the walls... in home studios (often bedrooms) are the walls solid brick and painted or dry walls........
What do u suggest about using 5 mm thick blankets placed from a distance of 10 inches from walls? Would it be helpful?
Yes
@dustinmullings2672 you took 5 years to reply. And during al thease years I m using blankets. Anyone having no budget for acoustic treatment can use this method and it really works well
Anything that is thick, layered, and has absorbing qualities, (moving blankets, car sound dampening panels and mats, acoustic panels bought or made, dense rubber acoustic panel packs, couches, loveseats, futons, mattresses, clothing on a portable hanger rack lol and so on...) in addition to the gap between wall and the material is going to improve the sound profile of the room. Good luck!
@@BhairaviStudio lol I didn't realize that was a 5yr old post. My bad. Well, it's there for future comment doom scrollers enjoyment now. Yeah blankets do work well too! 😀
Brilliant, very very helpful indeed, and personally the timing couldn't be better as I'm setting up my own room which looks a lot like yours!
Awesome!
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
am i not understanding the numbers?
Given that youve set the spl at 83dbs, It looks like you've essentially knocked off like 15-20 db 500hz and above, and not much below... without losing many dbs below 500hz.
It appears to me you need to seriously knock down 500hz and below w/ serious base traps, and brighten up the 500hz and above using more diffusion and less absorbtion.
it was a superb video and great concepts made easy to understand.
To make an easy DIY diffuser just buy a bookshelf or a few from IKEA and fill them up. Now books are expensive, but there are websites where you can buy books by the foot in bulk and use that to fill up your bookshelves. Because the various books are gonna be all different widths and sizes it’ll act as a diffuser because of all the different shapes and sizes. If you don’t want to use just books you can also put little knickknacks and extra things that you just like for decoration and bam. Unique, affordable and easily customizable diffuser. You can also use a CD or vinyl rack for this too
Great video. I've bookmarked this and referred to sections of it several times by now :)
One comment: in 23:15 you wonder about losing your low mids in a "weird dip" and mentioned you need to look into it. I believe this is the drawback of treating the reflection points with absorbing foam. If you scatter the sound instead of absorbing it - as with a QRD diffuser - you won't lose this reverb. This will affect your EQ as well, so it's worth working on. You'd have to replace at least some panels with diffusers to get there.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Very great and informative video! 👍Thanks for your tipps!
You explained it very good! 👍
If I just want to listen to music, should I treat for mixing or recording? Do I want more reverb or just an equivalent of a room treated for mixing? To be clear I mean for listening to recorded music on a hifi system.
The 500Hz-1000kHz region from my experience is typically mainly affected by the direct sound from the speakers coupling with the immediate reflections from hard surfaces located between the speakers and the audio engineer. The REW measurement result can be sensitive to the height the measurement is taken at, more-so if the desk is built with various angles being present at the reflection point. That being said, I find it unlikely that such audio wavefront coupling would result in a dip of 10+dBSPL.... This is a really interesting problem.
It seems that the frequency region above 1kHz is starting to exhibit 'comb filtering'-like effect, probably a result of mis-matched phase between the stereo pair. When was the SW calibration profile made that was used in this video?
Interesting, I made the profile with this exact setup. I'm putting some thicker blinds in so I'll do another measurement after that and start experimenting with the desk! Thanks buddy.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
This is one of the most thorough and helpful vids on acoustic treatment I've seen so far. Thanks!
you explain very very well and easy, thanks so much!!!
Really helpful, I’m literally in the same boat, new house and the opportunity to make a room a mixing room. I’ve got new Focal front ported speakers and a sub with footswitch bypass (I do electronic music with an ear to club play out so need to be aware of the very low end), Sonarworks 4 and will treat the room with rock/glass mineral wool panels I’m making myself. Plus an old sofa! So thank you, this is all very helpful and especially as I can see someone else in the UK doing it and not someone using stuff only available in foreign lands!
Absolutely!
This is an awesome video I used this information for dampening noise at my facility and... "it just works"..)
Awesome!
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Where you show moving an acoustic panel to create a vocal recording area in the back half of the room, do you recommend more side wall and ceiling treatments for that half of the room? I noticed your drawings mainly focus on the front area where you mix.
Do you think that having 2" air gaps for every panel could play a role in those mid dips you were experiencing? Since good panels do so well at managing mids-highs, could the air gaps be the culprit of where those particular mid frequencies were maybe getting too trapped? Idk... Just a thought. Did you ever get that sorted out? Thanks for the great video!
