The quick answer
Isolate first, treat second, and never mix the two up. Isolation is MLV plus BassBloc plus a finish layer on all four walls, with a properly sealed door. Treatment is foam at reflection points, bass traps in all four corners, and diffusion behind you. A studio that skips isolation cannot record when the house is awake. One that skips treatment records everything twice.
A recording studio is the one room where both acoustic jobs have to be done properly. Every other space can get away with one or the other. A studio cannot: outside noise ends up on the take, and untreated reflections colour everything you monitor. The order matters, because isolation is built into the wall and treatment goes on top of it.
01 /Isolation, wall by wall
Studio isolation is not selective. Treating three walls and leaving the fourth gives sound an open route, so the build runs across all four plus the ceiling. The layers are always in this order:
- Barrier. SoundBlanket MLV. Use 2.5mm at STC 30 for a modest room, 4mm at STC 34 where drums or a subwoofer are involved.
- Absorber. BassBloc, NRC 0.90 under ASTM C423. Use 20mm as standard and 40mm for a serious room.
- Finish. Acoustic panels, wooden slats, gypsum or HDHMR. The barrier and absorber are never left exposed.
02 /The door and the gaps
The door is almost always the weakest element. A hollow-core door with an undercut for airflow will out-leak an entire treated wall. Fit a bottom seal and EPDM perimeter tape, then treat the leaf itself with the same layers as the walls. Seal electrical boxes, service penetrations and the wall-to-ceiling junction while the build is open, because they are far harder to reach later.
03 /Treatment, in three tiers
| Tier | Wall treatment | Bass |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | Pyramid foam, 30 to 40 per cent coverage at reflection points | 4 corner traps at floor level |
| Serious home room | Turbo foam 50 per cent plus wooden diffusers 20 per cent | 8 traps across floor and mid height |
| Professional | Galaxy foam 50 per cent, felt 30 per cent, fluted timber 20 per cent | Wooden bass trap diffusers, floor to ceiling |
04 /Bass, corners and why they matter
Low frequency energy collects where surfaces meet, which is why corners take priority over walls for bass control. Four traps at floor level in every vertical corner is the minimum. Eight across floor and mid height is where most home studios settle. A professional room runs full-height columns in all four corners.
Bass traps do not belong at first reflection points. Those are mid and high frequency and need flat absorption. Using one for the other wastes an expensive unit and leaves the corner untreated.
05 /Keep some life in the room
Full coverage is not the goal. A completely absorbed room is unpleasant to work in and produces mixes that translate badly, because you have removed the acoustic reference your ears use. Combine absorption with diffusion, particularly on the rear wall, so the room stays alive while the reflections that matter are controlled.
Related reading: acoustic treatment for home studios, and bass trap placement.
06 /Frequently asked questions
What comes first, soundproofing or acoustic treatment?
Soundproofing, because it is built into the wall and treatment sits on top of it. Doing treatment first means stripping it off again when you add the barrier layers. Isolation is MLV, BassBloc and a finish layer across all four walls plus a sealed door.
Can I treat only the wall facing my neighbour?
For a studio, no. Sound takes any available path, so a single untreated wall or ceiling becomes the route out. Studio isolation runs across all four walls and the ceiling. Partial treatment suits a bedroom facing one noisy neighbour, not a room you record in.
How much foam does a studio need?
Between 30 and 40 per cent of wall area to start, rising to around 70 per cent when combined with diffusion in a serious room. Full coverage overdamps the space, making it uncomfortable to work in and producing mixes that do not translate.
Which MLV thickness for a recording studio?
SoundBlanket 2.5mm at STC 30 suits vocal booths and modest project rooms. Use 4mm at STC 34 where drums, bass or a subwoofer are involved, since the extra mass matters most at the frequencies that cause complaints.
Sonit writes about practical soundproofing for Indian homes and workplaces, with a focus on what delivers measurable results at sensible cost.
