The Top 10 Soundproofing Myths, Busted.
At Music City Acoustics, we’re in the trenches every day with our client design projects, acoustical consultations and handmade product builds, so we know a thing or two about what’s true and what’s false in the industry. Below, we’ve compiled (and busted) our top 10 biggest soundproofing myths, so you can soundproof your space with accurate information.
Myth 1: Acoustic foam and acoustic panels can be used as soundproofing panels.
Soundproofing refers to reducing or stopping the transmission of sound from a sound source to a receiver. This can be from one room to another in a house, or from a busy street up to an apartment a few stories above.
Unfortunately, soundproofing panels don’t not really exist. In order to soundproof a room, construction utilizing heavy sound barriers and decoupling techniques are (generally) required.
And the reality is, Acoustic Panels are commonly mistaken as, or called, soundproofing panels. These products are used to control the acoustics within a room (e.g. reducing reverb times, flutter echoes, controlling background noise) but don’t stop the transmission of sound through walls.
Myth 2: Acoustic foam can be used as a bass trap.
The acoustic foam products commonly found on the Internet do not have the required mass or depth needed to provide effective bass trapping.
Foam Bass Traps like these will not absorb anything below 500hz.
The foam triangles called Bass Traps that are readily available online will provide little to no low-frequency absorption. This is due to their small size, low density, and the design being intended to sit in a corner where the velocity of sound waves is near zero.
Porous absorber bass traps require very large depths (a couple of feet or more) to be effective. Membrane Bass Traps, or pressure absorbers, can be very effective with a much smaller footprint, but don’t use acoustic foam in the design.
Myth 3: 2 inches of Owens Corning 703 will make a bass trap.
Owens Corning 703 is a great product that can be used to make excellent porous absorbers. However, at a 2” depth, it does not have the depth needed to work as an effective Bass Trap. If you are looking at a 703 product labeled “Bass Traps'' that is only 2” deep, don’t be fooled. You are looking at a panel that will very effectively absorb 500Hz and above, but very little below.
Myth 4: Acoustic ceiling tiles will aid in soundproofing an office.
Acoustic ceiling tiles (or drop ceilings) can be a very effective acoustic solution for offices when the right ceiling tile is implemented.
They are great at controlling room acoustics (e.g. reducing reverb, flutter echo, background noise), which in turn makes the office a more productive and comfortable place to work.
However, acoustic ceiling tiles DO NOT provide isolation and privacy.
Isolating or soundproofing an office requires constructing walls, ceilings and floors, decoupled from one another with lots of mass. Additionally, achieving a high level of soundproofing from office to office will require properly designed doors, electrical, and HVAC systems.
If you are looking for soundproofing solutions, let’s connect about our consulting services.
Myth 5: Sound diffusers will help out even small rooms.
Diffusers are an incredible tool in the acoustician’s toolbox, but they are not right for every job.
In order to properly diffuse and scatter sound waves, Diffusers require several feet between them and the receiver (e.g., listener, microphone).
This custom Music City Acoustics QRD Diffuser took this room to a whole new level.
This custom Music City Acoustics QRD Diffuser took this room to a whole new level.
Without at least 6 to 9 feet of space for the diffusion to occur, you will just have a very expensive piece of wood on your wall.
In small rooms, we do not recommend using PRD Diffusers or QRD Diffusers. However, Space Coupling Diffusers can be very effective in small rooms, making them sound and feel larger while also increasing the absorption of nearby Acoustic Panels.
Myth 6: Subwoofer placement doesn’t matter.
If you’ve been searching the internet for help on where to put your subwoofer, you have probably come across an article saying something like, “it doesn’t matter where you place your subwoofer, because low frequencies are omnidirectional”.
Try these starting points to find the best spot for your subwoofer.
Low frequencies have historically very large waveforms. This does, in fact, make subwoofers omnidirectional devices, but the placement of your subwoofer is incredibly important. The subwoofer’s location in the room in relation to the placement of your speakers will determine whether they are properly phased and time-aligned.
The effect of room modes and the resulting standing waves will also directly correlate to where your subwoofer is located.
Use the starting points shown to the right, then move your sub around and listen closely. If your subwoofer has a polarity switch on it, flipping it on and off as you are moving it can be very helpful.
Tip: Have someone move the sub while you sit in the chair at the listening position.
Myth 7: Acoustic solutions are ugly and too expensive.
Can you find the acoustic panel in this picture? It is over 40 feet long.
With a wide variety of acoustic panels and products, as well as DIY options available, the right acoustic solution is out there.
Sometimes, that means focusing on the most important areas first to keep the cost down.
Other times, that means using custom fabrics from Guilford of Maine, Acoustic Art Panels, or building Custom Acoustic Panels to seamlessly blend in.
Myth 8: Vocal booths are a good idea.
There’s nothing better than being in the room with a singer while they are performing a vocal. Well, maybe it’s better if you’re the one recording in the control room. This space should be the best acoustically treated room in your studio so that you can hear all of your important mix and production moves.
Your spare coat closet or the tiny vocal booth you want to build out won’t have the extra space needed to properly treat it. On top of that, your artist will probably feel claustrophobic.
Tiny spaces suffer from nasty comb filtering effects, flutter echoes, and a lack of space and air. Ditch the vocal booth idea, throw on some headphones, and record your vocalist right in the control room.
Myth 9: I don’t need acoustic treatments in my bedroom or project studio.
Every decision you make as an engineer/producer and/or performer is based on what you hear. If your room isn’t treated, you won’t hear your monitors – you will hear your room.
Even if you are working out of your bedroom, the easiest way to improve what you hear is not by upgrading to a new pair of super expensive studio monitors, but by creating a better acoustic environment. A few acoustic panels in your project studio will make it a more fun, easy, and inspiring place to work.
Myth 10: Foam or carpet on the bottom side of chairs and tables will help the acoustics in a restaurant.
This is a concept that comes up a surprising number of times in our conversations with restaurant managers and owners. It is a myth that has been perpetuated in the industry for years. Hate to break it to you, but placing carpet or foam on the underside of tables and chairs will have ZERO effect on the acoustics in a restaurant.
When we are working with restaurants, the primary objectives are typically to reduce the overall volume, improve speech intelligibility, and to create a comfortable atmosphere. To do this, we need to control the reflections of sound waves off of the walls and ceiling, not the bottom of the chairs.
There you have it, our Top 10 Soundproofing Myths, Busted. Do you have other trends, truths, or myths you’ve heard of? We’d love to hear from you.