What if I got a corner cabinet and stored things inside of it but also covered the outside of it in foam? Would I get the double benefit of storage space and bass trap? Could even store clothes inside....
Thanks for the video, really helpful!! Can I ask you what would you do if the studio is in a bedroom and the desk doesn’t have the same distance to one side wall to the other? I’m my case I have the right wall next to me, but the left wall is further apart and has a wooden door closet
Is it enough to have acoustic panels/foams just on the corners (with bass traps), on the part where the first reflections come (with sound absorbers), and on the rear wall (with some sound absorbers and diffusers to make the sound sounds natural)?
do those foams are useful if placed in the right place? cuz yah know it's a little bit cheaper. my room size is a just small approx 85x130inch
Honestly they can hurt more than help. They'll deaden nasty top end frequencies, but that will end up leaving your recordings sounding dull and "covered." So they'll sound better before you add any processing, but once you start adding EQ and compression... it becomes much more apparent. Here's another video we made that covers the subject: ua-cam.com/video/a1wUZVsgV_k/v-deo.html
@@masteringcom after watching maybe i need to save up more money instead of buying those foams
I have watched videos that say rockwool is cancerous when it is exposed to us is it true? Thank you for the answers
Be careful when considering EQ to correct dips in your frequency response. If your listening position happens to be in the null point caused by multiple reflections, adding gain will not help, since you are not only adding gain to the direct sound, but also to its inverted phase, so they basically continue to cancel each other out. The best you can do is add additional treatment, if you can isolate from where the reflections are coming. This point is mentioned in the REW documentation, and I'd be interested to know if Sonarworks admits to it as a limitation.
EQ DOES work well however, for peaks in the response!
I've experienced this myself and never correct dips anymore, but never really understood fully why it doesn't work. But your comment makes perfect sense. Thanks Anthony!
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
How high should the panels be on the wall
Thank you for making this so clear! I've had such a hard time getting any answers, and I appreciate your simple yet effective explanations! Consider me subscribed!
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Is the mirror phone thing really a thing? That is so cool! I'm currently researching this stuff for my husband. Trying to surprise hime with it. I'm very handy and willing to purchase all the panels and hang myself. I just need to know where to put things. How do you find the proper speaker placement of the room? Thank you so much for your time!
Glad this was helpful! Check out our article on proper speaker placement here: www.musicianonamission.com/speaker-placement-101/
Another fantastic video!
REW is a pretty effective program...when combined with a decent DSP its really effective.....a little bit of EQ, time alignment, phase adjustment, and crossovers can go a very long way
i learned how to do this for car audio which can be a nightmare depending on the car....ive found it easier with active crossovers because thats what i learned on.....most monitors are passively crossed
8:54 what is this for a genius bed/desk combo 🤭 I need this!
You should come check out my toilet/bed/kitchen combo
I assume you are using thick curtains on that window? I get your point about the area behind the speakers being less of an issue, but that much glass, while allowing light in, has got to be an issue, even if your speakers aren't really close to the window.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Very informative and easy to comprehend! Good work
I also did air gaps in my panels making cardbord strips with slits so i could slot them together macking a cardboard grid
Excellent video. Did you ever sort out the problem with the mids?
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
This was so incredibly helpful. Acoustic treatment is the boringest topic to me, but with your video presentation style and way of explaining, I just managed to cover 30 minutes of material on the subject and I now feel more confident than ever before to try pursuing this.
I’m still quite confused on the “mirror trick” for finding first reflections. You’re saying you put a mirror on the side walls (or on the desk) and look for any point where you can see your monitors... but doesn’t that just depend on how you position yourself relative to the mirror? Or is this all done from your position in your chair, where you would mix, and from THERE you look at the mirror to see if you can see the monitors? Hope that makes sense. Thanks!
~this is all done from your position in your chair, where you would mix, and from THERE you look at the mirror to see if you can see the monitors~ Exactly :D
@@officialcosmiccow
Okay, thank you very much. Seems obvious now, but I had to make sure. Starting to catch on!
How about the floor? What material to use for floor vinyl?
Floating floor is one method. Get rubber interlocking mats, put down plywood sheets/sheets over the mats, and a rug/rugs over the plywood. That's a non construction floor method. Another cheaper and easier method is to just put a large area rug directly on the vinyl floor.
