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How to Build an Acoustic Studio Wall

The main difference between recording in your living room and recording in a professional studio is that studios spend thousands of dollars ensuring that their recording rooms are acoustically sound. Although you could spend vast sums of money converting a basement or bedroom into a great acoustic sounding room, there are alternatives you can use to make any room sound great. A "sound baffle" catches sound waves that are bouncing around your room. While recording, the sound waves created by instruments create a blizzard of sound that can destroy any chance of achieving great acoustics. Baffles work by the sound waves entering through the fabric that is stretched across the front and absorbing into the foam inside.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-by-6 wooden beams for the frame. (You will need three 10-foot-long beams to make one frame)
  • Utility knife
  • Power drill
  • Power saw
  • 4-Inch Wood screws
  • 1-inch wood screws
  • Roll of ridged sound proof foam
  • Roll of double-sided Velcro
  • Roll of thick fabric
  • Stud finder
  • Staple gun and staples
  • Tape measure
  • 90-degree brackets, 2 per baffle
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Instructions

  1. Building the Sound Baffle

    • 1

      The height of a proper baffle should be from the floor to the ceiling of the room you are working in. The ideal width for a baffle is 2 feet. If your room is 9 feet tall you will need two 9-foot pieces for the sides, and two 2-foot pieces for the top and bottom. Cut the beams with your power saw. Most hardware stores sell 2-by-6 beams in 10-foot lengths, so you will need to purchase three to make one baffle.

    • 2

      Arrange the four pieces of wood into a rectangle.

    • 3

      Using your power drill and screws, secure the four corners of the rectangle. Be sure that you secure the screws as tight as possible so that the frame is locked in place.

    • 4

      Using your drill and screws fasten the two 90-degree brackets to the wall. Be sure to use a stud finder so that the brackets are secure. Hang the baffle frame on the top of the bracket and secure it to the bracket with 1-inch screws. Brackets should be spaced 6 inches in from the sides of the frame.

    • 5

      Line the exposed wall inside the sound catcher frame with the heavy ridged foam. Foam reacts to sound like a sponge soaking in water. It is especially efficient at catching low sound waves created by drums and bass guitars.

    • 6

      Stretch the fabric across the front of the frame. Secure it to the sides with your staple gun. You want to be sure that the fabric is tightly stretched so that the sound waves can pass through the material.

    • 7

      For a wall to be truly acoustic you must hang one baffle every 3 feet along your wall. For a 12-foot-long wall you would need four sound baffles.

    Baffling the Exposed Wall

    • 8

      Now that your wall has sound baffles on it, you have to complete the process of making it acoustically sound. Measure the area of the exposed wall with your tape measure.

    • 9

      Using your utility knife, cut the roll of ridged foam to fit between your sound baffles.

    • 10

      Attach a strip of doubled-sided Velcro to the back of the foam and to the wall itself. Run the Velcro vertically from the ceiling to the floor.

    • 11

      Stick the foam to the wall. Press hard to ensure that the Velcro sticks and that the foam won't fall off during a recording.

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