The music rooms need to be soundproof.
Even if you get the most updated gear for your recordings, soundproofing your recording room should be your priority.
To get the most out of your music equipment, you must keep your recordings clear of all unwanted sounds.
This article will help you understand how to make your music room soundproof with easy and cheap strategies.
Thicker walls
A simple method to soundproof any room is to make the walls thick and add more mass.
Thicker walls help either absorb the sound waves they get reflected.
This makes it impossible for the sound waves to travel through the walls, so all the noise remains inside the room.
And the noise from the outside is unable to come inside.
For your music room, you can try adding thicker drywall to help absorb more sound.
Also, for better results, you can add things; like a sound isolation barrier or a ‘sheet block’ on the inside of the drywall.
Wall padding
Adding wall padding, like installing absorbent panels, will soften all the sharp sounds and help absorb more noise.
Another option is using acoustic foam mats on your wall.
Acoustic foam mats ensure you don’t get to hear the outside noise; at the same time, the inside noise can’t be heard outside.
By absorbing all the noise, they ensure no echo and all the sounds are dampened.
Most of the wall padding available on Amazon is highly sound absorbent, easy to clean and provides you high durability.
Damping vibrations
The noise vibrations travel across the room even if you have thicker walls.
Even if you use the most updated and high-quality microphones, the disturbances in your recordings will be clear.
Most sounds travel back, form echo, or get reflected.
The best idea is to use materials that absorb the noise and help dampen its vibrations.
Acoustic caulk glue
Acoustic glue or acoustic caulk glue is an elastic sealant.
It is used for wall frames and the building of drywalls.
This is the most effective if you want a material-dampening noise.
The good part is this acoustic glue can be used to fill any gaps or empty spaces that you may find in your walls, doors, door frames, windows or window frames.
The gaps or the empty spaces are very important to be filled because they are the biggest culprits to noise.
They let the noise in and out.
So to block all the noise, you need to ensure all the gaps are properly sealed.
For this purpose, normal caulks are used, which are water-based, and they can also be painted easily.
So now you don’t have to worry about caulk not matching your door, window, or wall’s colour.
Decoupling
Decouple your equipment and your room’s inner wall surface from the outer boundaries.
This will help in avoiding the transmission of vibrations which will eliminate all unnecessary noise and sounds.
Tearing down all the walls and building new ones to add insulation and soundproofing materials is a more costly and difficult option.
So if you want to avoid such hassle, decoupling is a better option.
For decoupling, you’ll need to:
Create air gaps
Creating air gaps may make you achieve a floating or isolating effect.
You can use Whisper clips and channels to create a secondary wall.
Even if you have already used fiberglass or acoustic sealant, you can still opt for this option.
This strategy is very effective and helps in doubling the absorption of sounds and vibrations.
So you will get the perfect soundproof professional recording studio.
Floating floor
A floating floor is another best idea if you have room below your studio.
For this purpose, you need to double the floor.
Instead of drywall and damping glue, you can add drywall and create a gap in-between the two layers.
This is a perfect idea for a floating floor.
For this purpose, you can also use thick soundproofing mats on the entire floor.
Use isolation pads
Normally all the music equipment when working produces high noise which causes many vibrations.
These vibrations pass through the surfaces, causing the sounds to travel across all the surfaces.
You need to consider isolation foam pads to minimize vibrations and noise.
If this is not an option, you can use thick rugs, which also help absorb and weaken the vibrations.
Hence you will hear less noise and echo.
Close all the air gaps
When you finish the above soundproofing strategies, you must close all the air gaps.
When you create a room within the room for soundproofing, that may need some fixing.
You will need to fill in the gaps.
Remember, if air can pass through, so can the sounds.
You may not notice, but you may have missed some pipes, air-conditioning vents, door frames, or wooden windows.
Only you will get a fully soundproof space when you close all of them.
You can seal the gaps with foam gaskets.
They are affordable and can be easily used.
Installing door sweep
Door sweeps block the gap between the floor and the door.