That’s a very detailed video. I got a room that is not perfectly shaped, I have a little part of it (the entrance) that’s making the room shape weird. If I manage to treat the first reflection points, will it help or do I need a new room ?
Ever tried a kaotica ball? Thoughts?
I’m sorry about my bad english but I have some questions, I really appriciate if you guys help me figure it out, here are my questions:
- My room’s treatment is foam and I want to replace all those foams by acoustic panel. But I can’t choose between 2 inches and 4 inches thick. My room is really small (L x W x H = 136x112x111 inches). So which one should I choose?
- At my 4 corners of my room, can I use the 4 inches thick panels instead of the triangle corner bass traps? (I use a pair of KRK VXT6, I think it’s too loud to my room, so I have to use the low frequency cut off)
- How can I choose the size of the acoustic panel (LxW)?
- What can I use for my desk’s surface treatment?
Thank you so much!
Will mineral wool be just as good as rock wool?
This is the best video on acoustic treatment that I have ever seen. I learned a lot. Thank you.
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
Whoa how did you do that trippy scene transition in the intro?
Very well done. Simple straight forward and practical. Loved the concept of the first reflection point.
If carpet is already absorbing the higher frequencies, is putting acoustic panels on the reflection points a bad idea as it will only absorb these frequencies further? Or should I use additional bass traps for the first reflection points? I also have a window near the side wall
So what about mixing headphones though? Don't you eliminate these wall reflection issues when you use those? (I'm new to this, don't judge lol). What downsides of headphones are we eliminating by making an open mixing studio?
I had a question, could I put up a bunch of acoustic panels to fill up all of my walls? I'm also going to get some bass traps as well.
put your rockwoool before the pannel in a big garbage bag they fit perfectly, and bcause of the plastic reverbing, put that cloth over itso it absorbs the high frequencies of the plastic bag
after buying the sonarworks reference 4 system I can see a big swell at 1200 HZ. I guess that means foam is better for me that rockwool panels. also, I thought the bass problems acoustical engineers go on and on about being a problem are much lower frequencies than either foam panels or rockwool panels address. you need actual bass traps - bass absorbing corner mounted bass, absorbing material. what am I missing?
do it cause problems if i layer the acoustic panels with painter foil under the blanket or do the frequenzes pass trough the foil? and should i spend more money to overlay them with acoustic blankets or are just normal blankets needed? please answer...
i thought you had forgot about this part , been waiting for this :)
;)
if i 'm not afford making acoustic treatment, is reflection filter could be an option ?
Does a DIY bass trap with rockwool inside work?
Incredibly informative! thank you so much for taking the time to create this series!!!
Where do I find this egg-app you keep talking about? 6:47
I have a question .. why do many people on the internet sit facing the wall..can I sit back off the wall and treat the first reflection point like this video, does it work?
thanks in advance.
Nice video! What did you use to mount the panels to the wall and ceiling to get this 2" gap?
I was considering doing natural acoustic recordings using only the room's own resonance as the effect. In that case could u eq n compress as it us being recorded n still have a good mix?
Nice one Rob. Question: if one has a big dip at, say, 100hz, can you add a temporary EQ on the master buss that does a narrow boost at the 100hz to counteract the dip? Then prior to bouncing down, disable this correction eq ?
This is basically what Sonarworks does
This is the vedio i was exactly looking for 👏🏽👏🏽
Still getting a little "bounce" in one area - is it OK to put a rug on the ceiling?
Although the low end had a few nulls and peaks smoothed out, and the overall decay time was significantly improved, that mid-range dip (and the oscillations above the dip) are super concerning. Especially since our ears are so much more particular about the mid-range/speaking range
Acoustic Foams are used for Echo & Acoustic Curtains are used for Soundproofing SoundProof-Curtains.me
@@laurabrown2899 Freaking spammers. You all suck. Find a better way to pedal a product
nice video bro. I learn so much with you! big up
did you figured out what causes the mid dips ? and how you fixed it ? im starting now to make my "living room" beat making/mix station a better listening expirience
All I wanna know is where did you get that desk?
Hi Rob, what to do when the ceiling is very high, like in the case of an old skylight?
This was a great video on acoustic treatment on a budget.
Can you also do a video that considers soundproofing materials for musicians?
Fine video. Your acoustic treatment looks exactly like the one I have, but then again I use GIK Acoustic stuff and got advice from them when buying.