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What Is Acoustic Treatment?
Acoustic treatment is a method whereby sound is controlled within a space. Using various specialist items – including solutions made from acoustic foam – sound waves are absorbed or diffused to improve the overall quality of sound within an area.
It is essential to undertake acoustic room treatment within recording studios – even home studios. DIY acoustic treatment is fairly straightforward and comes at an accessible cost.
Why Is Acoustic Treatment Important?
Recording in a space that has undergone acoustic treatment ensures a good quality of sound recording when making music, creating voice overs or developing other music mixings and instrument recordings. It is far easier to hear specific notes and it reduces the risk of any ‘muddy’ sounds, ensuring all recordings are of a high and professional standard.
Rooms with hard surfaces often cause reverberation, which is another issue that needs to be contained. Failing to do so can muffle the quality of individual notes and sounds.
How Does Acoustic Treatment Work?
Acoustics are complicated, but on a basic level, acoustic treatment commonly works in two ways – via sound wave diffusion or absorption. Some acoustic treatment panels are designed to absorb sound, ensuring that unwanted sound energy doesn’t reflect back into a recording. Instead, these sound reflections are absorbed by the acoustic material.
Sound diffusion instead works by breaking up unwanted sound reflections into different directions. As a result, their negative impact on a sound recording is reduced. These types of acoustic treatment materials are frequently labelled as acoustic diffusers.
Types Of Acoustic Treatment Materials
Given the complexity of sound and the various ways and reasons why one would want to acoustically treat a space, there are many different types of acoustic treatment materials on offer. For home studios, bass traps and acoustic panels are popular low-cost options that are available in custom dimensions at an accessible cost.
Acoustic foam panels and diffuser panels are also great for sensitive recording environments. Acoustic foam is often available with a distinctive egg-crate shaped surface. Unlike acoustic panels which tend to be smooth, acoustic foam is used for heavy duty and more practical DIY acoustic treatment applications.
Other acoustic treatment materials on offer include fibreglass insulation and ceiling clouds. These typically come at a higher price point, and are not totally necessary for a DIY home recording studio.
Diy Acoustic Treatment for your Home Studio
If you are looking for DIY acoustic treatment, begin with the basics. Acoustic foam, acoustic panels and bass traps are advised in the first instance to create an effective acoustic treatment solution at home.
Available through many reputable manufacturers, DIY acoustic treatment is commonly sold to fit custom dimensions and is usually available cut to any shape. This is great for awkwardly shaped rooms, and for ensuring that all relevant space is covered within a room. Each wall and surface must be carefully considered to ensure effective acoustic treatment is achieved.