Every (EDM) producer knows this problem: why can't I make a proper premix in my (home) studio? Nine out of ten times this is because you are not working in a Home Studio Acoustics treated room. Having a comfortable and creative space is very important for you to work in as a DJ or Producer. Now the question is: how do you create a good Home Studio Acoustics treated room that sounds good and keeps you inspired without spending to much money? Start by coming up with an intention for the room and state what you will be doing in this space. Is it a room for practice, performance, production, recording or all the above? The intention of the space dictates how the space is set up so it can successfully meet all your needs.
The physics of the propagation of sound in Home Studio Acoustics is immensely complicated, and when the assortment of materials that make up the walls, floors and ceiling (plus any windows, doors and furniture) are added to the equation, it’s very difficult to predict what will happen to sound waves once they’ve left their source. What’s more, every room is different, and it’s not just the dimensions that will dictate how the room will sound... Imagine two rooms of the same shape and size. One has two-metre-thick concrete walls, and the other a single-layer plasterboard stud-wall. Even with those brief, albeit extreme descriptions, you probably know already that the two rooms will sound very different. Add in the multitude of room shapes, sizes, wall-construction methods and surfaces found in home studios, and it becomes impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all guide to acoustic treatment.
The subject of Home Studio Acoustics is regularly discussed on the web, but plenty of readers still ask for the subject to be covered from a much more basic starting point. What follows is a look at installing acoustic treatment from a complete beginner’s perspective: some basic, essential information, along with a bit of advice from acoustics professionals that should give you the confidence to get started. I’ll follow this up by taking you step by step through my own recent experience of treating a room for Home Studio Acoustics.
STEP 1: Basstraps
Most sound problems in small Home Studio Acoustics rooms are caused by low-frequency information that builds up around corners and walls. These problems can be minimized with bass traps that absorb low-frequency energy. This will create a greater sonic balance in the room and allow you to make better mix decisions. Bass traps can be rather expensive, so consider
one of many D.I.Y options. Bass traps should be placed in the corners of your Home Studio Acoustics room. This is where you will get the most bang for your buck. If possible, the address front corners before the back corners. STEP 2: First Early Reflections The next thing acoustically that you will want to address is known as the, “First Early Reflections.” These are the points on your left and right walls where sound from your speakers can potentially bounce back to you before hearing the original signal from the speaker. To find these points sit in your chair facing your monitors and have a friend place a mirror on the right wall at the same level as your monitor speaker. Have them move it around until you can see your left monitor speaker in the mirror. This is your “First Early Reflection” point and thus you should place some absorptive material here to cut the reflection. Some
cheap acoustic foam can do the job decently well for your Home Studio Acoustics room.
STEP 2: Monitor Speaker Placement
Monitor speakers are what we use to create and critically listen to our work so placing them correctly is very important. Placing your speakers in the wrong position in your Home Studio Acoustics room can cause you to make bad mix decisions because you are not hearing things correctly. Proper speaker placement can give you more confidence and promote better mixes. Here are a couple of techniques I use for placing speakers.
- Pull speakers away from the wall (3 feet if possible). Bass builds up at wall junctions and corners, so pulling your speakers away allows them to function more accurately in the room.
- Build an equilateral triangle with you and your speakers. This means your speakers are the same distance from each other as they are from you.
- Ear level: The tweeters should be roughly at the same height as your ears. This is so you hear the high frequency range accurately.
- Isolate your speakers from the surface they are on. Try using some slightly dense foam to separate the surface of the speaker from the surface of what they are on. If the speaker is placed upon a resonant surface, the surface itself may transfer unnecessary energy back into the monitor speaker and compromise it’s performance.
STEP 3: Organizing Your Cables
As a DJ and producer you spend a fair amount of time plugging stuff in and cabling in your Home Studio Acoustics room. Cables can get in the way of being creative so making them somewhat neat is preferable. Zip ties are cheap and work but are somewhat of a pain if you need to move the cables. Velcro cable wraps tend to be the best option. Here are some suggestions for dealing with cables so you can free up more creative time for your Home Studio Acoustics room.
- Create a studio floor plan of the necessary cable types and lengths that you need for everything to be connected. Then order them!
- Get two types of cables, cables for shows and cables for your studio. This way you don’t have to waste your creative time re-cabling things again and again because you ripped the studio apart to go play a show – try MonoPrice and Amazon for cheap cables.
- Get an audio interface that supports the right amount of physical inputs and outputs that you need. If everything is plugged in and ready to go you are more likely to use it.
- Give your controllers a permanent home: You’ll want to access them quickly when feeling inspired. A simple USB hub and some USB extension cables make the difference between a working environment and a MIDI controller graveyard .
- Building a custom cable rack will save you a lot of time – this can be as easy as finding a piece of plywood and drilling several screws in at an angle to hang cables from.
STEP 4: Mixers
Having one central mixer in your
Home Studio Acoustics room can be really beneficial to being able to route multiple inputs from different sources into your monitor speakers. This way you could have the output of your DJ mixer and the output of your computer and digital audio workstation connected to one central mixer that feeds your speakers. If you have a DJ mixer this may work for this situation also. This can save time and will help avoid re-cabling.
STEP 5: Display your successful projects and small tips
Acknowledging your accomplishments can help you grow as an artist and feel good about what you have done. If you have some album artwork from something you’ve released or a flyer from a big show you’ve rocked print it out, frame it and put it on the wall! Anything that will show your accomplishments sends a message to the world and yourself that you are successful.
If certain materials are specific to the function of a project like note pads, extra gear or other items then clear them out when the project is finished. Also general cleaning and taking good care of your gear helps build respect for your equipment. This translates to respect for your craft and yourself as an artist.
Within Reach: If your gear is set up and ready to go, it will be more likely that you use it. Basic shelves are easy and affordable to install if you have lots of synths or MIDI controllers. Desk risers can be made from a couple of pieces of wood and will allow you to fit a MIDI controller or two underneath and then set your monitor or computer on top to save space.
Ergonomics: If you spend hours sitting in front of the computer working on music, investing in a decent chair or standing deck can do wonders for your health. Try to stand up often and stretch.
