Do musicians spend way too much on gear? Is water wet? We buy all this specialized stuff that doesn't make sense to anyone else, but to our sensitive little ears, it's everything. For the home studio enthusiast, this is nowhere more true than in noise control.
Recently, I decided to give my garage studio a noise makeover for these two reasons: better recording quality and happier neighbors.
My garage measures about 30' long by 12' wide, with 8'
ceilings. Even with some acoustic panels, the bare drywall bounces sound everywhere and can make recordings
muddy and neighbors salty. I needed a solution.
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| My fancy garage studio |
My First Attempt Using Carpet Squares
Since the garage door is the last line of noise suppression, I figured I'd start by softening the reverberations from off its thin metal. By some crazy luck, I scored a bunch of 2' x 2' carpet squares for under $20. I cut them into quarters and attached them to the door.
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The long road where sound travels |
Aaaand it failed. I couldn't even finish because the carpet squares fell off almost immediately. Since I rent, using glue was out of the question. It was back to the drawing board.
The Trick Is Finding 1,001
The next thing I explored was sound foam. Seemed easy enough—let's get shopping. Turns out sound foam is pretty darn expensive.
I wasn't about to drop thousands of dollars to have the most soundproof room possible—I just wanted things a little quieter. After a little brainstorming, I decided to try moving blankets.
Cheapskate Soundproofing That Works
Noise control means creating uneven surfaces that keep sound from bouncing straight off of a reflective surface. Soundproof blankets are expensive, but would moving blankets for soundproofing provide a cost-effective solution? Maybe.
I ordered four of them, installed grommets, and hung them from the ceiling.
Do moving blankets work for soundproofing? Yes, at a cost of about $10 per dB reduced.
The Official Results
I noticed a difference right away. By dividing the garage in half and stopping some of the air from traveling its entire length, my voice reverberated less and the room felt tighter—kind of like a practice room where I took drum lessons.
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A much smaller, more soundproof studio |
Using this free sound meter app, I ran some before and after tests while playing drums as loud as I could.
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No blankets |
With blankets |
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Avg reading |
Max reading |
Avg reading |
Max reading |
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Outside garage |
80 dB |
87 dB |
71 dB |
80 dB |
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Inside garage |
82 dB |
97 dB |
80 dB |
93 dB |
7 dB! For under $100, my guitarist and my bassist can now turn down since they don't have to compete with my drums. The vocals in the room are more crisp, and the neighbors have even commented on the difference.
So how loud is 7 dB? Not very. The sound of leaves rustling is about 20 dB. I've heard 3 dB is the smallest amount detectable by the human ear, but when you're in the vacuum of mixing, 7 dB is significant.
The Verdict
Are moving blankets the way of the future? Probably not. They look a little low-budget and setup takes a few minutes each time we jam, but for that price, it's worth it.
If you're considering a cost-effective way to reduce noise in your DIY recording studio, this is a great start. Instruments are clearer, and I feel more confident playing the drums knowing my neighbors aren't pissed.
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Cheap fixes for the win! |
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