Framing walls and hanging drywall can be intimidating to some, if you want something a little less labor-intensive, or you just need a booth that you can easily move or take down, soundproof blankets are the way to go. We recommend Quiet Quilt 2 sided barrier blanket for a project like this. These blankets have an STC rating of 29 and an NRC rating of 0.75, so they excel at both soundproofing and improving acoustics, the two key elements to recording top tier sound quality

Not only are these blankets great at soundproofing, but they're very easy to use and install, perfect for creating a soundproof room divider. Each blanket is designed to quickly attach to any structure or space you need which is why they all have grommets and Velcro at the ends of the blanket.

These blankets are often used in manufacturing plants and warehouses as enclosures around loud, heavy machinery. If they can reduce the noise on a commercial HVAC unit, then they can definitely help you record a crystal clear rendition of that 80’s rock ballad you’ve been working on.

Step 1: Build a Structure

Of course blankets won’t hang on their own. You’ll need to create a safe and sturdy structure for your booth. To get the most soundproof structure possible, it’s important to remove all air gaps. The best way to do this is to build a wood framing that connects to your ceiling, this way there’s no overhead gaps since your structure will go from the ceiling to the floor.

Wood framing may involve more construction than you want to commit to, if that’s the case you can still build a structure using PVC pipe. While it may be harder to make your PVC enclosure airtight, it does make for a lightweight and transportable structure. PVC is also very cheap, so structure for your blankets won’t break the bank.

Step 2: hang the blankets

Hang your blankets using the pre-installed grommets or loops onto the PVC pipe. It’s important to hang the blankets on the outside of the frame so that they conform to the frame’s shape. Try to overlap the blankets and use the Velcro sides to remove any gaps. For peak performance, we can customize your enclosure to have a roof made of the same soundproof blanket material. Don’t forget to make a way for yourself to get in and out, which you can do with a sliding or swinging mechanism for one of your blankets.

You can also buy a fully made soundproof enclosure. We offer both portable soundproof enclosures and floor mounted soundproof enclosures. Once you’re done, you’ll be left with a very soundproof, but very dark room. You can add lights inside the space, but if you’re a little claustrophobic or if you just want to be able to communicate with the outside world, we do have options to help you create windows in the blankets, just give us a call.

While functionally a soundproof booth made of blankets works great, you may want to build something a bit more permanent that integrates into the rest of your home. This method essentially requires you to build a room within a room, including framing, soundproof walls and a soundproof door. The best place in your home to build this booth can depend on a variety of factors, but generally you’d prefer a quieter part of the house, such as a garage or soundproof basement. Building your booth in a corner will make it easier to maximize space.

Start with the wood framing, you’re building an actual wall, so you need studs. Once your frame is finished, fill the cavity with insulation and use a RSIC sound isolation clip system or MLV directly on the studs. Finish off with a ⅝” drywall on top and seal around the perimeter and any penetrations with acoustical sealant. For serious soundproofing requirements, use Green Glue and apply a second layer of ⅝” drywall. This construction provides a very high performing soundproof wall.

Lastly and most importantly, install the door. The reason this is so important is because the door is the weak point in most wall constructions. A poorly installed door can undo all your hard work soundproofing your newly built booth. Since air gaps are where noise gets through the easiest, the door needs to be sealed up. You can resolve this a couple of ways. One is to use a Sound Lock soundproof door, which is an STC 56 door we use regularly as a recording studio door for keeping sound in (or out). The other option is to install a normal solid core door (the heavier the better) and use a Sound Lock door seal kit to seal up the gaps all along the door. It’s extremely important to use a heavy solid core door to create the best possible barrier. Combining a solid core door with a door seal kit will give you the best soundproofing possible without upgrading to a true soundproof door. You can also try turning you closet into a soundproof closet for recording.

Ok so we don’t have any great true crime stories, but we can make sure yours come through with the best quality in your new soundproof booth. If you’re unsure of how to frame your booth, or what materials to use, you can check out our soundproof shed or golf simulator noise reduction article which is a similar situation, or you can always give us a call and we’ll work with you to develop a custom plan that will have you laying down tracks in no time.