Echo and reverberation is the most common problem of any room, It is most commonly felt when the room is completely empty and so today we will try to know what the echo is and “how to reduce echo in a room for recording”. ➤
So let’s know What is an echo
Basically, echo is the reflection of the original sound waves.
Let’s understand from one example,
If you clap then the sound waves generate, these sound waves travel and hit any hard surface of your room and bounce back to you. It is an echo and is also called reverberation.
Echo or reverberation may ruin your recording so how to reduce echo in a room for recording?
How To Reduce Echo In A Room For Recording: Acoustic Treatment
Acoustic treatment is the best and easiest solution of how to reduce echo in a room for recording.
Basically, there are 2 types of acoustic treatments are available to reduce echo in a room and they are as follows,
- Absorption &
- Diffusion
Now let’s see in details how to reduce echo in a room by Absorption and Diffusion
1. Absorption
In absorption, sound waves become absorbed and unable to reflect off from the hard surfaces. The best way to absorb the sound is absorption panels. Absorption panels can be found in many styles like tile patterns, brick patterns and so many.
There are a number of absorptive materials are available in the market. Here we will see how to reduce echo in a room by using different absorptive materials on different components of a room.
So let’s see how to reduce echo in a room by using different absorptive materials on different components of a room,
a) Reducing Echo By Using Carpets On The Floor And Wall
The more your room is filled with soft materials, the less will echo in your room and the carpet is one of them. It helps you to reduce echo, it doesn’t eliminate the echo completely but somehow it helps to reduce echo.
Its NRC rating is very low but if you use carpet padding below the carpet then it enhances the NRC rating and somehow it helps to reduce more echo in your room. The carpet also enhances the look of your room.
You can easily place it on the floor or if you want to hang it on the wall, then you can easily hang it with the help of Velcro, nail, screws, or staple.
b) Reducing Echo By Using Rug On The Floor And Wall
The rug looks like the carpet but it is smaller in size than the carpet. If you do not want to spend more money on carpet or you do not have more space then you can go with a rug. It helps to reduce echo in your room but not completely eliminate it.
Its NRC rating is also very low but if you use a rug pad below the rug then it enhances the NRC rating and somehow it helps to reduce more echo in your room. Rug not only reduces echo but also enhances the look of your room.
You can easily place it on the floor or if you want to hang it on the wall, then you can easily hang it with the help of Velcro, nail, screws, or staple.
c) Reducing Echo By Using Curtains On The Window And The Room Divider
Yes, you can reduce echo by hanging curtains on the window. It is one of the effective ways to reduce echo. It does not only reduce the echo but also enhancing the look of your room.
You can also use these curtains over the room divider, only you will need more heightened curtains for the room divider. There are a number of sizes and varieties are available in the market, you can select as per your requirement.
but only remember the one thing is that while selecting the curtains always choose thicker, denser, heavier, soundproof, thermally insulated, multilayer, and blackout curtains for better results.
This type of curtains mostly uses for window soundproofing. This type of curtains do reduce echo and makes the window soundproof.
d) Reducing Echo By Using Acoustic Blankets On The Window, Walls And Doors
It is another effective way to reduce echo by hanging an acoustic blanket on the window, walls, and doors. It helps you to reduce echo in your room but it does not completely eliminate it.
It makes audio better by reducing echo and reverberation but when you covered your window with this blanket then you won’t get sunlight and this is the only drawback of this method.
Actually, there are two types of blankets are available in the market and that is moving blanket and acoustic blanket.
Always go with the acoustic blanket because an acoustic blanket is specially made for soundproofing and it has soundproofing qualities that absorb sound and prevent it from being reflected. Its NRC rating is 0.7 which is really good than the moving blanket.
Moving blanket is generally used when the goods are moved from one place to another, at that time this type of blanket is used to cover the goods so that goods couldn’t damage. Its NRC rating is 0.3 which is very low as compared to the acoustic blanket.
Nowadays this type of blankets are coming with grommets so it is very easy to install, you can hang it on the windows, walls, and doors by using hooks, nails, screws, staple, and velcro. It helps you to make sound better.
e) Reducing Echo By Using Acoustic Foam And Acoustic Foam Tile On The Door, Wall, And Ceiling
Acoustic foam is the cheapest and readily available material in the market and also it is very easy to install, you can easily install it on your own.
Its NRC rating is greater than 0.7, it totally depends on how thicker and denser it is so always choose thicker and denser acoustic foams for better results.