Most of the noise passes through this gap.
This horizontal space is enough for the air to pass, and it is not for the noise.
You fill this gap using any thick cloth or a pillow of that size.
This won’t cost much, so it is a cheap and easy solution.
Another great option is to attach a door sweep.
Door sweeps are designed for this purpose, making the place airtight.
They are also easily available in markets and online.
You attach a door sweep to whatever kind of door you have installed in your studio.
And the best thing is you don’t have to call any expert for this purpose; you can do it independently.
Now, let us see some important things you should remember before soundproofing your music room.
Budget
Soundproofing can be expensive as well as cheap.
You just need to figure out what technique you want to go for.
But remember one thing, research before you opt for any particular technique.
All expensive techniques don’t work, and all cheap techniques are not useless.
Sometimes you may find a cheap idea works far better than most expensive ones.
But you have to set a budget and remember that you cannot do soundproofing without spending anything.
You’re wrong if you think egg cartons and Styrofoam peanuts will work for your music room!
They are too thin to block the noise from travelling through them.
And these kinds of ineffective tricks will only cause mess and fire hazards.
So, be realistic.
Don’t overspend, and neither thinks that soundproofing is free of cost.
Expectations
When starting with soundproofing, keep your expectations reality-based.
Experts warn that it is almost impossible for a place to become soundproof.
As air travels in and out of your room, sound does too.
You cannot completely shut the sound inside the music room; likewise, you cannot shut the sound completely to go out of your music room.
You must know that the walls, ceiling, and floor absorbs all the noise.
This way, noise can easily travel through the building materials.
There are solutions like weather-stripping tape, cotton insulation, sheet-rubber barrier, fibreglass, foam and many more.
You will need to combine more than one solution to get better results.
But for most of these solutions, you will most likely need to re-modify your existing music room, which may not sound good to you.
So, think before you start.
Conclusion
No matter how updated and expensive equipment you use for creating your music, you cannot create a piece of noise-free music until and unless you create music in a soundproof room.
The above article includes some easy and cheap strategies that may help you make your music studio soundproof.
But remember using a single strategy won’t give the best results unless you combine two or three.
So, what are you waiting for?
Start creating noise-free music by adopting these techniques.
FAQs
1) How can I soundproof a music room without damaging walls?
You must know that soundproofing a music room without damaging the walls is a valuable skill.
This, you can install another layer to your wall or drywall.
You can then paint it to give it a nice and neat look.
When you add mass to your walls, ceiling and floor, they reflect less noise and absorb more of it.
2) What are the reasons to soundproof a music room?
There may be many reasons behind soundproofing a music room; some of them include the following:
- Minimizing the outside noise, such as the noise from airplanes, people, horns, and the loud weather. You would not like it when you hear such noise in your music.
- Minimizing the inside noise is also important while creating music. Dampen the noise and let the soundproofing materials absorb all the noise.
- When you soundproof a room, echoes are also minimized. The materials that are used in soundproofing are designed to do so.
- You can only produce professional quality music when you create your music in a soundproof room
3) Why do I need to soundproof my music room?
A: Soundproofing your music room helps to contain the sound and prevent it from disturbing people in neighboring rooms or buildings. It also improves sound quality by reducing echoes and unwanted noise.
4) What materials do I need to soundproof my music room?
A: You can use a variety of materials such as acoustic foam panels, soundproof curtains, mass-loaded vinyl, soundproofing insulation, and acoustic sealant. The specific materials you need will depend on the level of soundproofing you require and your budget.
5) How do I determine the level of soundproofing I need?
A: The level of soundproofing you need depends on various factors such as the type of music you play, the size of the room, and the proximity of neighboring rooms. You can consult with a professional soundproofing company or acoustic engineer to determine the level of soundproofing required for your music room.
6) Can I soundproof my music room myself or do I need to hire a professional?
A: It is possible to soundproof your music room yourself, but it can be a complex and time-consuming process. Hiring a professional soundproofing company or acoustic engineer can ensure that the job is done correctly and efficiently.