Soundproofing Acoustic Panels (the Best Home Recording Studio)
How much difference do the soundproofing acoustic panels make?
How much difference did the soundproofing acoustic panels actually make to the sound of my room? I wanted to test this – everyone loves a before and after right? I thought I’d do this a number of ways…
- A decibel sound meter
- Sound recordings before and after
- What did the room look like before and after?
Hear the difference with soundproofing acoustic panels
I decided to record a poem, relevant in title – ‘Sound and Sense’ by Alexander Pope. I figured it would be a bit more interesting to listen to than me counting to ten… have a listen for yourself below.
And for any experiment fans out there, I was exactly the same distance from the microphone for both recordings, all perimeters were the same.
Sound in the room before soundproofing acoustic panels
Sound in the room after soundproofing acoustic panels
Sound testing before and after acoustic panels
A decibel sound meter was fairly easy to find as an app. I measured twice before installing any of the panels – firstly just in the quiet room, secondly with the door closed and the TV on downstairs (sometimes, other things might be going on in the house, and it’s not always possible to get everything, and everyone silent, during a recording, so I wanted a realistic example). I then repeated this with exactly the same perimeters after installation.
| Conditions | Before wall panels (dB reading) | After wall panels (dB reading) |
|---|---|---|
| Totally silent house | 26.6 dB | 24.8 dB |
| With TV on, kettle boiling and door shut | 27.2 dB | 25.5 dB |
As you can see, the sound was reduced in both circumstances, which was a result!
But the most important reason I wanted the panels in the first place was to improve the actual recording quality, so here is where the recording comparisons came in to play. This is where it gets really exciting because the soundproofing acoustic panels are best for controlling the reverb of noise inside a space.
Why did I want soundproofing acoustic panels?
As a voiceover artist, one room in my house doubles up as not only a place for guests to sleep and as storage space, but also as a place to record audio. I’m the voice for audio books, telephone systems, radio commercials, all sorts – within reason, if someone needs a young-ish British female voice with a soft Northern twang, I say yes.
Having worked in the radio industry for many years, I know some of the tricks that can make audio sound more like you’re in a studio than an echoey bedroom (trust me, the number of professional audio colleagues I know who have learnt how to utilise pillows, duvets and blankets in their house, particularly during the pandemic, is significant). In fact, the wonderful Monty Don even posted a photo of his make-shit home recording studio during the pandemic!
But I wanted a more permanent solution. Not so permanent that I’d create a totally soundproof, superstar-style recording studio without any flexibility (after all, I still need a spare bedroom and some of the soundproofing solutions were beyond what I needed), but one that meant I no longer had to rely on weird tricks to create an acceptable sound, and no longer dread the moment someone wanted to video call the ‘studio’.
So I needed a solution – one that wasn’t going to break the bank, one that could relocate with me fairly easily should I ever move house, too. My acoustic solution also needed to allow me to use the space for other things with ease. However, most importantly I needed a soundproofing solution that would give me the best audio voice recordings.
I already knew about sound absorption panels from Wickes and Screwfix, but I wanted to get this right. Soundproofing is a science and so I went to the experts who sorted me out with the best soundproofing acoustic panels for me and my budget!
Three reasons I installed soundproofing acoustic panels from iKoustic
- A class absorption – the Soft Note soundproofing acoustic panels I went for are described as ‘high performing in tackling excessive reverberation’. Absorption classes are set by ISO to ensure quality and performance.
- Easy to install – they’re really lightweight (trust me, I can carry a large panel with one hand and I’m not overly strong) so I wasn’t worried about them being hard to handle or have the risk of excess wall damage. This also means they’re able to move rooms should I move house.
- Stylish and flexible – the iKoustic Soft Note is an acoustic fabric wrapped panel and comes in lots of different shapes and 32 colours. I’m pretty confident they could match every room and could be installed in lots of different ways which could be a real feature!
Where should I put my soundproofing acoustic panels?
As well as doing my research about sound and using the iKoustic website, I had a really useful video call with Gabriel from the team so that I could show him the room and discuss what my plans were. He advised me on what to do with the soundproofing acoustic panels for a bedroom and how they actually work. Talking to the technical support team meant iKoustic understood my restrictions within the space and why I needed a multifunctional room.
I live in a 3 bed semi-detached house on the edge of a city. The room in question is roughly a square and as well as my desk with computer and recording equipment, I also have a single bed and a bedside table. I needed the soundproofing acoustic panels to be discreet enough to work around my life as well as being effective.
