Arts >> Music >> Recording Music

How to Build Sound Absorbing Panels

Recording studio time can run into thousands of dollars per session, but with today’s technology it is possible to have a home recording studio that can provide professional results for a fraction of the cost. However, you can’t just put your musicians in a room, record them and expect great results. Hard walls reflect and reverberate sound, resulting in poor recordings. Sound-absorbing panels can correct this problem, and with the right materials and a few tools, it is possible to build these sound-absorbing panels on your own.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 pine boards, 2-by-4-inch, 7 1/2 feet long
  • 2 pine boards, 2-by-4-inch, 2 feet long
  • Tenpenny nails
  • 2-by-8-feet pegboard
  • Finishing nails
  • Fiberglass insulation
  • 2-by-8-feet hardware cloth
  • Heavy-duty staples
  • Electric staple gun
  • Bonded polyester fiber batting
  • Muslin
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Nail the frame together by attaching two 7 1/2-foot boards to 2-foot boards. Use tenpenny nails to nail the short boards to the top and bottom of the long boards. When finished, you will have a 2-by-8-foot wood frame.

    • 2

      Attach a 2-by-8-foot piece of pegboard to one side of the frame using finishing nails. Turn the frame over and lay the fiberglass insulation inside the frame so the paper backing is against the pegboard and the fiberglass is facing up.

    • 3

      Cut a piece of hardware cloth, which is similar to chicken wire but more rigid, the size of the outside of the sound panel’s frame. Use heavy-duty staples in an electric staple gun and staple the hardware cloth to the frame over the fiberglass.

    • 4

      Cover the hardware cloth with bonded polyester fiber batting extended over the edges of the wooden frame. Staple it into place. Do not stretch the batting too tightly, but it should not have any wrinkles.

    • 5

      Stretch muslin over the entire frame and wrap it around so it can be stapled to the back side of the sound-absorbing panel. The muslin should be stretched tightly.

Recording Music

Related Categories