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#soundproof?
In this second update from the audio workshop, we explore some of the ways I’ll be going about dealing with an untreated space and a very limited budget. Starting with a serious look at your end goals, how should you spend your money? Are you trying to keep sound in? Maybe there are outside sounds you want to keep out? Perhaps neither is an issue, but your room just doesn’t sound very good? All things to consider before wasting resources on approaches that may well intentioned but incorrect for your situation.
The primary function of my space is to record & edit dialogue for video and podcasts. It sounds like a concrete box & I’ve got noise coming in from above. We’ll look at addressing each of these on a very modest budget. If you’ve been in this position before, you’re probably familiar with the cheap pyramid foam available online. Flat foam is also popular these days due to the low cost of large sheets. By FAR the most popular suggestion I’ve received from you on social media, has been to use Owens Corning 703 panels. While this is a fantastic approach to acoustically treat a finished space, the high cost of shipping a six pack of OC-703 panels (roughly $40 per $60 pack of 6) makes finding a local retailer critical to purchasing in quantity.
I’ve linked all of the items below if anyone is playing along at home in their own space or thinking about starting a podcast or youtube channel in the future.
Leave a comment below if you’ve got any questions about how to improve the sound in your space or ideas about mine.
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Matthews makes proper sound blankets with grommets that are very popular in the motion picture industry sold as Sound Blanket with Grommets (74 x 81″) If you are after something a bit bigger, Audimute also makes some very thick sound blankets that measure 95″ x 54″ and also include grommets for hanging. In this video you see the Stalwart 7lb Utility Pad (moving blanket)which is a great place to start if grommets are not important. For the lower price you can get more of them and double them up where needed to achieve great flexibility.
When all else fails, there are always the cheap acoustic foam kits that can help if you have no other options. Some folks really like the aesthetic of studio foam & that’s cool too. It never hurts to have some foam on hand, although I would strongly caution against spending a ton on these in any attempt to cover every surface in your room. Identify the problems you actually have and then work to solve them one at a time. Also, studio foam will have ZERO influence on your neighbors ability to hear what you are doing. Just an FYI, that one seems to come up a lot.
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