Basic Information you should know about room Acoustics and Sound Proofing

[redBadger]

There is quite a few misconceptions about setting up proper acoustics in your room whether it be sound proofing or room tuning.

The cheapest option are those foam pads you see everywhere, which is why many people tend to completely overdo it. Look at someone like Markiplier for example: most people thing this is good but in reality it's just making your room sound terrible.

So this thread I want to give you all some basic acoustic room and sound proofing concepts so you understand why you should do certain things if you choose to do them. FIrst let's start with sound proofing.

Sound Proofing is by far the most expensive part and requires redoing your walls, floors, ceilings and windows and isn't really recommended. Though you can still go a long way by investing in double pane or even triple pane windows, ideally by not having the panes parallel, you want them at a different angle for the best sound proofing.

Sealed Air gaps between solid materials can reduce sound transmission. Often referred to as “decoupling”. Decoupling is the concept of detaching layers in a partition to improve sound isolation.

Since sound proofing is such an expensive part, I'm going to link some basic information here in case you do want to invest more into making a sound proof room or home theater.

Learn About STC Ratings

Please note that any foam padding is not sound proofing. This is a very common misconception. These are actually meant for room tuning through absorption and diffusion.

In modern recording studio's, you want to seek out a flat frequency response in your room. There are ways to calculate the FR of you room. www.rodetest.com is a good one but there are plenty of free alternatives to check out.

Absorption soaks up the sound by the surface, which depends on the material you are using and its frequency. Diffusion Intelligently scatters reflections caused by non-flat surfaces. Examples to follow.

Absorption

Portion of sound is converted to heat or motion
Absorption is frequency dependent. Often, surfaces absorb sound only in certain frequency ranges.
The types of absorption are High, Low, and Broadband

High frequency absorption is the cheapest and most cost efficient, which is why you see big youtubers using way too much of them. Cloth, foam, and carpet all effect high frequencies and this type of room tuning should be done last.

https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/554/46c3be7e-8853-4a75-938c-3dd0bb5b8168/image.png

Low frequencies are the most difficult to absorb due to its longer wavelength therefore tend to be very expensive. There are good "bass traps" which typically go into the corners of your room. These can be expensive though.

https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/554/b532f844-3c88-42b7-8288-94ac490cec59/image.png

Finally, Broadband Absorption which is also referred to as a bass trap, are rigid fiberglass panels built into a frame covered in fabric mounted onto the wall. You can also create a 2 inch distance away from the wall which creates an air gap for improved absorption. These are definitely the most important for a good sounding room.

If you have a home office, you definitely want a pair of these. These can also be DIY'd, so google "diy bass traps" and see what others have done.

https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/554/676f3f1c-2b3a-4b3b-b96a-6bc3cb8a61b9/image.png

Finally, diffusion is the last step.

https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/554/0c044938-484b-4efe-8e07-31d412216159/image.png

This can also be DIY'd. Diffisuion is sound reflections that behave similar to light. They are reflected in equal power in the opposite direction. There are concave, which focuses the sound and convex which splays the sound outward.

With this small bit of information I hope you guys go out and do more research on acoustic tuning and I hope I saved you some money by not investing in so many of those cheap high frequency foam panels that everyone thinks are hot.

[Instant Mix]

Will update this post later on, but positioning of these panels is crucial as well. Bass traps belong in the corners, and broadband absorbers / HF absorbers should only really be placed where wall / ceiling reflections are actually strong - the midpoints between your listening position and monitors, anywhere were flutter echoes are particularly noticeable etc.

[DrVincentWolf]

I learned some basic sound theory as part of my education. This was very informative!

[ElectricSquid]

How much of a fire hazard can soundproofing be? I've done some basic research before (like how effective cardboard egg cartons are for makeshift soundproofing) and people tend to say hanging shit on your walls can be a fire hazard. Not sure why a cloth frame or some foam is worse than curtains or a tapestry though.