offnote

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is wood finish good for studio acoustics?

I am building my new studio in basement and I want to put wooden paneling in the walls and ceiling
since it'll be warm and I have seen some studio made in woods already. Any tips how to put panels to get 
most of the sound damping effect? Should the wood be painted, what kinda wood etc 
thanks

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mattplaysguitar

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I don't know, but I'm interested. I think HOW you mount the panels would be very important. As in resonance. You could also set them up to perform some diffusion too. Or maybe you want some helmoltz resonators. Set them up with maybe an inch spacing between pannels with bass traps behind. Might help tame the lows without cutting out too much highs.

I think this can be a big topic with lots of options on how to use wood effectively. Can you post some more details? Like dimensions and positioning of everything and budget etc.

A smooth finish will reflect more high frequencies. A non lacquered finish would be definitely a little deader. I guess it would be fairly noticeable.

Density of wood will surely be the main factor in types of wood response. I think you tend to see higher density woods in studios. Stronger reflections and probably give a better sound than a softer wood, I suspect.

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#2 offnote

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mattplaysguitar


I think this can be a big topic with lots of options on how to use wood effectively. Can you post some more details? Like dimensions and positioning of everything and budget etc. 

dimensions are roughly 23x15 feet and height 7.2. (or 7x4.5m height 2.20)- positions is still to be  think about since I don't have exact plans and improvising but it's going to be a rehearsal room for a small band as well as recording studio. Budget pretty much open but this is a hobby so I don't want to spent thousands :) 

dimensions are roughly 23x15 feet and height 7.2. (or 7x4.5m height 2.20)- positions is still to be think about since I don't have exact plans and improvising but it's going to be a rehearsal room for a small band as well as recording studio. Budget pretty much open but this is a hobby so I don't want to spent thousands :)

#3 Guitarhacker

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Wood paneling.... in a studio.. probably OK but you have to treat it as any other reflective surface... it needs to be balanced with the non reflecting surfaces...

Wood paneling as a rehearsal space..... be sure it's nailed and glued down good..... if it's loose, it can cause buzzes and rattles that will drive you crazy. 

Either way...pack lots of insulation behind it to damp it and fill the resonating cavities to keep the paneling from vibrating excessively. 

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#4 offnote

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Here are some samples I found on the net with wooden music room so it got to work.

 

 

 

post edited by offnote -

good point, I didn't think about vibrating planks.Here are some samples I found on the net with wooden music room so it got to work.

#5 Guitarhacker

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The tree trunk thing is cool.....and besides looking cool, there are NO flat reflective surfaces. The planks are rounded, still appear to have bark which breaks up the reflective surfaces even more and the throw runs on the floor break up that surface..... and I'll bet it has a woodsy aroma to that room as well. 

The bottom pic..... too much wood maybe......since it's all flat and it would appear to be a highly reflective room. 

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#6 AT

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Yea, Guitar, that last one looks ... woody.

Many of the studios I've been in have lots of wood - but not all wood all the time.  The cheaper wood panelling is just a surface w/ no real weight to it.  It will reflect more sound than sheetrock and more frequencies.  Most studios have a mix or wood and something else on opposite walls less reflective or counter-spaced.

A wood floor is always good and more useful.  A thick rug can be used against reflections, and in general the reflections go up to the ceiling.

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there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

#7 bitflipper

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I like the tree-trunk one. It might contribute some diffusion. But mostly it just looks cool.

There is, however, nothing magical about wood, acoustically-speaking. Use it because it looks good and makes performers feel comfortable. Just be sure to glue and nail (or better, screw) as Herb suggested, to prevent rattles.

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#8 offnote

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bitflipper


There is, however, nothing magical about wood, acoustically-speaking. 

but I guess wood is way more absorbing sound then concrete or plaster wall, isn't it? 
Also when I put very dense panels making uneven surface it will be even better.

post edited by offnote -

but I guess wood is way more absorbing sound then concrete or plaster wall, isn't it?Also when I put very dense panels making uneven surface it will be even better.

#9 batsbrew

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no, smoothness of wood would be a factor for reflection.

wood does not 'absorb' sound.

only specially designed baffles, foam, traps, etc, 'absorb' sound.


only MASS reduces sound transmission thru an object.

a MASS of wood (say, 8" thickness) would start to 'STOP' sound, and even then, not as well as 8" of brick or concrete block, or even better, solid concrete panels.