Having talked to iKoustic, we established a few things…
The floor is carpet – a good start. Hard floors immediately create reverberation. This means the remaining options I was interested in applying sound treatment to were the walls and the ceiling. If you haven’t got a carpet down, then simply buying a rug could help to reduce reverb for you.
I’ll be honest, the idea of soundproofing a ceiling scared me a little. I didn’t have the budget to have a fully fitted soundproof ceiling installation, and I didn’t exactly feel comfortable trusting my own handywork suspended over my equipment (and myself). That said, I was tempted by some of the more adventurous soundproofing acoustic panels, like these!
So, in the end, the walls felt like an easy win for a home recording studio. We discussed that I could always add an extra soundproofing acoustic panel or two to the ceiling if I didn’t feel the walls made enough difference after installation.
I have two large walls, empty of anything important, both of which surround my microphone. The other two walls have a window and radiator, and the door and a fitted cupboard. We decided to start with six soundproofing acoustic panels – two on each of the empty walls and one each on the other two.
How much do soundproofing acoustic panels cost?
I didn’t really know how much I wanted to spend, but it was safe to say I didn’t have an unlimited pot of money (that’d be nice hey?).
The acoustic panels I ended up going for can be bespoke made and so the price depends on what you want – be it size, design or thickness. I went for 200mm x 60mm panels – all in tall white narrow rectangles. Often tempted by bright colours, I thought the white would reduce the risk of the room feeling smaller and also meant I could move them in to different rooms (if I ever moved house in the future) and it wouldn’t be an issue aesthetically.
Panels of this size start at £48, so it’s a really affordable option for voiceover artists to create a great sounding recording studio!
How easy were the soundproofing acoustic panels to install?
Aa with all projects like this, a bit of prep goes a long way. I spent some time measuring the room, deciding where I would like them and then marking up where the four corners of each panel should be. Having a spirit level handy was very useful here, as was a quick pencil drawing of all the dimensions.
Make sure you take things like plug sockets, light switches, security sensors and skirting board into account. And another tip, if your soundproofing acoustic panels are white or a light colour, make sure you wash your hands so you don’t accidentally mark them!
I did my first soundproofing acoustic panel on a section of wall where it would be easiest to install. It had the most maneuvering room and didn’t need to be as precisely placed compared to a row of them where they had to be in a level line.
How I installed soundproofing acoustic panels
I explored a few different methods of putting soundproofing acoustic panels, but in the end simplicity won – four nails, one in each corner, making sure my nails were long enough to go through the panel and still have enough to attach to the wall. In my case 2 inch nails worked perfectly.
The soundproofing acoustic panels feel really light weight so it wasn’t a problem for me to put them up on my own – starting with the top two nails, letting the panel dangle, and then securing the bottom two. An extra pair of hands may be useful but you can certainly install soundproofing acoustic panels by yourself safely.
Once I was happy with the process for installing the soundproofing acoustic panels, I moved my furniture out of the way and attached the four that would surround my desk and microphone, and finally the one on the one remaining wall.
How long did it take to install soundproofing acoustic panels?
Six panels up in total, probably taking 1 to 2 hours of measuring, planning and marking them on the wall, and 1 to 2 hours of furniture moving and installation.
Equipment needed to install soundproofing acoustic panels
What you need to install soundproofing acoustic panels:
- Pencil and paper
- Tape measure
- Ladder
- Spirit level
- Hammer
- 2 inch nails
- 6 x acoustic panels
Easiest way to install soundproofing acoustic panels
- Talk to iKoustic – the experts know best so utilize them.
- Measure – get the dimensions of your panels and the room accurately measured.
- Plan – draw up a diagram of where the soundproofing acoustic panels will go.
- Mark up – make small pencil marks for where the four corners of the soundproofing acoustic panels should go, checking your progress with a spirit level if you have one.
- Install – I hung my soundproofing acoustic panels with a simple nail and hammer, but there are plenty of other ways!
Were my soundproofing acoustic panels worth it?
Short answer here, I love them! I still keep poking my head in to the room as I walk by to just to stare at them. I could hear the difference in the room immediately after installing the soundproofing acoustic panels, let alone the actual audio quality for my clients.
It’s a relief to not have to worry about the sound quality when I’m recording making the whole voiceover process really quick and easy. Ten out of ten, would recommend for fellow voiceover artists.