Nowadays acoustic foams are coming in different shapes and sizes, and the acoustic foam tile is one of them. The acoustic foam comes in different shapes like tile, brick, triangular, hexagonal, etc.
The installation of acoustic foam is also a very easy process, you can stick it to the door, wall, and ceiling by using a command strip and this is also one of the reasons that it is very popular.
Acoustic foam tile is one of the parts of the acoustic foam, the only thing is that it comes in tile shape, and because of its small shape and lightweight, you can easily hang it to your wall, door and ceiling by using command strips.
f) Reducing Echo By Using Acoustic Panel And Acoustic Panel Tile On The Door, Wall, And Ceiling
Acoustic panels is the best option to reduce echo in your room, the only thing is that it is quite expensive but it is very effective than acoustic foam.
Its NRC rating is greater than 0.9, it totally depends on how thicker and denser it is so always choose thicker and denser acoustic panels for better result.
Nowadays acoustic panels are coming in different shapes and sizes, and the acoustic panel tile is one of them. The acoustic panel comes in different shapes like tile, brick, triangular, hexagonal, etc.
Its installation process is easy but quite difficult than acoustic foam. You can hang it on the wall, door, and ceiling with the help of hooks, mounting brackets, picture wire, or chain.
Acoustic tile is nothing but the acoustic panel, the only difference is that it comes in tile shape. Due to its small size and light weight, you can easily hang it on the wall, door, and ceiling by using Velcro, hooks, and mounting brackets.
It is not only reducing echo but also enhancing the look of your room and that’s why nowadays it is going very popular.
g) Reducing Echo By Using Hanging Baffles On The Walls And Ceiling
Hanging baffles are sound-absorbing panels, It helps to reduce distracting noise and improve the overall sound quality. Its NRC rating is 0.65, which is ok, not so good, and also not so bad.
NRC is the noise reduction coefficient, which always stands in between 0 to 1, the larger number indicates more sound absorption.
Hanging baffles are usually used to reduce reverberation or echoes in wide, open spaces. However, you can use them in any commercial, industrial, residential, or public rooms.
You can easily hang it on walls and ceiling by using a nail, screw, or light-duty chain. It has effective sound-absorbing materials and is made of 80% recycled cotton. It does not contain any volatile organic compound.
h) Reducing Echo By Using Bass Trap On The Corners Of The Room
The Bass trap looks like audio speakers, it is nothing but acoustic foam. Its NRC rating is greater than 0.6 which totally depends on how thicker and denser it is that’s why always select thicker and denser bass trap for better result.
Actually, the name shows that it traps the bass but it doesn’t work like that, It absorbs sound and prevents it from reflecting.
Its installation process is easy, you can hang it on the top of the corner of your room by using a command strip or by adhesive spray.
i) Reducing Echo By Using Microphone Shield
Actually, the name indicates that it acts as a shield for ambiance noise, unwanted noise, and for sound waves reflection and it keeps your recording echo-free.
This microphone shield has three layers first one is the absorptive layer which absorbs the sound and protects it from reflecting, the second one is the filter which filters the unwanted noise and the last one is the reflective layer which protects your recording from ambiance noise.
It is compact in design, light in weight as well as folded-ability allows you to carry it easily wherever you go. Always place microphone closer to the shield for better audio quality.
j) Reducing Echo By Using Echo Cancelling Microphone
Echo cancelling microphone is the good option for cancelling echo and nowadays there are echo-cancelling microphone is available in the market. You can use this type of microphone for your recording and keeps echo away.
Actually, there are two types of range settings are available in this type of microphone, one is “Normal” for close and medium distance and the second one is “Tele” for long-distance.
If you are speaking from a long distance then you put it on Tele range setting, that this setting bypassing ambient noise such as traffic noise, echoes or room reverberations, etc.
2. Diffusion
Diffusion in simple terms is the spreading of sound energy evenly in multiple directions. It is used to reduce echoes and reverberation.
Diffusers are reduced echoes or reverberation by scattering or diffusing sound waves over a wide area without removing them from the room. This makes the audio quality better and improves speech intelligibility.
Diffusers are uneven and irregularly shaped surfaces or cabinets with varying depths, when the sound waves hit this surface they scattered in multiple directions and deflected at different times, due to this the intensity of sound waves are reduced in this way it helps to reduce echo.
In this way you can reduce your room’s echo by using any one or more of the above methods.
Hope this article how to reduce echo in a room for recording will help you in the right direction.