Sound Advice
By Paul Bundock

If you want to set up a studio at home, you will need to consider soundproofing the area. No matter how great you think your music is, you can't guarantee your neighbors will appreciate hearing that heavy metal riff or drum 'n' bass loop for the umpteenth time while you perfect the ultimate mix. To avoid a visit from your local law enforcement or an angry mob of neighbors you should spend some time thinking about some basic soundproofing steps. Although this can be a complex subject, here are some of the basics to help you start off in the right direction.

RIDING THE WAVES
Sound is energy that travels in waves through the air around us and annoyingly, it can travel through solid materials such as walls, doors and windows. The simplest way to stop sound is to block it: the basic principle is the more mass in the way, the better the sound reduction. One thing to bear in mind is that lower frequencies are more difficult to block than higher frequencies; so if you work on stopping deep bass from escaping, the higher frequencies should take care of themselves. Absolute soundproofing can be hard to do, and is usually achieved by building a room within a room, with the inner unit made up of barriers and separated by an air gap. But that is very expensive and not within the do-it-yourself scope of this article.

BUILT-IN QUIET
Quite often, there may be just one wall adjoining the neighbors/wife/kids that needs some sound proofing. Adding a high-mass double barrier with mineral wool or an air gap can achieve significant results. This can be made up of layers of material like plasterboard and MDF, but specialist suppliers can offer dedicated soundproofing material for better results. To make an effective barrier, attach several layers of plasterboard to an 80mm-thick wooden frame. If you have room, make the frame thicker and pay attention to how the barrier gets fixed into place. Unfortunately, sound will vibrate and travel through the solid fixing points, so try to isolate these with rubber or neoprene where possible.

If your goal is to reduce overall sound leakage from your studio, then the first places to start are the doors and windows. Windows ideally should have at least two layers of double-glazing. If you don't need daylight, then you could consider blocking off the window or make a multi-layered solid shutter. Doors are just as much problem as windows because they are often hollow and not airtight. Replace low mass doors with solid, heavy wooden ones - or consider making your own from plywood or MDF built from several layers with some mineral wool in between. Try to make the door airtight by fitting a seal around the edge. Like heads, two doors are always better than one.

FLOATING FLOORS
Having your studio in a bedroom with a wooden floor is never ideal. Adding extra layers of carpet and underlay will have a slight benefit and won't cost too much. If you need better sound reduction and don't want to get into anything structural, you can invest in professional sound isolation materials such as acoustic carpet underlay or laminated soundproofing mats. The next step up is to create a floating floor, which is a false floor above your existing floor. It will need to be mounted on acoustic isolators and should not come in contact with walls. A shortcut would be to create a small floating floor for problematic areas, such as a foam mat under an amp or drum kit. When it comes to ceilings, most of the principles for floors and walls can be applied, but keep in mind that the barrier material weight will need support. Before starting work on your ceiling, consider treating the floor above, as this is often cheaper and easier.

CONCLUSION
Soundproofing is very much a case of 'you get what you pay for'. With a little thought and a few hundred dollars you can substantially reduce sound leakage. Alternatively, you could hurl $20,000 at a back garden construction with soundproofing so efficient that a thrash metal outfit inside would not raise a frown from a passing field mouse.

It takes some effort. But you can create a reasonably soundproofed space that will keep the neighbors placated and leave you free to do what you do best – making music.

SOME TIPS FOR SOUNDPROOFING