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#10 offnote

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batsbrew


a MASS of wood (say, 8" thickness) would start to 'STOP' sound, and even then, not as well as 8" of brick or concrete block, or even better, solid concrete panels. 

no, don't agree -  I tested this since my basement's walls are made from almost 2 feet concrete and I have huge echo there, while in my old apartment with wooden panels no echo whatsoever. Wood absorbs sound well unless polished and painted.

no, don't agree - I tested this since my basement's walls are made from almost 2 feet concrete and I have huge echo there, while in my old apartment with wooden panels no echo whatsoever. Wood absorbs sound well unless polished and painted.

#11 dmbaer

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batsbrew


a MASS of wood (say, 8" thickness) would start to 'STOP' sound, and even then, not as well as 8" of brick or concrete block, or even better, solid concrete panels. 

no, don't agree -  I tested this since my basement's walls are made from almost 2 feet concrete and I have huge echo there, while in my old apartment with wooden panels no echo whatsoever. Wood absorbs sound well unless polished and painted.

I have to challenge your assertion.  I'd be willing to bet the that the difference is what the wood is attached to.  Concrete isn't going anywhere and will be highly reflective.  Wallboard has some flexibility and can absorb some energy from sound waves hitting it.  I doubt the wood finishing contributes much one way or the other.

I have to challenge your assertion. I'd be willing to bet the that the difference is what the wood is attached to. Concrete isn't going anywhere and will be highly reflective. Wallboard has some flexibility and can absorb some energy from sound waves hitting it. I doubt the wood finishing contributes much one way or the other.

#12 AT

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of course you have an echo in your concrete basement - there is no where for the sound to go - to be absorbed - except the ceiling.  It just bounces around until it peters out.

Your apt. room was probably pretty small, making the echos more of a reverb.  And if it was made of sheetrock and wood frame there is some absorption going on, not to mention all the doors and windows for the sound to leak out of.  In the basement, no such leaks.

Are you talking about reflection of sound or absorption?  In such a basement, wood paneling probably won't cut down on echoes/reverb much.  Your problem is reflection already - wood might change it, but not stop it.  Bass traps in the corner and stuff to absorb and diffuse the sound rather than bouncing it back off giant slabs.

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there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

#13 bitflipper

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Yes, wood absorbs sound. So does concrete, as does everything. Just not enough to matter.

It's all about density, and wood's pretty dense, as anyone who's chopped a cord of it can attest. In at least one proper scientific test that I know of, wood floors were compared to concrete floors and found to be almost indistinguishable from one another acoustically.

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offnote

batsbrew

a MASS of wood (say, 8" thickness) would start to 'STOP' sound, and even then, not as well as 8" of brick or concrete block, or even better, solid concrete panels. 

no, don't agree -  I tested this since my basement's walls are made from almost 2 feet concrete and I have huge echo there, while in my old apartment with wooden panels no echo whatsoever. Wood absorbs sound well unless polished and painted.

You need to make the distinction between soundproofing (reducing the level of sound entering or leaving the room through walls/windows/doors) and acoustic treatment (reducing and controlling the reflected sound within the room).

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You need to make the distinction between(reducing the level of sound entering or leaving the room through walls/windows/doors) and(reducing and controlling the reflected sound within the room).

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#15 The Band19

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He said wood. heheh ahhh hehehe "Vibrating planks" Ummm, hehehehe. Butthead! I think my plank is starting to vibrate!

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#16 offnote

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I see you all are not to fond of wood in studio so what would you recommend instead? I'm still in a design phase,
changes are possible but I wouldn't like to put egg's boxes on the walls...

#17 batsbrew

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offnote: "no, don't agree"  

 that's ok... but i stand by my statement. it's relevant ONLY to this topic tho.and wood WILL work as a good reflective surface, provided you have taken care the rest of the room. i have worked on designing hvac for professional grade studios for colleges, and i learned a little bit.

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I like wood. The older I get the more I appreciate it.

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#19 offnote

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batsbrew

offnote: "no, don't agree"  

 that's ok... but i stand by my statement. it's relevant ONLY to this topic tho.and wood WILL work as a good reflective surface, provided you have taken care the rest of the room. i have worked on designing hvac for professional grade studios for colleges, and i learned a little bit.

