Over the last 3 years there has been an influx of at-home studios for podcasters, streamers and TikTokers alike. To assist those wanting to create their own, Technical Foam Systems (TFS), foam conversions specialists, have detailed the tips and tricks required to build the perfect space for recording, broadcasting or streaming the best sound.
Google Trend data reveals that since 2019, search terms for ‘acoustic panel’ and ‘sound absorbing panels UK’ have both seen an increase of +400%. People are also utilising social media to find home studio inspiration, with 3,555,111 posts available under the Instagram hashtag #homestudio.
Podcasters or vloggers need their sound to be crystal clear and have no interference from background noise. Acoustic foam in the space ensures this happens by acting as a sound absorber, reducing energy and amplitude of certain sound waves. By reducing the pick-up of echoes and background noise when recording, more accurate and cleaner recordings are created – capturing what you intended to hear.
The positioning and placement of acoustic foam in a home studio is key to achieving the best sound quality, and to do this you need to find your reflection points. Duncan Geddes, Business Manager at TFS, details how to identify these to assist with acoustic panel arrangement: “You can find these by sitting in your listening position and visualising where sound from your speakers hits your side walls and bounces back to you”.
The quantity of foam used is also integral to a successful home studio set up. Duncan continues to explain how much foam is needed: “The main adage is the more foam used, the more acoustic absorbance there will be. You need to cover at least ten square metres of wall to start to make a difference in a 10m² room.”
Along with the placement and quantity, the type of acoustic foam chosen is also important. For creating the best sound environment, surface style needs to be considered as the more it has, the more unwanted sound gets absorbed. Angled and egg-box finished surfaces are good to use as they provide more surface area and therefore better sound quality.
Popular creators, such as Australian TikTok sensation Zeth who has 13 million followers, often feature their design space on their social media platforms. This is likely why grey is often chosen as the colour for acoustic tiles, as not only does it look aesthetically appealing, but it also retains its colour for longer than lighter shades.
Once the acoustic foam has been added in its optimal size and position, it is important not to forget about sealing the room. Duncan adds: “Consider improving draught excluders, window seals and covering chimney entrances, etc. Also look at improving the underlay beneath any carpet, dense foam underlay can really help.”
In summary, when creating the perfect home studio, these are 5 key things to consider:
- Begin with positioning, identifying the areas that sound hits from speakers and then bounces back.
- Angled and ‘egg-box’ finished surfaces provide more surface area and therefore more absorbance.
- Increased quantities of acoustic foam also lead to increased absorbance.
- Opting for dark grey acoustic foam will provide increased aesthetic longevity.
- Seal your home studio with draught excluders and window seals to finish.
For information on soundproofing, and more ways acoustic foam can be used in a home studio, visit: https://www.technicalfoamservices.co.uk/blog/how-to-soundproof-a-room/
