If you think the only way to make it sound professional is to go to a commercial studio, think again. Thanks to advances in technology, it is really possible to get studio-quality sound at home.
In this post, we’re going to look at some of the key ingredients of the perfect home music studio. We cover everything from electronics to sound insulation.
Room Shape
Before you start buying lots of material, you will first want to consider which room in your house you are in perfect for music studios. In general, you should choose a room with proportions near the golden ratio: 1:1.6 as they have a tendency to produce the best acoustics.
Next you’ll want to consider other factors. For example, you can get better sound in:
- The rooms are bigger compared to the smaller ones
- Irregular rooms (such as rooms with bay windows)
- Rooms with a flat or convex surface
- Rooms whose proportions aren’t direct multiples of each other
You haven’t got to meet all of these requirements perfectly to build an excellent studio. Just choose the room in your house that’s closest.
Room Acoustics
The next thing you’ll want to do is do a sound check to test the acoustics of the room. This is determined by the amount of sound absorbed and reflected by the surrounding material.
Hard surfaces tend to be more reflective, while soft surfaces absorb more sound. In some cases, high reflectivity is okay. However, in most cases, it needs to be controlled. That’s why you regularly see professional music studios with carpeted walls and ceilings. This is an try to reduce echo.
Rugs, curtains and sofas all absorb sound. This is an excellent material to use if you plan on playing at high frequencies. You can use regular siding for your walls, or use inexpensive patch sound insulation materials.
Isolation
Sound is largely a series of tiny vibrations in the air that the brain converts into recognizable sounds. For this reason, you should focus on minimizing sound transmission through walls so you can separate your studio from neighbors and other members of the family.
There are many ways to separate your studio from the rest of your home. This includes:
- Install especially sealed ducts and grilles to stop sound from flowing out into other rooms
- Adding air space between walls to create a sound barrier
- Use floating walls combined with padded insulation to isolate the studio from the rest of the room
- Using the bottom layer and bulk loaded vinyl for equipment isolation
Install Your Equipment
Finally, once you have laid the groundwork, it is time to assemble the equipment. You will need an audio interface, microphone, studio headphones, monitor, a spin pedals, mounts and numerous cables. At a minimum, you will want to budget around $1,500, even though you could easily spend more.
How much you pay depends on your enthusiasm level. If you are just a hobbyist (and you do not plan on making any kind of professional music), then the essential common equipment will suffice. However, if you are part of a band, you may need to increase your budget.