This will be my first studio so I'm not gonna argue here, maybe you're right or maybe I misunderstood you. 
Maybe we clarify what it's good for music studio first, a good reflective surface or bad reflective surface  
I thought that bad would be better plus absorbing.

This will be my first studio so I'm not gonna argue here, maybe you're right or maybe I misunderstood you.Maybe we clarify what it's good for music studio first, a good reflective surface or bad reflective surfaceI thought that bad would be better plus absorbing.

#20 michaelhanson

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I like wood. The older I get the more I appreciate it.

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bitflipper


Yes, wood absorbs sound. So does concrete, as does everything. Just not enough to matter.

It's all about density, and wood's pretty dense, as anyone who's chopped a cord of it can attest. In at least one proper scientific test that I know of, wood floors were compared to concrete floors and found to be almost indistinguishable from one another acoustically.

But I believe the OP is talking about wood paneling.  That has a very thin veneer of real (or maybe fake) wood over a quarter inch (or less) of some kind of plywood or composite material.  It will have the flexiility of whatever it's glued to.  Real 3/4" thick wood is another matter entirely.

But I believe the OP is talking about wood paneling. That has a very thin veneer of real (or maybe fake) wood over a quarter inch (or less) of some kind of plywood or composite material. It will have the flexiility of whatever it's glued to. Real 3/4" thick wood is another matter entirely.

#23 Middleman

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For a studio, a combination of spaces and wall treatment are advantageous. Many vocal and guitar booths are wood lined. But the ideal space would have reflective and non reflective options.

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#25 Kev999

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Does wood have much of a dampening effect?  Recent experience tells me yes.  I have just moved house a few weeks ago and my new music room has wood panelling 1.2m high on 3 walls and hardwood sliding cupboard doors on the 4th wall.  The sound is noticeably less lively and more focused than before.  The wood is the only significant thing that is different from the previous room, which was a similar size, with a similar sized window, similar carpet, same furniture, same gear, etc.

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#26 AT

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What were the walls in the other room?  Concrete ;-)  And the new room?  The wainscoating might just supply reflection to go along w/ the rest of the rooms absorption if it is sheetrock. Or plaster.

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there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

#27 Kev999

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AT

What were the walls in the other room?  ...And the new room?

Both the same: plaster, painted.  Ceilings same too.

Both the same: plaster, painted. Ceilings same too.

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mmmmm....I live in an 's farmhouse. The room I have my studio in is a bit of a puzzler...we have crown moldings and wainscotting around the room. The wainscoting is about 39" off the ground and that is on top of a about a foot high baseboard...the rest?

Horse-hair plaster....

It seems to absorb sound pretty well....

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#29 bitflipper

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Some of you guys have cats. You could just start collecting cat fur and glue that to the walls. Let me know how that works out! Be sure to take some waterfall graphs before and after. I think coughed-up fur-balls might work just as well, if you're having trouble getting enough volume from the couch alone.



EDIT: apologies to offnote. It's Friday night, if you know what I mean. But the thread was really doomed as soon as Beavis & Butthead made their appearance.

post edited by bitflipper -

Yeh, horse-hair is hard to come by these days!Some of you guys have cats. You could just start collecting cat fur and glue that to the walls. Let me know how that works out! Be sure to take some waterfall graphs before and after. I think coughed-up fur-balls might work just as well, if you're having trouble getting enough volume from the couch alone.EDIT: apologies to offnote. It's Friday night, if you know what I mean. But the thread was really doomed as soon as Beavis & Butthead made their appearance.

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How often do you take a moment to consider the acoustics of the room that you&#;re in? When a space has poor acoustics, it&#;s often hard to hear the person you&#;re conversing with over the other sounds in the room. Or, sounds may have a sharp, unpleasant quality that makes you wish you could turn down the volume on the entire room. 

When acoustics are excellent, they often go unnoticed. But great acoustics matter, and they don&#;t happen by accident. Indoor sound quality is an investment that requires great materials and thoughtful design. 

At Rulon International, we&#;ve been leaders in the wood panel manufacturing industry for over 30 years. In the sections below, we&#;ll share a few insights regarding acoustic design in commercial spaces. 

The Importance of Acoustics in Large Commercial Spaces

Acoustic control is a major factor in whether or not a room is a pleasant place to spend time. When it&#;s easy to converse without raising your voice or being distracted by nearby noise, individuals are more likely to relax and engage in positive interactions. 

