Walls in home studios are usually drywall, block or glass, all of which reflect almost all of the sound that reaches them. Residential, but treat the room as an equipment room: Class A materials and clear access to outlets.
Treat reflection points first
A reflection point is a spot on a wall where sound from a source bounces to a listener. You can find them with a mirror: sit where people listen, have someone slide a mirror along the wall, and mark each spot where you can see a sound source. Panels there give the biggest improvement per square foot.
Parallel walls and flutter echo
Two bare parallel walls make a fast, buzzing echo when you clap. One panel on each wall, offset from each other, usually stops it. See flutter echo between drywall walls.
Recommended wall products
- Studio Trap: Recording studios, home theaters, corners, from $55
- Essential: Offices, living rooms, classrooms, from $69
- Cloud: Open offices, restaurants, classrooms, from $142
If the wall needs to block sound too
Panels do not add meaningful STC to a wall. If sound coming through the wall is a problem, read soundproofing and STC for home studios and what STC means.