Why you need acoustic panels in your bedroom studio

Why you need acoustic panels in your bedroom studio

The world has shifted due to the pandemic, which has brought back a resurgence of people continuing their work from home and setting up professional-level setups for their home office.

Companies are offering incentives and equipment for their employees to work from home. With all the time spent home, people have started converting their home into a place of business for a wide variety of businesses. This goes beyond the corporate office employee who needs a laptop, fast internet and a good headset.

In addition, pre-pandemic, we saw the rise of amateur video production via the surge in influencers. The market has grown so much that the tools utilized have also become more sophisticated. One of the major areas where this is important is audio production.

Whether it be for a TikTok video, or an influencer reviewing the latest gaming laptop, or the latest beats in electronic or house music, the audio is a critical component that is easily overlooked. Since using professional-grade studios is not as easy to do anymore, and building one can seem costly – we're going to look at a beginner's guide to Acoustics Management. This quick guide will work well with both professionals those that are considering trying it out. It also works for a wide variety of professions from influencers, to streamers, to music production.

Evaluation of your bedroom

Before spending a bunch of money after a quick internet search, make sure you know what types of materials are needed – as you are doing a mix of soundproofing and acoustic treatment. Walk around the room, clapping your hands or making noise and see if the sound has an echo or a clanking sound or not.

The larger the echo and clanking the more sound absorption and treatment products you will need. Obviously if every time a clap or an echo is made and it sounds like a medieval sword fight– maybe try another room in the home if possible.

Sound Absorption

Let's face it, most videos on these platforms are now being done in the household and usually in the bedrooms. These songs are not always calming, but in fact, can be very loud and bass-heavy. Instead of driving your roommates or loved ones that you might live with, let's start thinking about soundproofing your room. To soundproof your bedroom now studio, you would usually need heavy material that could absorb or even block out the vibrations caused by audio.

The most common type is foam material (think egg crate mattresses from college) that is literally placed on the wall. This and other types of insulation materials are what have been commonly used to support this. They can be expensive or difficult to install, and since they are insulation related – can also affect the temperature in that room.

Just do not forget the importance of this, otherwise, you might end up facing eviction or noise complaints. Your roommate will thank you immensely and you will be able to focus on your art in the best possible environment without fear of repercussion.

Acoustic Treatment

This one is sometimes confused with the previous topic. This is actually a different focus that is needed and is what makes some of these simple videos feel so professional. Since the room is small, and we're on a tight budget – we'll focus on the need being with acoustic panels. These help to trap those sound waves that really can ruin the professional approach you are trying to go with your audio and video production. There are many types of panels that can be used in different sizes, which are made out of a variety of materials. They are placed on the walls of the room as that is where they will capture the most frequency and convert your audio to a positive listening experience.

There is the possibility that this is not the only focus that is needed here. There are two other items that should be weigh up also.

Bass Treatments – These can be needed if you’re doing a heavy metal party. They are set up like traps in your room on the floor to absorb those vibrations. Again – this is only primarily needed if a lot of bass is on the agenda. These can be very expensive and should only be needed if the acoustic wall panels are not doing their job.

Diffusors – these are really only needed for professional-level studios. A lot of people talk about this because they want to have that truly perfect sound, but based on what can occur in a home studio versus in a professional studio, as well as reviewing our homebrew studio budget, we can skip these altogether. Only go after these if you're using your home studio for pure musical production, and only if the absorption and bass treatments were not enough.

Due to the specialized nature of this equipment, it is always better to buy these piecemeal, in the correct order above, from companies that only focus on these types of products.

Ok so which one should I get?

Great question. As mentioned earlier, there have been some great advancements in sound absorption technology and it is recommended to not utilize foam or other insulating products. That might seem crazy to hear, but as the demand grew, so did a new polyester-based product. These are extremely to set up as just some double-sided tape and we can begin developing our bedroom studio. Instead of coming in large pieces that need to be cut, these come in smaller and more useful shapes such as hexagons, to lay down the tiles quickly and efficiently

On top of that, they are eco-friendly, odorless and safe for children and your beloved pets, in case you see your dog accidentally taking a tile away as a toy while you are setting them up on the wall. No strange smells or random potentially toxic chemicals are in these products. Due to the fact that they are 100% polyester fiber – they can easily come in dozens of colors, so not only can you create a studio, you can set the proper look and feel to your production setup, which will also help enhance your video. There is no need to worry about those standard industrial blacks on your wall any longer.

The price point for these products is also lower than traditional sound absorption and treatment products. Also – they work. This is actually the most important part. Always go with the highest density you can find (if you are ever offered different thickness types), as the thicker they are the better their output will be.

Once this is set up, it will not only absorb the sound but block out the sound from the outside, to make sure the audio doesn't get mixed in with accidental noise. They are a great way for a DIY bedroom studio and you will immediately see the results when you install them. They work on any surface, just make sure to clean the wall beforehand as double-sided tape on a dirty wall will lose its effectiveness.

Just remember – every room is different, and these polyester panels are the fastest and lowest-cost way to proceed forward in the start, without having to go an expensive route and accidentally get the wrong equipment. It's important to slowly start building your studio, then your content, and grow the sophistication of it as needed.