Studies suggest a direct relationship between a pleasant sound environment and the amount of time and money that customers are likely to spend in stores. Likewise, in settings like boardrooms, decision-makers may be more likely to reach a positive consensus in a room with pleasant acoustics. 

In large commercial spaces, acoustic control is challenging. Ample open space creates room for echoes and sound interference. In these spaces, it&#;s essential to use materials and design strategies that absorb enough sound waves to create functional, pleasant soundscapes. 

Acoustic Benefits: Wood vs. Other Common Building Materials

Materials that are helpful for acoustic control are those that effectively absorb sound waves and reflect warm, pleasant tones throughout a space. Let&#;s compare the reflective and absorptive properties of wood with those of a few other common building materials. 

Wood

From guitar makers to architects, wood is treasured for its acoustic properties. The cellular structure of wood is naturally conducive to transforming sound waves into the sort of tones that human ears enjoy. 

Compared to materials like metal and glass, wood is softer and more porous. Therefore, sound waves that strike wood are absorbed and diffused, rather than directly and harshly reflected. 

Combined with proper design principles, wood surfaces reduce echo and create a warm, pleasant sound environment. 

Metal

Metal surfaces are smooth and hard, resulting in direct reflection of sound waves. In rooms with significant metal surface coverage, sounds are typically bright and echoes may be harsh and unpleasant. 

Although metal is effective for blocking sound, it doesn&#;t absorb sound and therefore isn&#;t a good standalone material for either soundproofing or indoor acoustics. However, when used in conjunction with other materials, such as wood, metal can play a role in acoustic treatment. For example, metal ceiling baffles with acoustic padding are sometimes used to improve acoustic control in large spaces. 

Glass

Glass is highly reflective of sound. As a result, spaces with large glass surfaces, such as atriums or lobbies, often pose significant acoustic challenges. Sound reflectivity in these places may cause sharp, clear echoes. This sort of acoustic environment may be unpleasant and disruptive. 

Some manufacturers use a glaze to make special &#;acoustic glass&#; that&#;s more sound-absorbant than regular glass. Acoustic glass is primarily used for soundproofing, rather than for improving the acoustic quality of a space. 

Concrete

Concrete is among the world&#;s most widely used building materials, thanks to excellent durability, strength, and availability. Concrete is also a good soundproofing material because it&#;s hard, dense, and reflective. On the other hand, concrete doesn&#;t absorb much sound. As a result, concrete rooms tend to produce prolonged echoes and a &#;cold&#; sound character. 

For buildings that require concrete with enhanced acoustic qualities, there are specialty porous concretes designed to absorb more sound waves. 

Pros and Cons of Different Woods

Woods vary widely in availability, price, appearance, and functional qualities. Softwoods like cherry and oak are less dense and thus absorb more sound. Meanwhile, hardwoods like cedar and spruce may be slightly more reflective. However, most commercial wood species are excellent acoustic materials, especially in the hands of expert manufacturers and designers. 

Along with factors like availability, price, appearance, and maintenance needs, sustainability is another factor that varies across wood species. Sustainable woods are those that are grown and harvested with a plan in place for maintaining the long-term health of the source forest. At Rulon, our commitment to sustainability includes the use of recycled content and support for sustainability certification programs. 

Designing for Acoustics: Wood Panels in Action

Acoustic design with wood panels is both an art and a science. This involves the choice of wood, the design of individual panels, and the configuration of the entire system. The best panel systems emphasize both acoustic control and aesthetic beauty, along with factors like maintenance and longevity. For design inspiration, check out Rulon&#;s project gallery. 

Customization: Tailoring Wood Panels to Specific Acoustic Needs

Large commercial spaces present unique design challenges and require bespoke solutions. At Rulon, we make an extensive selection of acoustic wood panels and offer custom solutions for any project. Customization involves unique designs and configurations along with factors like wood selection, panel thickness and dimensions, and tailored solutions for unique challenges. 

Wood Panel Systems for Aesthetic and Acoustic Beauty

At Rulon International, we manufacture wood ceiling and wall panel systems for superior acoustic control and aesthetic beauty. With a customer-centric approach, we contribute guidance and expertise that helps designers create unique, spectacular indoor spaces. To learn more, schedule a discovery call with our team today. 

Want more information on Slat Wood Wall Panels? Feel free to contact us.