SERVICES 1
Acoustics come more into play after the isolation has been successfully addressed. This is the way the environment sounds, and is an extremely important aspect of Recording Studio design.
Obviously when building a Recording Studio from scratch, acoustics will be addressed. However, for those on a budget or working in a non professional space, you have to do what you can to sweeten the space enough for it to be useful. Mixing in a room with nasty reverberation coming from windows or standing waves off of parallel hard walls, is just not going to work. So you need solutions that can be added in with ease of logistics as well as budget.
There are many types of absorption devices that can assist in this endeavor. You may of course need some professional intervention to help get what you need. But perhaps if that is out of budget, you can just play with a few different types. Generally though, you should try to address issues coming from too many hard surfaces, especially ones parallel or adjacent to each other.
Parallel walls can be addressed with soft faced false wall panels, as can hard corners, especially the back corners in the control room directly in line with the monitor output. Often it will be necessary to capture that energy from returning to the back of your head. Thus, Base Traps which come in varying styles, can be the ticket. In the images above you can see several types of traps. All of which can be off the shelf or custom made to match the environment specifics.
Some simple solutions can be independent units, which can be hung like a picture frame or free stand on the floor. They are particularly good in recording areas where the ability to liven up the room or quickly change the characteristics of the space is required. They can also be the cheapest solution. Some people used egg boxes to break up the wall surface; however, today acoustic foam can be purchased in a myriad face profiles to get a more professional and operational effect.
Although the science of acoustics is relatively structured, designers and acoustic engineers have wildly different approaches to what a professional environment should be. Then even with all that science, ultimately the space has to be nice, inviting and comfortable to work in every day. So there will always be a trade off between aesthetics and acoustic performance. Take for instance Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio. With its amazing location, Peter wanted for him and other musicians to be more connected to the natural elements. He accomplished this with wide open spaces and lots of glass, both unconventional in studio design.
Contact us if you need help or advice with your current studio, space, or upcoming project.