they ’ re about the exact cost as the materials for building your own . That is why , even though I ’ m almost always a supporter of purchasing products designed and built by professionals , I think proper treatment is the one exception . Building your own treatments can be quite simple if you ’ re a little handy .
When treating a home studio , I focus on two main areas first : the back wall and the ceiling , and then slowly build out from there . Conceptually , it helps to picture every flat hard surface as a mirror . You can easily imagine sound waves bouncing off these surfaces to visualize where problems might arise . The floor and ceiling are the two most prominent flat surfaces in any space . Floors are tricky because you can ’ t do much to them , so throw down a thick carpet and don ’ t give it a second thought . The ceiling , however , is a great place to do some treatment because not much else will be occupying that space .
Adding any soft material to absorb sound waves and prevent them from reflecting will help control reflections from the ceiling . The thicker the material , the more frequencies will be absorbed . High frequencies are short in length and will be absorbed by thin materials ; lower frequencies are very long and can take up to 17 meters to complete a cycle , so removing some lower frequencies with just paneling will be impossible . Simple sound absorption panels can be made easily from products found at your local hardware store . Most absorption panels are just a piece of insulation wrapped in some fabric to conceal the appearance . When shopping for insulation , look for the products with the best soundproof rating ; labels should be displayed on the packaging . If you want to step up your panels , you can build wooden frames to make them appear more rigid ( this can also help if you attach multiple panels and hang them from the ceiling to form a cloud ). There are a ton of demonstrations online showing how to build panels , but all you ’ ll need is the insulation , stretchy fabric , screws , staples , and twoby-fours to create the frames ( Pro
Tip : cut them to the shape of the insulation so that you don ’ t need to cut any insulation . Additional tip : hardware stores like Home Depot will cut the wood to your specs for free !)
Hanging the cloud from the ceiling is also relatively easy ; look for some guides online about finding support beams and anchoring correctly . You don ’ t want to risk the cloud falling on you ! When hanging the cloud , you can provide additional sound control in the room by tilting the cloud . Tilting the panels will create non-parallel surfaces and help to prevent nodes and antinodes from forming . To visualize nodes and antinodes , imagine waves traveling directly at each other from opposite directions ; when two peaks align , the height of the peak will double , and when a valley aligns with a peak , the waves cancel out , and the surface is flat . Every room with parallel walls has nodes and antinodes . You can take the time to do the math and calculate the exact frequency of problems you ’ ll encounter in the room , but unless you build custom treatments to target those issues exactly , it is pointless to bother with the detailed calculations . However , if you ’ re curious , I do have an extremely basic room calculator you can use on my website at Dajaun . com / RoomCalculator /.
Next is the back wall . For a less invasive installation , you can hang some more absorption panels the same way you would hang a picture frame , but for a slightly more professional look , you could build a whole absorption wall . Start by building a structure out of two-by-fours to your desired depth . The deeper the structure , the more frequencies will be absorbed . Place as much insulation as you can fit in the structure , and then cover the frame with spandex-covered cloth and use those to conceal the wall . I used pre-beveled baseboards for my last room to build my frames , making for a very professional look . The price difference between building panels and creating a whole wall is nominal , so if you ’ re comfortable with modifying the space , I highly recommend going for an
BEATCHILD IN HIS HOME STUDIO
Beatchild
Beatchild ( formerly Slakah the Beatchild ) is a Toronto-based music producer , songwriter , multi-instrumentalist , and performing artist . He ’ s worked with Drake , Divine Brown , Glenn Lewis , Nelly Furtado , Faiza , Junia-T , and more .
CM : What is the smartest purchase you ’ ve made for your home recording needs ? How has it made a difference for you ?
Beatchild : My Redco TT / Db25 Patchbay . Since I run a digital / analog hybrid setup , this has helped keep things organized and makes it quick and easy to have routing flexibility . It enables me to try new gear and patch things easily without having to crawl under my desk . I now have far more creative options right at my fingertips .
CM : Thinking of things you ’ ve learned over the years of recording and / or mixing music at home , what is one often-overlooked tip you ’ d like to share with others ?
Beatchild : It all comes down to this philosophy ; Record like It ’ s not getting mixed , and mix like it ’ s not getting mastered . In my early years of music production , I held a misplaced glorification of mastering and even of mixing . I have since learned that you will always get far greater results when the emphasis is on the production and recording stage . You can even take it a step further and say that the songwriting stage holds even more priority . What I mean by this is , aim to commit and capture your performances with specific tones and with artistic and technical intention from the get go . Preferably doing so in the analog domain . This will always give you the best tracks for mixing , thus giving you the best mix to master . It sounds simple but mastering and mixing seem to get all the glory , fuelling even further ignorance to the importance of the recording and production process .
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 43
PHOTO : CHRIS AZNAR